WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/AG/N/AUS/57 
16 November 2004 
 (04-4934)  
Committee on Agriculture Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
  
 The following submission, dated 10 November 2004,  is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of Australia .  The notification concerns actions ta ken within the framework of the 
Decision on Measures Concerning the Possible Negativ e Effects of the Reform Programme on Least-
Developed and Net Food-Importing Developing Countries ( Table NF:1 ) for the financial year 
2003/2004.   
 
 
 
   G/AG/N/AUS/57 
Page 2  
 
  
Table NF:1 
 
Notification under Article 16:2 of the Agreement: 
Monitoring of the Follow-Up to the Decision on 
Measures Concerning the Possible Negative Effects of  
the Reform Programme on Least Developed and Net  
Food-Importing Developing Countries: Australia 
 
REPORTING PERIOD: Financial Year 2003-2004 (A$) 
 
 
(1) Quantity of food aid provided to least developed and net food-importing developing 
countries: 
Australia provided 174,891 tonnes (wheat equiva lent) of food aid, including 52,346 tonnes 
(A$13.7 million) of emergency food aid (see Att achment A).  This amounted to a total of 
A$45.1 million in 2003-2004.  Of the total f ood aid provided, some 111,514 tonnes (wheat 
equivalent) or 64 per cent was pr ovided to Least-Developed (LDCs)
1 and Net Food-Importing 
Developing Countries (NFIDCs)2 (Attachment B). 
 
(2) Indication of the proportions in fully gr ant form or appropriate concessional terms: 
  All Australian food aid is provided on fully grant terms. 
 
(3) Technical and financial assistance under paragraph 3 (iii) of the Decision: 
 
 The agency primarily responsible for deliveri ng Australia's aid programme is the Australian 
Agency for International Development (AusAID) .  AusAID aims to reduce poverty and achieve 
sustainable development in developing countri es not just by improving agriculture and rural 
development, but also by directing its efforts across a variety of sectors.  The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) also assists developing countries  through both bilateral 
and multilateral projects focusing on delivering mo re productive and sustainable agriculture to 
increase food security and rural incomes.  ACIA R delivers agricultural research programmes in 
collaboration with Australian institutions and th eir counterparts in developing countries.  
  In the financial year 2003-04, Australia pr ovided a total of A$256.4 million for programmes 
within the ambit of the Decision related to count ries developing their food security.  Of this over 
A$83.7 million was directed to LDCs/NFIDCs.  Th e expenditure was channelled through a number of 
programming windows including multilateral, regiona l, and bilateral, humanitarian/emergency 
assistance, non-government organisations (NGOs ), ACIAR, and a small amount through other 
government departments (OGDs).   
 
  
                                                     
 
 1 Based on least-developed countries as recognised by the Economic and Social Council of the United 
Nations.  
2 LDCs plus Barbados, Botswana, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Honduras, Jamaica, 
Kenya, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Pakistan, Peru, Saint Lucia, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, 
Tunisia and Venezuela.  G/AG/N/AUS/57 
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 Direct aid flows for food security, by program, 2003 -04 (provisional) 
   
Program Sub Program 2003-04 
Country & Regional Programs Bilateral 111,513,536 
  Multilateral 550,000 
Global Programs Bilateral 1,000,000 
  Humanitarian 66,907,511 
  Multilateral 26,045,821 
  NGO 3,131,322 
Accrual Adjustments   25,966,393 
Non-AusAID Programs1 ACIAR 16,915,393 
  Other Government Departments 4,366,971 
Other food security2     
Total   256,396,948 
(1) Non AusAID Programs only includes Jul to Dec 2004 expenditure  
(2) Other food security includes multilateral imputed flows to World Bank  
 
 
Direct aid flows for food security, by progra m, LDCs and NFIDCs, 2003-04 (provisional) 
   
