WT/GC/218  
G/AG/31  
TN/AG/44  
 
17 June 2020  
(20-4271) Page: 1/4 
General Council  
Committee on Agriculture  
Committee on Agriculture , Special Session  Original: English  
 
COVID -19 INITIATIVE:  PROTECTING GLOBAL FO OD SECURITY THROUGH OPEN TRADE  
COMMUNICATION ON BEH ALF OF MEMBERS OF TH E CAIRNS GROUP  
The following communication  dated 17 June 2020, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegations of Argentina , Australia , Canada , Chile, Costa Rica , Indonesia , Malaysia , New Zealand , 
Paraguay , Peru and Uruguay . 
 
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Introduction  
 
1.1.  COVID -19 has caused a global health crisis of unp recedented complexity, affecting the 
well-being and livelihoods of millions around the world. We recognise that our primary focus is to 
ensure the health and safety of our citizens, while laying the groundwork for a strong , inclusive  and 
sustainable economic recovery.  
1.2.  The global agricultural and food system, underpinned by World Trade Organization  (WTO) 
rules, spans international borders, bringing food, fibre, and other essential products to people all 
over the world.  Agriculture cont ributes over US D 3.3 trillion to the global economy each year, and 
employs around 27 % of the global workforce, including on average 6 0% of employment in low 
income countries.1 Trade is an important  component in ensuring the availability of diversified, saf e 
and nutritious food for all.    
1.3.  Throughout the first phase of this pandemic, the agriculture sector has been resilient and 
international markets have remained relatively stable despite strong pressures on production, supply 
chains, and rapid shifts in dem and. At this critical time, it is vital that we put in place trade facilitating 
measures and that we do not put the global agricultural and food system at risk by introducing new 
measures that distort trade or production, limit supply or unduly distort pri ces, at the expense of 
people’s wellbeing.  
1.4.  Open trade complements domestic production  in ensuring and supporting global food security.  
No single economy can lay claim to full self -sufficiency .2 We all rely on international trade for key 
components of our d iet, and for access to inputs, machinery and services that allow us to produce 
safe and affordable food.  Trade facilitates access to food during local production shocks and across 
different production seasons, and acts to prevent domestic shortages.  Trade also leads to a more 
efficient and sustainable allocation of factors of production, such as land and water resources.  Under 
open market conditions, agricultural supply chains are able to adapt to occasional and temporary 
challenges.  Without predictable agr icultural and food trade we would all be significantly worse off.  
1.5.  At this critical time, when countries are responding to the challenges of the COVID -19 
pandemic, the risks posed by additional distortive subsidies, the disposal of subsidised stocks 
(whethe r privately held or in public storage), and other measures that distort or disrupt trade cannot 
be overestimated.  Producers who are already under pressure could be put in an unviable position 
 
1 World Bank data.  
2 Only 17% of countries produce more calories than they consumed between 2005-2009 and even those 
countries relied on trade to ensure a varied and nutritional diet. (M.J. Puma et al Environmental Research 
Letters Jan uary 2015) . WT/GC/218 • G/AG/31 • TN/AG/44  
 
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  and the supply chains that are critical to the global agricultur al and food system could be put at risk. 
Such developments could increase the levels of global food insecurity as a result of COVID -19.  
1.6.  To avoid this, Members must show restraint and live up to their commitments, including in 
recent declarations and state ments3, to ensure all emergency measures in response to COVID -19 
are targeted, temporary, proportionate, science -based where relevant, and transparent – including 
by informing and notifying all relevant COVID -19 related measures as soon as practicable to t he 
WTO Secretariat. The international community must continue to respond to the COVID -19 food 
security threat by ensuring open and predictable agricultural markets, which will result in market -
based price signals and preserved supply chains.  
1.7.  Through the f ollowing commitments, we are seeking to lessen the impact of COVID -19 and to 
promote an economic recovery that embraces the benefits of open and fair agricultural markets.  We 
encourage others to join on to this initiative in a demonstration of our joint co mmitment to global 
food security.  
1.8.  Now more than ever, we must continue our efforts to "build back better " by rejecting 
protectionism, continuing the reform process with a view to achieving positive results by MC12, and 
giving the agricultural sector a key role in the economic recovery.  We must continue our work across 
all pillars of the negotiations to achieve fundamental reforms and a fairer and more market -oriented 
agricultural trading system.  This means progress in market access, in export competition, a nd in 
domestic support, where the Cairns Group has laid out a Framework for Negotiations to ensure that 
harmful trade and production -distorting subsidies are appropriately addressed.  
 
