Committing to safety and long-term agri-trade policies, BRICS Agriculture Ministers today endorsed scrapping of agri-export subsidies as agreed at WTO's ministerial meeting at Nairobi.
The ministers also underlined the need for giving due weightage to scientific principles in discussions relating to sanitary and phyto-sanitary issues.
"We acknowledge the importance of the multilateral trade system as a means of promoting global trade. In this context, we welcome the outcomes of the WTO 10th ministerial conference at Nairobi in December 2015, especially as regards the elimination of agricultural export subsidies," said joint declaration issued at the end of 6th meet of BRICS Agriculture Ministers here.
The BRICS bloc said it recognises "the importance of the conclusion of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) ratification process for perishable food trade."
At the Nairobi meeting, the WTO members had agreed on timeline for elimination of export subsidies, while at the Bali ministerial meeting in December 2013, the members had agreed on TFA for removing trade barriers.
Besides, the BRICS bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa agreed "to consolidate the scientific principles in sanitary and phyto-sanitary discussions) in order to provide safety and predictability to agricultural trade".
They also decided to promote production of pulses in the BRICS countries and raise awareness among the people about their importance in dietary nutrition.
Keeping in view the impact of climate change on agriculture, the Agriculture Ministers felt the need to promote adoption of climate-resilient agri-technologies and enhance adaptive capacity through continuous exchange of information and sharing of experiences.
During the two-day meeting, the Agriculture Ministers also agreed to set up a virtual BRICS Agricultural Research Platform (BRICS-ARP), for which an MoU will be signed next month.
The proposed platform would promote food security, sustainable agri-development and poverty alleviation through strategic cooperation in agriculture among member countries.
Speaking to media after the BRICS meeting, Agriculture
Minister Radha Mohan Singh said, "We are satisfied with the implementation of the action plan for 2012-16. We have already identified the priority areas to be incorporated in the action plan for next five years."
Based on the current action plan, China is already working on establishing an agri-database of BRICS nations, Russia is preparing a document on international trade and investment, Brazil is working on ensuring food security to most vulnerable people and South Africa is on job to develop mitigation strategy for climate change, sources said.
In the two-day meeting, it agreed that India will work on establishing a virtual research platform, they said.
In the joint declaration, the BRICS nations emphasised boosting agri-investments in both public and private sectors, need to protect small farmers, investment in water infrastructure, use of IT and communication technology, climate resilient agriculture among other issues.
On agri-investments, the BRICS nations said they are committed to develop "incentives and foster partnerships" with both public and private sector for investments in agriculture.
"We believe that increasing public investment and creating favorable environment for enhanced private sector participation will promote integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors in rural areas, and spur growth in the agriculture sector," the joint statement said.
The BRICS members emphasised the need to protect small farm holders and held that they will continue to take steps to reduce cost of production, strive for research in food processing technologies and post-harvest management.
They also resolved to invest in water infrastructure for irrigation to assist farmers in building resilience during times of drought, while stressing the importance of deploying information and communication technology in agriculture.
With the constraints on natural resources such as land and water, BRICS countries felt that farm productivity and quality can only be achieved through strengthened research, technology transfer, and extension services and reforming social security and markets.
They also said there is a need to move from input intensive approach to innovation and technology driven production systems to maintain crop yields in a sustainable manner and to attain optimal resource use efficiency.
On biodiversity conservation, BRICS nations proposed to share their experiences and policies regarding conservation of existing native vegetation, including that on the river banks.
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Speaking at the event, a senior official of UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Kundhavi Kadiresan said BRICS is well placed to lead agricultural reforms to improve nutrition and rural livelihoods.
"With 42 per cent of the world's population, the group of countries that make up the BRICS are in a position to shape agricultural policies that would strengthen global food security and transform rural societies and livelihoods," said Kadiresan, who is Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific of the FAO.
He said that if BRICS nations adopt inclusive agricultural policies, it could have a remarkable impact on sustainable agricultural production and global food security, while at the same time improving nutrition and livelihoods of the very people that produce food.
