Enhancing Food Security: The WTO's Role in in
Supporting Innovation
and Sustainable Growth in Agricultural Productivity
Communication from the United States
The following communication, dated 9 November
2023, is being circulated at the request of the delegation of the United
States.
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1.1. WTO Members recognize the importance of food security to global and
national economic prosperity, security, and political stability. Challenges to
advancing food security are prevalent throughout agri-food systems. The
challenges of growing populations, continuing conflicts, and growing negative
impacts of climate change, among others, cannot be minimized as we strive to
enhance food security, which will require more resilient and sustainable
agri-food systems.
1.2. The Organization of Economic Cooperative Development (OECD) and the
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimate that average global
agricultural productivity must increase at a rate triple of that recorded over
the last decade in order to achieve the 2030 Zero Hunger target while
simultaneously keeping agricultural emissions on track to meet the Paris
Agreement targets. To achieve these targets, one cannot rely solely on past
methods to boost agricultural productivity. Instead, we must continue to find
ways to increase agricultural productivity in a sustainable manner that will
create more resilient agri-food systems to enhance long-term food security and
address short-term food crises. This global challenge of increasing sustainable
agricultural productivity will require coordination and cooperation across the
international community and will need to include leveraging public and private
investments to support research and development of science-based innovative
approaches and technologies, promoting knowledge and experience sharing,
encouraging capacity building, developing and implementing science-based
regulatory regimes, and utilizing the multilateral rules-based trading system.
1.3. The US submission of 27 March 2023 stated that the World Trade
Organization (WTO) can play a critical and unique role in enhancing food
security.[1]
By focusing on using trade rules that complement the food security initiatives
of other international organizations, the WTO can enhance food security by
promoting the safe and reliable trade of food, innovation in sustainable
agri-food systems through Members' adoption of science-based regulatory
regimes, and the advancement of economic growth and sustainable development
goals.
1.4. This submission explores the roles of WTO Members and the WTO in
trade and trade rules to promote sustainable agricultural productivity growth,
including through the use of innovative tools and technologies, to enhance food
security.
[1] US Communication "The World Trade Organization's Role in
Enhancing Food Security". _JOB/CTG/25;
_JOB/AG/241;
_JOB/MA/160;
_JOB/SPS/28;
_JOB/TBT/501;
_JOB/COMTD/1;
and _JOB/TF/233.