G/AG/GEN/186  
 
26 March 2021  
(21-2513) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Agriculture  Original: English  
 
 
JOINT STATEMENT  
 
THE CONTRIBUTION OF INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL TRADE  
TO SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS  
Submission by Brazil  
The following submission, dated 26 March 202 1, is being circulated at the request of the delegation 
of Brazil.  
 
_______________  
 
 
This joint statement is being circulated to the Co mmittee on Agriculture for transparency purposes 
only. 
  G/AG/GEN/186  
 
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  H.E. Amina Mohammed  
Deputy UN Secretary -General  
New York  
 
H.E. Agnes Kalibata  
Special Envoy to the 2021 Food Systems Summit  
New York 
 
 
Excellency,  
 
1.  International agricultural trade is critical for global food security and poverty eradication and 
must be duly considered by the 2021 Food Systems Summit.  
2.  The correction and prevention of trade restrictions and distortions in world agr icultural markets, 
including through the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export 
measures with equivalent effect, is one of the targets under Sustainable Development Goal  2. 
Therefore, it is our view that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has recognized the 
importance of this measure as a transformative solution for achieving SDG 2 in its entirety.  
3.  Open trade plays a vital part in ensuring and supporting global food security. No single economy 
can lay cla im to full self -sufficiency.1 We all rely on international trade for key components of our 
diet, 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 s hocks 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 su pply chains are able to adapt to occasional and temporary challenges. Without 
predictable agricultural and food trade we would all be significantly worse off.  
4.  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 (whether privately 
held or in public storage), and other measures that distort or disrupt trade cannot be over -estimated. 
Producers who are already under pressure could b e put in an unviable position and the supply chains 
that are critical to the global agricultural and food system could be put at risk. Such developments 
could increase the levels of global food insecurity as a result of COVID -19. 
5.  Therefore, in our effort t o "build back better " and achieve sustainable food systems, our 
Governments jointly propose that the elimination of unjustified import trade barriers to agricultural 
products, as well as refraining from adopting quantitative export restrictions not in conf ormity with 
Article XI 2.A of the GATT and Article 12 of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture and capping and 
reducing all forms of trade -distorting agricultural subsidies should be considered "game -changing 
solutions " by the Summit, in line with SDGs 2.b and 2.c. Freer and fairer trade, based on 
multilaterally agreed rules, is key to democratizing access to food and eradicating poverty, especially 
for the poorest areas of the world.  
6.  We reaffirm our agreement not to impose export restrictions or extraordinary t axes on food and 
agricultural products purchased for non -commercial purposes by the World Food Programme  (WFP) 
and other humanitarian agencies.  
7.  We also reaffirm our commitment to achieving sustainable development in its three dimensions 
– economic, social and environmental – in a balanced and integrated manner.  
8.  We also request that the final outcome of the 2021 Food Systems Summit be consistent with 
rules and decisions adopted under the World Trade Organization, the Food and Agriculture 
Organization and oth er entities of the UN -system, as well as with the terminology, Goals and targets 
set out by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  
 
1 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 January 2015).  G/AG/GEN/186  
 
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9.  Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of our highest consideration.  
 
Ambassador  Maria  del Carmen  Squeff  
Permanent  Representative  of Argentina  to the United  Nations  
 
 
 
Ambassador  Mitchell  Peter Fifield  
Permanent  Representative  of Australia  to the United  Nations  
  
 
Ambassador  Ronaldo  Costa  Filho 
Permanent  Representative  of Brazil  to the United  Nations  
 
 
Ambassador  Robert  Rae 
Permanent  Representative  of Canada  to the United  Nations  
 
 
 
Ambassador  Milenko  E. Skoknic  Tapia  
Permanent  Representative  of Chile to the United  Nations  
 
 
Ambassador  Guillermo  Fernández  de Soto V. 
Permanent  Representative  of Colombia  to the United  Nations  
  
 
Ambassador  Cristian  Espinosa  Cañizares  
Permanent  Representative  of Ecuador  to the United  Nations  
  
 
Ambassador  Luis Lam Padilla  
Permanent  Representative  of Guatemala  to the United  Nations   
 
Ambassador  Craig J. Hawke  
Permanent  Representative  of New Zealand  to the United  Nations  
 
 
Ambassador  Julio César  Arriola  
Permanent  Representative  of Paraguay  to the United  Nations  
 
  
Ambassador  Néstor  Popolizio  
Permanent  Representative  of Peru to the United  Nations  
  
 
Ambassador  Enrique  A. Manalo  
Permanent  Representative  of the Philippines  to the United  Nations  
 
  
 
 
Ambassador  Mathu  Joyini  
Permanent  Representative  of the Republic  of South  Africa  to the 
United  Nations  
  
G/AG/GEN/186  
 
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Ambassador  Sergiy  Kyslytsya  
Permanent  Representative  of Ukraine  to the United  Nations  
 
  
Ambassador  Carlos  Amorín  
Permanent  Representative  of Uruguay  to the United  Nations  
  
 
Ambassador  Dang  Dinh Quy 
Permanent  Representative  of Viet Nam to the United  Nations   
 
 
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