CROP DIVERSIFICATION AND RESILIENCY: FEED THE WORLD AND GROW EXPORTS.  Heritage Crops and Localized Innovation*

Communication from the United States

Revision

The following communication, dated 17 September 2024, is being circulated at the request of the delegation of the United States.

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1. During the World Trade Organization (WTO) June 2024 Ninth Global Review of Aid for Trade, the United States led an event titled "Crop Diversification and Resiliency: Feed the World and Grow Exports. Heritage Crops and Localized Innovation". The program was moderated by the American Seed Trade Association with a panel of experts representing the Kenya-based Farm Input Promotions Africa, LTD (FIPS-Africa); the Seed Systems Group in Eastern Africa, and the Asia Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI). 

2. The concept for this event was inspired by ongoing discussions in the Committee on Trade and Development on the ways in which innovation and research are driving development partnerships, including on food security. The event is part of a series of U.S. communications to showcase how capacity building investments, when complemented with implementation of WTO disciplines, can expand domestic investment opportunities, improve farmer livelihoods, and increase the ability of developing economies to take part in global trade.[1] Compliance with international standards and effective implementation of the SPS, TBT, and Trade Facilitation Agreements are critical for trade in seeds – and by extension, global food security.

3. The event demonstrated, with practical examples, how global agricultural trade expands economic opportunities for farmers. Panelists discussed how farmers in developing economies have benefited from modern plant breeding approaches and agronomic management practices through the adoption of improved varieties and diversified crops. The panelists also highlighted how global seed trade offers multiple economic opportunities for small and medium sized farmers in developing countries. In economies where science-based, transparent, and predictable trade policies have been adopted, farmers, universities, and local enterprises can partner with outside investors. These partnerships allow the seed sector to develop, test, and produce seeds in diverse climates and soil conditions that are eventually planted by farmers worldwide. In turn, partnerships stimulate local investment and access to improved seed technologies that can be deployed in a country's domestic context. This seed sector model, where global trade supports the development of locally adapted varieties that are deployed in a range of environmental and economic contexts, provides an interesting opportunity for attracting investment through trade and investment partnerships.

4. The event showcased the United States' investments in programs such as the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement, and the Harvest for Health Challenge. These programs are creating research networks with developing countries to facilitate seamless access and use of innovative tools and technologies, allowing U.S. and international researchers to accelerate the development of climate-resilient crops. USAID and USDA, in partnership with public and private investors, are also supporting researchers around the world who focus on the development of underutilized crops using genomic data, increasing the diversity of foods in the marketplace while improving nutritional security in the face of climate change and providing diverse economic opportunities to local growers.

5. A key takeaway from the event was wide recognition of the importance of the "enabling environment" to facilitate global trade in improved varieties of seeds. Markets that share globally aligned SPS, TBT, and trade facilitative measures – as well as intellectual property approaches that allow both public and private investors to establish economically sustainable business models for continued variety improvement and breeding – offer the most attractive opportunities. Partnerships with the global industry and donors such as USAID are key to making the jump from "proof of concept" to a commercially viable agricultural sector.

6. As we look ahead to the future, our delegation will draw on perspectives shared during the Aid for Trade event as we continue discussions with WTO members on how our trade commitments can help attract investment, or partnerships, that benefit domestic agricultural systems, while ensuring that farmers have access to the practical, science-based tools to address the modern challenges we face collectively. The United States encourages other Members, both donors and development partners, to share their experiences with the Committee on Trade and Development. These experiences may assist the Committee in identifying any further work Members may wish to undertake.