G/AG/N/AUS/134  
 
4 March  2020 
(20-1696) Page: 1/5 
Committee on Agriculture  Original: English  
 
NOTIFICATION  
The following submission, dated  3 March  2020, 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  2018 . 
 
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 G/AG/N/AUS/134  
 
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  Table NF:1  
NOTIFICATION UNDER A RTICLE 16.2 OF THE AGREEMENT: MONITORIN G OF THE  
FOLLOW -UP TO THE DEC ISION ON MEASURES CO NCERNING THE POSSIBL E 
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE REFORM PROGRAMME  ON LEAST -DEVELOPED  
AND NET FOOD -IMPORTI NG DEVELOPING COUNTR IES: AUSTRALIA  
REPORTING PERIOD:  FINANCIAL YEAR  FROM 01 -07-2018 T O 30-06-2019 
______________________________________________________________________________  
 
1  QUANTITY OF FOOD ASSISTANCE  PROVIDED TO LEAST -DEVELOPED AND NET FOO D-
IMPORTI NG DEVELOPING COUNTR IES 
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 2018 -19, Australia 
provided (AUD)  $66.09 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 PR OPORTION IN FULLY GR ANT FORM OR APPROPRI ATE 
CONCESSIONAL TERMS  
2.1.  All Australian food assistance is provided in fully grant form.  
3  TECHNI CAL AND FINANCIAL AS SISTANCE UNDER PARAG RAPH 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 International 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 on ACIAR’s Global Programme is available at https://www.aciar.gov.au/ .  
3.3.  In 2018 -19, Australia provided $400.5 million for programmes within the ambit of the 
Decision (see Annex B, column 4), including $279.8 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 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 recipient government priorities and Australia's 
capacity to assist.  Specific activities are developed with partner countries in order t o 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 2018 -19, the bilateral and regional technical and financial assista nce provided to LDCs 
and NFIDCs within the ambit of the Decision was approximately $139.8 million. This assistance 
focused on agricultural productivity and sustainability, crop storage, environmental management, 
developing markets, the provision of infrast ructure related to food security and assisting countries 
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/134  
 
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  Other programmes  
3.6.  A proportion of Australia's core contributions to multilateral development banks and 
other relevant multilateral organisations are used for food security, agricultural 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 producti vity 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 20 18-19, ACIAR directed $97.6 million to programmes within the ambit of the 
decision, of which $69.2 million was directed to programmes in LDCs and NFIDCs. See Annex C for 
a breakdown of ACIAR’s administered expenditure for 2018 -19. 
4  OTHER RELEVANT INFOR MATIO N WITH RESPECT TO AC TIONS TAKEN WITHIN T HE 
FRAMEWORK OF THE DEC ISION  
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 
$13.7 million in 2018 -19, of which $0.4 million was directed at LDCs and NFIDCs.  
 
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ANNEX A  
FOOD ASSISTANCE THROU GH THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME FOR L EAST-DEVELOPED AND N ET 
FOOD -IMPORTING DEVEL OPING COUNTRIES, FIN ANCIAL YEAR 2018 -19 
Country  Total Value  
(AUD million)  
Afghanistan  11.6 
Angola  0.5 
Bangladesh  23.46  
Bhutan  0.12 
Burundi  0.9 
Cambodia  0.73 
DRC 3.8 
Djibouti  0.46 
Kenya  0.59 
Lao People's Democratic Republic  0.67 
Lesotho  0.5 
Madagascar  3.6 
Myanmar  0.56 
Nepal  1.6 
Pakistan  4 
South Sudan  6.5 
Yemen  6 
Zambia  0.5 
Total  66.09  
Source : DFAT.  
ANNEX B  
DIRECT AID FLOWS FOR  FOOD SECURITY, BY P ROGRAMME, 2018 -19 
(AUD MILLION)  
1 2 3 4 
Programme  Sub Programme  To LDCs  and 
NFIDCs  Total all 
programmes  
Bilateral & Regional Programmes  Bilateral Programmes  113.6  113.6  
  Regional Programmes  26.2 51.9 
Global Programmes  Humanitarian  39.2 47.4 
  Other International  31.2 76.2 
Non-DFAT Programmes  ACIAR  69.2 97.6 
  Other Government Departments  0.4 13.7 
Total LDCs and NFIDCs    279.8   
TOTAL all programmes     400.4  
Source : DFAT . G/AG/N/AUS/134  
 
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  ANNEX C  
ACIAR EXPENDITURE 20 18-19 
ACIAR Administered expenditure  Total value  
(AUD million)  
Multilateral partnerships (including funding for international agricultural research 
centers including CGIAR)  19.20  
Bilateral research projects & co -investment programmes  70.90  
Pacific  18.01  
East & South -East Asia  34.74  
South Asia 11.41  
Eastern & Southern Africa  6.73 
Capacity building  9.34 
Outreach  2.86 
Impact evaluation  0.36 
Programme support  10.55  
TOTAL  113.21  
Source : ACIAR.  
 
 
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