Noting the intricate relationship between food and nutrition issues, DDG Paugam began the symposium by stating that having enough food is as important as having good-quality food.
He stated: “The first and most important contribution of trade to food security is in the sense of security of supply. World trade in food is essential for many countries and people.” He noted that many could face starvation if international food trade were to cease. Currently, 25% of global food production is traded internationally, and the value of food and agricultural trade has reached USD 2.3 trillion.
DDG Paugam emphasized the growing role of trade in improving food and nutrition diversity. In 2010, diversity of products available for consumption globally was almost 60% higher than that produced domestically. “By 2020, this figure had risen to nearly 90%, demonstrating how trade has significantly increased the variety of foods available for consumption,” he added.
He also highlighted the increasing complexity and interconnection of the global food supply chain as processed food has become the fastest-growing sector in world food trade. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, one-third of global food and agricultural exports now cross international borders at least twice. DDG Paugam stressed the need to leverage trade policies to protect this interconnectedness for better food and nutrition security.
Outlining key priorities for the WTO to achieve this goal, DDG Paugam first called for progress in ongoing agricultural negotiations at the WTO to address trade barriers, including high agricultural tariffs, substantial trade-distorting subsidies, and environmental challenges exacerbated by current farming practices.
He said: “The WTO has to contribute through agricultural reform to remove and reform those negative incentives while taking into account both the specific needs of developing countries and the specific tools, like public food stockholding programmes, that may be needed to contribute to food security.”
Second, DDG Paugam reiterated the role of the multilateral trading system in contributing to curb unnecessary food export restrictions, noting that such restrictions can be counterproductive when they create artificial scarcity, driving up global food prices.
Laying out recommendations for governments to deliver better nutritional outcomes, DDG Paugam indicated that trade policy should be used to open up trade and expand nutritional choices for consumers. He cited examples from several countries that have reduced tariffs on nutritious foods, issued health warnings on sugar, salt and fat content in foods, and implemented nutrition labelling.
DDG Paugam highlighted specific WTO agreements supporting positive nutrition outcomes: particularly Agreement on Sanitary Measures & Technical Barriers promoting safe imports & consumer awareness labels.
“I encourage WTO members not only to contribute positively to agricultural negotiations but also advance nutrition agenda by continuing discussing regulatory dimension,” he concluded.
This year's Annual Agriculture Symposium aimed at exploring intersections between global policies affecting access affordable nutritious foods low-income nations adapting supply chains meet growing population needs.