JOB/AG/159  
 
9 July 2019  
(19-4544) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Agriculture  
Special Session  Original: English  
 
NEGOTIATIONS ON AGRI CULTURE  
SUBMISSION BY CHAD O N BEHALF OF THE LDC GROUP  
The following submission, dated 8 July 2019, is being circulated at the request of the delegation of 
Chad on behalf of the LDC Group . 
 
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1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  Agriculture remains a critical sector for the development of LDCs. It accounts for 30 % to 60% 
of the LDCs GDP and employs up to 70 % or more of the population. It  also represents a major 
source of exports and contributes directly to rural livel ihood, poverty reduction, and food security.   
1.2.  The vast majority of LDC farmers are small or semi -subsistence farmers faced with several 
challenges affecting their productivity in spite of a large underutilized production potential in 
agriculture. As a res ult, most LDCs are extremely vulnerable to price fluctuations and import surges.  
Domestic support also continues to distort international prices and displace LDC producers on global 
markets while creating conditions of unfair competition on domestic and re gional markets. Such 
policies directly hamper the development and food security prospects of LDCs.  
1.3.  As a contribution to ongoing deliberations in the Committee on Agriculture in Special Session 
(CoA-SS), the LDC Group would like to reiterate some essential principles and parameters it has 
conveyed through statements in the CoA -SS to guide Members and Working Group coordinators in 
ongoing negotiations on Domestic Support including Cotton, Public Stockholding for Food Security 
Purposes and the Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM).  
2  DOMESTIC SUPPORT INC LUDING COTTON  
2.1.  Overall, negotiations should result in substantial cuts in trade -distorting domestic support and 
reduce existing asymmetries in domestic support by gradually eliminating AMS entitlements.  
2.2.  In orde r to avoid excessive product concentration, negotiations should establish a product -
specific limit to domestic support . 
2.3.  With regard to cotton, negotiations should result in substantive cuts with a view to eliminating 
all forms of trade -distorting domestic support affecting cotton markets. It will be an important 
achievement in this dossier if Members commit by MC12 to something for LDCs on eliminating trade -
distorting domestic support affecting their cotton exports.  
2.4.  Special and differential treatment , taking into account the development and food security needs 
of LDCs , should result in LDCs being exempted from any reduction commitments consistent with all 
of our mandates originating under the Agreement on Agriculture Article 20 and Article 15.2 and 
Article X I.2 of the Agreement Establishing the WTO.  
2.5.  There is need to agree on criteria and disciplines in order to enhance the transparency and to 
allow a limitation of the possible distorting effects of so -called blue and green domestic support 
measures on trade i n agricultural products.  JOB/AG/159  
 
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  2.6.  In the end, all the negotiated disciplines o n domestic  support (AMS, de minimis , Blue box, 
Green box, etc.) and the effective implementation of the reform commitments in the agricultural 
sector by the WTO Members should contribute to correct in a concrete and significant manner the 
distorting effects on the trade of the different agricultural pro ducts, especially those whose 
production, processing and export are vital for the least developed countries.  
3  PUBLIC STOCKHOLDING FOR FOOD SECURITY PU RPOSES  
3.1.  On this issue, the LDC Group would like Members to reach an agreement which allows the 
development o f public stockholding programmes for food security purposes that do not yet exist. 
Should any permanent solution be reached, this dimension is essential for the LDC Group, which 
needs to be able to provide food for its rural and vulnerable populations.  
3.2.  With regard s to concerns expressed by some Members on possible market disruption, the LDC 
Group calls on these Members to take into consideration the proposal that was originally made by 
the G33 on transparency measures which do not constitute an increase in  the administrative burden.  
4  SPECIAL SAFEGUARD ME CHANISM (SSM)  
4.1.  The establishment of a special safeguard mechanism to offset the negative impact of price 
volatility and import surges on resource poor farmers is an important aspect for the LDC Group.   
4.2.  The LD C Group calls on Members to achieve a rapid solution on this issue as well, in line with 
the mandate given by our Ministers in Nairobi.  
 
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