PROPOSAL ON FOOD SECURITY AND RESILIENCE

DRAFT

The following communication, dated 8 December 2025, is being circulated at the request of the delegation of The Gambia on behalf of the LDC Group.

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The Ministerial Conference,

Having regard to paragraph 1 of Article IX of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO);

Taking note of the findings and recommendations of the report of the dedicated work programme in the Committee on Agriculture launched pursuant to paragraph 8 of the MC12 Declaration on the emergency response to food insecurity (_G/AG/38) highlighting the needs of Least-Developed Countries (LDCs) and Net Food-Importing Developing Countries (NFIDCs) to increase their resilience in responding to acute food instability including by considering the best possible use of flexibilities to bolster their agricultural production and enhance their domestic food security as needed in an emergency;

Concerned by the enduring effects of supply chain disruptions, climate change, geopolitical tensions and volatile commodity prices on food insecurity, particularly in LDCs and NFIDCs who rely heavily on imports for their basic food needs, and face persisting supply side constraints or vulnerability to external shocks;

Determined to make progress toward the achievement of a fair agricultural trading system, ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, while promoting sustainable and resilient agriculture and food systems, in fulfilment of Sustainable Development Goal 2 of the United Nations;

Decides as follows:

1.   We instruct the Committee on Agriculture in Special Session to continue negotiations on the reform process of the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) towards a fair agricultural trading system, taking into account special and differential treatment in accordance with Article 20 of the AoA with a particular focus on substantial progressive reductions towards the elimination of trade- distorting domestic support affecting cotton markets, the special safeguard mechanism and a permanent solution on public stockholding for food security purposes covering all programmes, particularly those implemented by LDCs.

2.   Attention should be given to food security and resilience for LDCs, particularly on multifaceted vulnerabilities such as disruptions of supply, price volatility, natural disasters, and external shocks, including appropriate restraint, within WTO rules, on measures impacting food imports of LDCs and NFIDCs, among other things.

3.   In this regard, we also instruct the Committee on Agriculture in Special Session in its Dedicated Sessions on Public Stockholding for Food Security Purposes (PSH) to review the 1986-1988 fixed external reference price used to calculate the amount of domestic support provided under market price support, with a view to making recommendations by the 15^th WTO Ministerial Conference.

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