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3 Including statements such as WT/GC/208/Rev .2 and G20 Agriculture and Trade Ministers' statements.  WT/GC/218 • G/AG/31 • TN/AG/44  
 
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  ANNEX  
Commitments  
We, the following Members , Argentina, Australia,  Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Malaysia, 
New Zealand, Paraguay, Peru,  Uruguay :  
 
Restraint on measures and roll -back  
 
1. Commit to and call on all Members to ensure that any emergency measures in agriculture in 
response to COVID -19 and its effects  are targeted, proportionate, transparent, temporary and 
consistent with WTO  rules.  
2. Commit to and call on all Members to exercise restraint when considering introducing such 
measures in response to COVID -19 and its effects  and to give pr eference to the use of those 
measures that will not distort trade or production.  
3. Commit to and call on all Members to exercise restraint in establishing domestic food stocks of 
agricultural products that are traditionally exported so as to avoid disruptio ns or distortions in 
international trade.  
4. Commit to and call on all Members to ensure that the disposal of any food stocks built up in 
public storage facilities, or as a result of the public subsidisation of private storage facilities, is 
transparent and consistent with WTO Agreements and the Nairobi Decision on Export 
Competition.  Such disposals should avoid creating trade distortions that adversely affect  the 
food security of other Members.  
5. Commit to and call on all Members to refrain from implementing u njustified trade barriers on 
imports of agriculture and agri -food products, and to consider the adoption of trade -facilitating 
measures where possible to strengthen agriculture supply chains.  
6. Commit to and call on all Members to roll -back those trade and production distorting agricultural 
measures put in place in response to COVID -19 and its effects , in a timely and effective manner ; 
and to ensure they do not become entrenched and continue to distort global trade.  
Food aid  
 
7. Commit to and call on all Members not to impose export restrictions or extraordinary taxes on 
food and agricultural products purchased for non -commercial humanitarian purposes by the 
World Food Programme  (WFP) and other humanitarian agencies; and  
8. Call for a permanent, multilateral agreement not to impose export restrictions or extraordinary 
taxes on food and agricultural products purchased for non -commercial humanitarian purposes 
by the WFP and other humanitarian agencies to be agreed by WTO Members by MC12.   
9. Reaffirm the commitment  to provide any food aid in full compliance with disciplines under the 
Agreement on Agriculture and the MC10 Nairobi Ministerial Decision on Export Competition.  
10. Commit to and call on all Members to ensure that all food aid, when provided, is in fully gran t 
form, needs driven, and avoids commercial displacement and adverse impacts on local and 
regional production and markets.   
Transparency  
 
11. Commit to and call on all Members to be transparent about any agricultural COVID -19 
trade -related measures and to info rm the WTO, including the WTO Trade Monitoring Mechanism, 
as soon as practicable of any such measures, including their entry into force, their expected 
duration, any budgetary allocation for the measures, and when they cease to be applied.  Such 
information  could be provided without prejudice to existing notification obligations or templates.  
12. Call on the WTO Secretariat to continue its monitoring of COVID -19 trade -related measures, 
and request that, as part of this process, the Secretariat identifies, regist ers, tracks and 
publishes all agricultural measures to the extent possible, including export restrictions, border 
measures, export competition measures, and domestic support, and their proposed duration.  WT/GC/218 • G/AG/31 • TN/AG/44  
 
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  13. Request that as part of future WTO Committee on Agr iculture  (CoA) meetings, a new agenda 
item be included focused on COVID -19. The agenda item shall be dedicated toward review by 
Members of agricultural measures put in place in response to COVID -19, an exchange of 
information on Members ' experiences in res ponding to the COVID -19 crisis, and a presentation 
by the WTO Secretariat on its tracking of agricultural measures. This agenda item should remain 
in place until such time as measures have ceased. Members should explore the possibility of 
inviting experts from other Organizations, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization and 
the International Trade Centre to present on COVID -19 agricultural measures and their impact.  
14. Establish a Member -driven WTO COVID -19 Agricultural Working Group, open to any 
WTO Member, to track informally COVID -19 agriculture measures, acknowledging existing 
limitations with tracking measures in the WTO, and discuss ideas on how to ensure the global 
community 's response to this crisis does not undermine trade, food security and the  stability of 
agricultural markets in the long -term.  
Reform  
 
15. Commit to continuing to drive forward the reform process in the WTO to establish a fair , and 
market -oriented agricultural trading system, including through positive and meaningful results 
at MC12 .  
 
 
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