G/AG/N/AUS/143  
 
10 March  2022 
(22-2159) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Agriculture  Original: English  
 
 
NOTIFICATION  
The following submission, dated  9 March  2022, is being circulated at the request of the delegation 
of Australia . The notification concerns actions taken within the framework of the Decision on 
Measures Concerning the Possible Negative Effects of the Reform Programme on Least -Developed 
and Net Food -Importing Developing Countries ( Table NF:1 ) during the  
Financial  Year 2019/2020 . 
 
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  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  FROM 01 -07-2019 TO 30 -06-2020 
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1  QUANTITY OF FOOD ASSISTANCE  PROVIDED TO LEAST -DEVELOPED AND NET FOOD -
IMPORTI NG DEVELOPING COUNTRIES  
1.1.  Australia is committed to providing a minimum of AUD 80 million of food assistance per 
calendar year under the Food Assistance Convention (FAC). In financial year 2019 -20, Australia 
provided AUD 91.92 million in food assistance for LDCs1 and NFIDCs2 as part of its FAC  commitments 
(see Annex A for a breakdown by recipient country). All funding was provided as cash ‑based support 
to the UN World Food Programme.  
2  INDICATION OF THE PROPORTION IN FULLY GRANT FORM OR APPROPRIATE 
CONCESSIONAL TERMS  
2.1.  All Austra lian food assistance is provided in fully grant form.  
3  TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE UNDER PARAGRAPH 3(III) OF THE DECISION  
3.1.  The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is primarily responsible for 
delivering Australia's aid programme.  This aid programme includes work to improve agriculture and 
rural development in LDCs and NFIDCs. Detailed information on Australia’s aid programme is 
available at  https://dfat.gov.au/ . 
3.2.  The Australian Centre for Intern ational Agricultural Research (ACIAR) also assists  LDC 
and NFIDCs through its Global Programme, delivering agricultural research programmes in 
collaboration with Australian institutions and their counterparts in developing countries. Detailed 
information o n ACIAR’s Global Programme is available at https://www.aciar.gov.au/ .  
3.3.  In 2019 -20, Australia provided AUD 321.32 million for programmes within the ambit of the 
Decision (see Annex B, column 4), including AUD 227.14  million directed to LDCs and NFIDCs (see 
Annex  B, column 3). The expenditure was channeled through multilateral, regional and bilateral 
programmes; humanitarian/emergency assistance; non -government organisations (NGOs); ACIAR; 
and other government departm ents (OGDs).  
DFAT Bilateral and Regional Programmes   
3.4.  The majority of Australia's aid is delivered through bilateral and regional programmes.  Bilateral 
country strategies reflect recipient government priorities and Australia's capacity to assist.  Specific 
activities are developed with partner countries in order to provide technical and financial assistance.  
Australia also supports several regional programmes which are often the most cost effective 
response to region -wide development challenges.  
3.5.  In 2019-20, the bilateral and regional technical and financial assistance provided to LDCs 
and NFIDCs within the ambit of the Decision was approximately AUD 104.93 million. This assistance 
focused on agricultural productivity and sustainability, crop storage,  environmental management, 
developing markets, the provision of infrastructure related to food security and assisting countries 
to adjust to changes in trade patterns.  
 
1 Based on Least -Developed Countries as recognised by the Economic and Social Council of the UN.  
2 See G/AG/5/Rev/10 of 23 March 2012.  G/AG/N/AUS/143  
 
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  Other programmes  
3.6.  A proportion of Australia's core contributions to multilateral develop ment banks and other 
relevant multilateral organisations are used for food security, agricultural productivity and 
infrastructure related development activities. Australia supports scholarship students from LDCs 
and NFIDCs on agriculture, forestry and fisheries.  
3.7.  A number  of Australian NGOs receive aid programme funding that has a direct impact on 
improving food security, agricultural productivity and infrastructure in developing countries.  
ACIAR  
3.8.  ACIAR 's mission is to achieve more productive and sustainable agricultural systems for the 
benefit of developing countries and Australia, through international agricultural research 
partnerships. In 2019 -20, ACIAR directed AUD 104.18 million to programmes within  the ambit of 
the decision, of which AUD 68.04 million was directed to programmes in LDCs and NFIDCs. See 
Annex C for a breakdown of ACIAR’s administered expenditure for 2019 -20. 
4  OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION WITH RESPECT TO ACTIONS TAKEN WITHIN THE 
FRAMEWORK  OF THE DECISION  
4.1.  Outside of Australia’s food aid and financial assistance delivered by DFAT and ACIAR, a number 
of Federal and State Government agencies ("Other Government Departments") sponsored official 
exchanges with developing countries on agriculture and food security, totalling around 
AUD 19.64  million in 2019 -20, of which AUD 0.38 million was directed at LDCs and NFIDCs.  
 
 
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  ANNEX A  
FOOD ASSISTANCE THROUGH CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME FOR 
LEAST -DEVELOPED AND NET FOOD -IMPORTING DEVELOPING COUNTRIES,  
FINANCIAL YEAR 2019 -20 
Country  Total Value  
(AUD million)  
Core (unearmarked)  40.00  
Bangladesh  19.00  
Afghanistan  11.00  
Jordan  5.30 
Pacific Regional  4.00 
Lebanon  3.50 
South Sudan  3.50 
Pakistan  3.25 
Myanmar  1.50 
Nepal  0.87 
Total  91.92  
Source:  DFAT.  
ANNEX B  
DIRECT AID FLOWS FOR FOOD SECURITY, BY PROGRAMME, 2019 -20 
(AUD MILLION)  
Programme  Sub Programme  To LDCs  and 
NFIDCs  Total all 
programmes  
Bilateral  & Regional  Programmes  Bilateral Programmes  104.93  104.98  
 Regional Programmes  7.76 14.77 
Global Programmes  Humanitarian  37.43 43.39 
 Other International  9.67 46.94 
Non-DFAT Programmes  ACIAR  66.97 91.6 
 Other  Government  Departments  0.38 19.64 
Total LDCs and NFIDCs   227.14   
TOTAL all programmes    321.32  
Source:  DFAT.  
ANNEX C  
ACIAR EXPENDITURE 2019 -20 
ACIAR Administered expenditure  Total  value  
(AUD  million)  
Bilateral research projects & co -investment programmes  68.04  
East & South -East Asia  27.88 
Pacific  19.65 
South Asia 10.90 
Eastern & Southern Africa  9.61 
Multilateral partnerships (including funding for international agricultural 
research centers including CGIAR)  19.97  
Programme support  8.88 
Capacity building  5.11 
Outreach  2.05 
Impact evaluation  0.13 
TOTAL  104.18  
Source:  ACIAR.  
 
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