Main Program Sub Program 2003-04 
Country & Regional Programs Country Programs 41,894,345 
  Regional Programs 1,563,607 
Global Programs Humanitarian 22,795,233 
  Multilateral 13,819,575 
  NGO & Volunteer 1,809,987 
Non-AusAID Programs1 ACIAR 1,775,303 
  Other Government Departments 71,275 
Total   83,729,325 
(1) Non AusAID Programs only includes Jul to Dec 2004 expenditure  
 
 All financial assistance provided through AusAID  and ACIAR is in fully grant form.  Some 
further information follows.  
(i) Australian Agency for Intern ational Development (AusAID) 
 
Bilateral and Regional Programmes 
 
  The majority of Australia's aid is deliver ed through bilateral (or country) and regional 
programmes.  Bilateral country strategies reflect recipient government priorities as well as Australia's 
capacity to assist.  Specific activities are develope d with partner countries in order to provide 
technical and financial assistance.  Australia al so supports several regional programmes which are 
often the most cost effective response to region-wide development challenges. 
  In the case of food security, the bilateral and regional technical and financial assistance 
provided to LDCs and NFIDCs was A$43.2 million in 2003-04.  Assistance focused on agricultural 
productivity and sustainability, crop storage, fore stry and fisheries, environmental management, 
management of water resources, the provision of in frastructure related to food security and to assist 
countries adjust to the new trading environment.  G/AG/N/AUS/57 
Page 4  
 
 Humanitarian and Emergency
 
  In 2003-04, Australia supported a number of proj ects valued at A$22.7 million in relation to 
humanitarian and emergency relief (in additi on to food aid) to LDCs and NFIDCs.  
 
Multilateral Core Funding
 
  A proportion of Australia's core contributions to the multilateral devel opment banks and other 
relevant multilateral organisations are used for fo od security related development activities.  The 
Australian aid program provisional expenditure to multilateral organisations (including International 
Development Association, Asian Developmen t Fund, International Fund for Agricultural 
Development and the World Food Program) relating to food security was A$26 million in 2003-04 of 
which A$13.8 million was provi ded to LDCs and NFIDCs. 
 Other 
 
 
 There are a number of other areas where Australia's aid program supports food security.  Australia supported scholarships students from LDCs a nd NFIDCs in the areas of agriculture, forestry 
and fisheries worth A$2.1 million in 2003-04.  A nu mber of Australian non-government organisations 
receive aid program funding that has a direct impact on improving food security in developing countries.  In 2003-04 the Australian aid pr ogram funded A$3.1 million to NGOs for activities 
ranging from improving food crop production and pro cessing, to rural development and agricultural 
extension projects.  
(ii) Australian Centre for Internatio nal Agricultural Research (ACIAR) 
 
 In 2003-2004, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research expended 
A$16.9 million, of which A$1.7 million was in suppor t of multilateral and bilateral research activities 
relating directly to agricultural pr oductivity of LDCs and NFIDCs.   
 Multilateral programmes
 
 
 In 2003-2004, ACIAR contributed A$9.2 milli on to multilateral International Agricultural 
Research Centres (IARCs) whose mandate is to incr ease global food security.  The major criterion on 
which ACIAR bases its allocation of Australia's funds to the IARCs is the comparative advantage of a 
centre to deliver research applicable to Austra lia’s regional priorities and which contributes to 
sustainable food security, agricultural productivity and income generation. (See Attachment C). 
 
Bilateral programmes  
 
Approximately A$7.7 million of ACIAR's funding is delivered bilaterally in the form of 
specific research activities. Projects funded under ACIAR's bilateral programme comprise research 
targeting the following food security and poverty a lleviation issues: agricultural development policy 
and agricultural systems economics and managemen t; animal sciences; crop sciences; fisheries; 
forestry; land and water resources;  and post harvest technology. 
 
