G/AG/GEN/190  
 
7 September 2021  
(21-6663) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Agriculture  Original: English  
 
 
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT TO THE 99TH WTO REGULAR MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE ON 
AGRICULTURE  
 
"COVID -19 AND AGRICULTURE"  
Submission  by the World Food Programme (WFP)  
The following submission, dated 6 September  2021, is being circulated at the request of the World 
Food Programme (WFP ). 
 
_______________  
 
 
Food insecurity estimates for 2021 remain critical  
1.1.  Looking back on the past year, the coronavirus pandemic looms large. The worst global health 
crisis for more than a century, COVID -19 caused the deepest global recession in generations. 
Lockdowns, border closures and social distancing, which aimed to curb the virus 's spread, caused 
supply chains to break down, businesses to shut and markets for goods and services to e vaporate. 
In 12 months, the pandemic pushed 124 million people into extreme poverty — the first increase in 
global poverty in two decades.1 
1.2.  High food insecurity projections remain confirmed for 2021. Across the 80 countries where WFP 
is operating, up to 270.5 million people are estimated to be acutely food insecure or at high risk 
in 2021. The root causes of their food insecurity are mainly conflict, economic shocks, natural 
disasters, exacerbated by the socio -economic fallout resulting f rom COVID -19. Nearly 120.7 million 
additional people are facing food insecurity today compared to before the pandemic, an 
unprecedented and alarming increase of 81 %.2 
1.3.  According to the latest Hunger Hotspots analysis , jointly undertaken by WFP and the Food and 
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), acute food insecurity continues to rise globally 
at an alarming rate. Its growth is not only in scale but also severity: overall, over 41 million people 
worldwide are on the brink of famine or famine -like conditions, requiring immediate life and 
livelihood -saving assistance.3 
1.4.  Besides, food prices increased steadily fr om June 2020 to May 2021, as measured by the FAO 
Food Price Index (FFPI) . Despite a weakening in June 2021, food prices were more than 30 % higher 
year on year. High international foo d prices, together with elevated freight costs are likely to increase 
the global food import bill in 2021, especially in developing countries, where the demand for 
imported foodstuffs is on the rise.4 WFP is concerned about the impact this trend will have on 
vulnerable people.  
 
1 WFP Annual Review 2020, July 2021, https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP -
0000129977/download/?_ga=2.244569933.95373158.163 0407509 -452813577.1576669866  
2 WFP Global Operational Response Plan 2021, Update n.2, June 2021, 
https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP -0000129022/download/?_ga=2.147651071.95373158.1630407509 -
452813577.1576669866  
3 Hunger  Hotspots – FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity, July 2021, 
https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP -0000130653/d ownload/?_ga=2.222009168.95373158.1630407509 -
452813577.1576669866  
4 Ibidem.  G/AG/GEN/190  
 
- 2 - 
 
  WFP and WTO joining efforts to strengthen the response to food insecurity  
1.5.  As the frontline agency responding to emergencies caused by conflict, climate shocks, 
pandemics and othe r disasters, WFP 's mandate is to assist the most vulnerable populations, 
delivering life -saving food assistance and working with communities to improve their access to food, 
nutrition and build resilience.5 
1.6.  In 2020, WFP provided food assistance to over 11 5 million people in more than 80 countries, 
an all -time annual record.6 Figures for 2021 remain high, with the biggest plan of work in WFP 's 
history to assist 139 million people worldwide. Already in the first quarter of the year, WFP reached 
67 million p eople, 3 million more than the same period last year.7  
1.7.  WFP also supports smallholder farmers – who produce most of the world's food and are critical 
in achieving a zero -hunger world –, connecting them to markets and purchasing their surplus 
production.8 By adopting smallholder -friendly procurement, WFP contributes to strengthening local 
economies and supporting the increased resilience and productivity of rural communities – one of 
the pillars of its hunger eradication strategy.9 Therefore, in -line with  the "do no harm " principle 
mentioned in the WFP procurement policy,10 WFP's food purchases are carried out when and where 
supplies exceed the demand, thus not putting at risk the food security of supplying countries.  
1.8.  As WFP strives to provide timely life -saving food assistance, it is of paramount importance to 
ensure well -functioning food supply chains. That is why WFP welcomes any measure adopted by 
World Trade Organization (WTO) Member s to facilitate the smooth movement of WFP 's humanitarian 
food assista nce. In particular, WFP is very grateful to the 81 WTO Member s  who voluntarily 
committed not to impose export restrictions on WFP foodstuff by signing the Joint Statement on 
Agriculture Export Prohibitions or Restrictions Relating to the World Food Programme . This concerted 
effort contributed to creating a more conducive environment for WFP food procurement. During the 
first half of 2021, WFP was confronted with only few instanc es of export restrictions or surcharges. 
It is our hope to see more WTO Members joining the above -mentioned commitment. The relevance 
of such actions has also been underscored by the United Nations Conference on Trade and 
Development (UNCTAD) in its 83rd Policy Brief, recommending that WTO Member s agree not to 
impose export restrictions "on food aid to countries in an emergency situation ".11 
1.9.  The forthcoming WTO 12th Ministerial Conference represents a key opportunity for the WTO to 
contribute to the achieve ment of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 on "Zero hunger ". In these 
unprecedented challenging times, we are all called to join efforts to ensure that life -saving assistance 
reaches the hands of crises -affected populations when and where needed. WFP the refore welcomes 
any action in support of the proposal to exempt its food purchases from export restrictions, which 
would make a difference for the food security of millions of children, women and men.  
__________  
 
5 https://www.wfp.org/overview  
6 WFP Annual Review 2020.  
7 WFP Global Operational Response Plan 2021, Update n.2.  
8 In 2020, WFP bought  110,486 metric tons of food from smallholder farmers. 
https://www.wfp.org/stories/wfp -glance  
9 https://www.wfp.org/purchase -for-progress  
10 WFP Local and regional food procurement policy, November 2019, 
https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP -0000108552/download/  
11 UNCTAD, Policy Brief n. 83, March 2021, https://unctad.org/system/files/official -
document/presspb2021d1_en.pdf