India hopeful of solution on food security issue at WTO

With the World Trade Organization (WTO) reconvening this month, India is hopeful its concerns on public stockholding for food security purposes will be considered this time, even as the government on Wednesday said it is not the only country is demanding an early resolution to the issue.

“Today, the environment is far more in favour of India. People are able to understand why we took the position we did took in July. This is the greatest sense of understanding and appreciation … We hope that the member-countries understand the position India has taken not just for India, but in the interest of many countries which have public stock of foodgrain. These are issues of sovereign right of a country. We would like WTO to address them and I am hopeful. I want WTO to engage with us, talk to us to get a solution done,” said Nirmala Sitharaman (pictured), minister of state for commerce and industry, here on Wednesday.

Sitharaman also said the government was hopeful that this time, till the WTO General Council (GC) meets again, meetings of the WTO Agriculture Committee will take place frequently in Geneva.

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Source: pti

“Our expectation is we get a permanent solution for the public stockholding of foodgrain; it is important for my national food security. I am in favour of trade facilitation, but my expectation has to be addressed. We had given a lot of alternatives, but probably there was not enough time for the WTO to sit over these proposals and come back with the response then,” Sitharaman added.

The preparatory committee is expected to meet on September 29, after which GC, WTO’s highest decision-making body, will meet on October 21. During this period, Sitharaman said the WTO membership might take up India’s concerns.

The minister reiterated that India has no issue with the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) that seeks to ease global Customs rules. She said the government was even taking several steps to streamline customs procedures in order to reduce the soaring transaction costs of exporters and industry. However, in doing so, she said India would not let go of an opportunity to address the country’s food security concerns.

 The minister even refuted claims made by some WTO member-countries that India was standing alone in this issue. China and other developing countries from the G-33 countries also gradually understanding India’s stance, she said.

“During my recent visit, China's trade minister was able to see where we have come from and what arguments we have placed. That thought must be removed from mind that people are irate; people think we are isolated. On the contrary, we now have more people understanding India's position, favourably to India,” she added.

On July 31, India refused to sign the TFA into a legally binding framework, as its demand to have a parallel agreement on food stockpiling was not considered by the WTO. India had been insisting that along with TFA, a permanent solution to the food security issue should also be achieved.