(4) Other relevant information with respect to actions taken within the framework of the 
Decision 
 
Outside the aid program a number of State a nd Commonwealth Government agencies sponsor 
official exchanges between Australia and devel oping countries on agriculture and food security.  The 
amount of other Government Department s upport to LDC and NFIDCs in this area was 
A$71 thousand in 2003-04.  G/AG/N/AUS/57 
 Page 5 
 
 
 Attachment A  
 
Humanitarian and emergency relie f, by country, 2003-04 (p rovisional expenses) (A$) 
 
 
COUNTRY Expenses (A$) 
  
Bhutan 724,088 
  
Cambodia 1,559,333 
  
Democratic People's Republic of Korea 1,937,754 
  East Timor 446,303 
  
Eritrea 495,417   
Ethiopia 654,591 
  Sudan 797,664 
  
Southern Africa 6,356,534   
  
Total 13,713,480 
 G/AG/N/AUS/57 
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Attachment B  
 
Quantity of food aid provided to Least developed (LDCs) and Net Food-Importing Developing Countries 
(NFIDCs):  Breakdown by commodity and recipient countries 
 
Recipient Country Commodity Type Quantity (tonnes)FAC Wheat 
Equivalent Total Expenses 
(A$) 
Bilateral Development     
       
Bangladesh Wheat 45,000  45,000  11,700,900  
Subtotal 45,000  45,000  11,700,900  
Emergency / Relief     
      
Bhutan Rice 1,431  2,290  450,792  Bhutan Pulses 219  657  168,429  Bhutan Sugar 215  430  104,867  Cambodia Beans 1,200  3,600  842,626  Cambodia Vegetable Oil 700  3,024  687,949  Cambodia Salt 200  200  28,758  East Timor Beans 199  478  132,836  East Timor Rice 995  1,592  313,467  Eritrea Wheat 1,858  1,858  495,417  
Ethiopia Vegetable Oil 648  3,240  654,591  SAF Lesotho Maize Meal 2,100  2,100  594,510  SAF Lesotho Cereals 1,900  1,900  531,696  
SAF Mozambique Maize 3,500  3,500  782,250  SAF Zambia Maize 4,257  4,257  1,191,415  
Sudan CSB 448  448  227,635  Sudan Beans 359  862  176,915  Sudan Vegetable Oil 400  2,000  393,114  
Subtotal 20,629  32,435  7,777,267  
Multilateral Regular Contribution - WFP    
      
Bangladesh Wheat 19,271  19,271  4,698,241  
Laos Rice 1,270  2,032  497,843  Lesotho Pulses 290  725  182,604  Malawi Pulses 340  850  214,088  Malawi CSB 820  820  437,683  Myanmar Rice 3,301  5,282  858,104  Myanmar Pulses 400  1,000  224,068  Myanmar Rice 1,574  2,518  409,250  Zambia CSB 1,581  1,581  843,730  
Subtotal 28,847  34,079  8,365,611  
        
 TOTAL 94,476  111,514  27,843,778   G/AG/N/AUS/57 
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 Attachment C 
 
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR):  Disaggregation of the funds allocated 
to the International Agricultural Research Centre s (IARCs) in 2003-2004 (Provisional figures) 
 
 
ACIAR contribution to IARCs, 2002-03 and 2003-04 (provisional)  
   
International Agricultural Research Centres (IARCs) 2002-03 2003-04 
International Institute for Tropical Agriculture  0 187,100 
Asian Vegetable Research and Development 55,000 55,000 
Center for International Forestry Research 418,257 520,378 
Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences 562,003 582,838 
International Center for Agricultural Research 555,250 556,906 
World Fish Center 764,521 748,111 
World Agroforestry Centre 585,328 581,404 
International Crops Research Institute 681,754 959,029 
International Food Policy Research 600,000 937,541 
International Water Management Institute 741,014 652,790 
International Livestock Research Institute 406,150 406,151 
International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre 908,141 875,381 
International Plant Genetic Resources Institute 639,195 494,000 
International Potato Centre 571,574 546,977 
International Rice Research Institute 995,917 1,137,817 
Total 8,484,104 9,241,423 
Source: Ausaid statistical datamart, snapshot 14.  Compiled by IRSU 9 Nov 2004.  
 
 
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