G/AG/N/AUS/156  
 
25 September 2023  
(23-6359) Page: 1/5 
Committee on Agriculture  Original: English  
 
NOTIFICATION  
The following submission, dated 20 September 2023, 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  2021/2022 . 
 
 
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  G/AG/N/AUS/156  
 
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  Table NF:1  
NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLE 16.2 OF THE AGREEME NT: MONITORING OF THE 
FOLLOW -UP TO THE DECISION ON MEASURES CONCERNING THE POSSIBLENEGATIVE 
EFFECTS OF THE REFORM PROGRAMME ON LEAST -DEVELOPED  
AND NET FOOD -IMPORTING DEVELOPING COUNTRIES:  
AUSTRALIA  
REPORTING PERIOD: FINANCIAL YEAR FROM 01 -07-2021 TO 30 -06-2022 
______________________________________________________________________________  
 
1  QUANTITY OF FOOD AID PROVIDED TO LEAST -DEVELOPED AND NET FOOD -IMPORTING 
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES  
1.1.  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 2021 -2022, Australia 
provided AUD  74.7 million in food assistance for LDCs1 and NFIDCs2 as part of its FAC commitments 
(see Annex A for a breakdown by recipie nt 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 Australian food assistance is provided in fully grant form.  
3  TECHNICAL AND FI NANCIAL 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 dev elopment in LDCs and NFIDCs. Detailed information on Australia's aid programme is 
available at https://www.dfat.gov.au/development/topics /development -issues/agricultural -
development -and-food-security .  
3.2.  The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) also assists LDCs 
and NFIDCs through its Global Programme, delivering agricultural research programmes in 
collaboration with Australian institutions and their counterparts in developing countries. Detailed 
information on ACIAR's Global Programme is available at https://www.aciar.gov.au/ .  
3.3.  In 2021 -2022, Australia provided AUD 339.10 million for programmes within th e ambit of the 
Decision (see Annex B, column 4), including AUD 129.60 million directed to LDCs and NFIDCs (see 
Annex B, column 3). The expenditure was channelled through multilateral, regional and bilateral 
programmes; humanitarian/emergency assistance; no n-government organisations (NGOs); ACIAR 
and other government departments (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 recipi ent 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 2021 -2022, the bilateral and regional technical and financial assistance provided to LDCs 
and NFIDCs within the ambit of the Decision was approximately AUD 58.20 million. This assistance 
focused on agricultural productivity and sustainability, crop storage, environmental management, 
 
1 List of LDCs | Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked 
Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States . 
2 G/AG/5/Rev.12 . G/AG/N/AUS/156  
 
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  developing markets, the provision of infrastructure related to food security and assisting countries 
adjust to changes in trade patterns.  
Other programmes  
 
3.6.  A prop ortion of Australia's core contributions to multilateral development banks and other 
relevant multilateral organisations are used for food security and agricultural programs. Australia 
supports scholarship students from LDCs and NFIDCs on agriculture, fore stry 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. ACIAR does not provide direct funds to the World Food Programme. Rather, the 
organisation works to improve  food security and reduce poverty among smallholder farmers and 
rural communities by brokering and investing in research relating to these issues. In 2021 -2022, 
ACIAR directed AUD  99.42 million to programmes within the ambit of the decision, of which 
AUD 18.68 million was directed to programmes in LDCs and NFIDCs. See Annex C for a breakdown 
of ACIAR's administered expenditure for 2021 -2022.  
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 33.9 million in 2021 -2022, of which AUD 0.4 million was directed at LDCs and NFIDCs.  G/AG/N/AUS/156  
 
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  ANNEX A  
FOOD ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME FOR LEAST -DEVELOPED  
AND NET FOOD -IMPORTING DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, FINANCIAL YEAR 2021 -2022 
Country  Total Value   
(AUD million)   
Afghanistan   26.9  
Bangladesh   2.4  
Jordan   3.0  
Kenya   0.9  
Myanmar   1.4  
Pakistan   0.8  
Uganda   0.9  
Africa Unspecified   1.1  
Asia Unspecified   0.3  
Global Unspecified   31.9  
Iran, Islamic Republic of   0.4  
Lebanon   3.0  
Tajikistan   0.1  
Ukraine   1.5  
Total   74.7  
Source:  DFAT.  
Note:  Figures have been rounded to the nearest decimal place thereby excluding assistance provided to 
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.  
 
 
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  ANNEX B  
DIRECT AID FLOWS FOR FOOD SECURITY, BY PROGRAMME, 2021 -2022 
(AUD MILLION)  
Programme  Sub Programme  To LDCs  
and NFIDCs  Total all 
programmes  
Bilateral  & Regional  Programmes   Bilateral Programmes   50.9 84.4 
   Regional Programmes   7.3 23.5 
Global Programmes   Humanitarian   36.3 83.6 
   Other International   11.9 41.8 
Non-DFAT Programmes   ACIAR   22.9 71.9 
  Other  Government  Departments   0.4 33.9 
Total LDCs and NFIDCs     129.6   
TOTAL  all programmes     339.1  
 
ANNEX C  
ACIAR EXPENDITURE 2021 -22 
ACIAR Administered Expenditure*  Total value   
(AUD  million)   
Multilateral partnerships (including funding for international agricultural research 
centers including CGIAR)   25.86  
Bilateral research projects & co -investment programmes   47.10   
Pacific   14.58   
East & South -East Asia   20.99   
South Asia   6.83  
Eastern & Southern Africa   4.70  
Capacity building   10.52   
Outreach   2.28  
Programme support   13.66   
TOTAL   99.42   
Source:  ACIAR  
* Given ACIAR's mandate of agricultural research to improve food security in low and lower -middle 
income countries, total research for development spend in the financial year 2020 -21 for LDCs and 
NFIDCs is provided. The list of LDCs was sourced from  the United Nations Office of the High 
Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island 
Developing States1. The list of NFIDCs was sourced from the World Trade Organisation, Committee on 
Agriculture2.   
 
 
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1 List of LDCs | Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked 
Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States . 
2 G/AG/5/Rev.12 .