G/AG/W/134  
 
15 July 2014  
(14-4072)  Page: 1/3  
Committee on Agriculture  Original: English  
 
 ELEMENTS FOR A WORK PROGRAM ON FOOD SECURITY 
COMMUNICATION FROM THE UN ITED STATES OF AMERICA 
The following communication, received on 14 July 2014, is being circulated at the request of 
the United States of America. 
 
_______________ 
 
 OVERVIEW 
1.1.  Ministers agreed at the Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference in Bali in 2013 to establish a Work 
Program to be undertaken in the Committee on Agriculture to pursue the issue of public 
stockholding for food security purposes. Specifically, in the Bali Decision on Public Stockholding for Food Security Purposes (the "Bali Decision"), Ministers agreed: 
8.  "Members agree to establish a work programme to be undertaken in the 
Committee on Agriculture to pursue this issue with the aim of making recommendations for a permanent solution. This work programme shall take into 
account Members' existing and future submissions. 
9.  In the context of the broader post-Bali agenda, Members commit to the work 
programme mentioned in the previous paragraph with the aim of concluding it no later than the 11
th Ministerial Conference.  
10.  The General Council shall report to the 10th Ministerial Conference for an 
evaluation of the operation of this Decision, particularly on the progress made on the work programme.
1" 
1.2.  The United States recognizes that food secu rity is an enormously complex topic affected by a 
number of policies, including trade-distorting domestic support, export subsidies, export restrictions, and high tariffs. These policies can im pede the food security of food insecure peoples 
throughout the world. The United States also reco gnizes the goal expressed in the Doha Ministerial 
Declaration to "maintain the process of reform and liberalization of trade policies" and the acknowledgement of the major role international trade can play "in the promotion of economic development and the alleviation of poverty.
2" 
1.3.  The United States also recognizes that food  security policies are to be pursued consistent 
with, and will be supported by, "the long-term objective referred to in the Agreement [on Agriculture] to establish a fair and market-oriented trading system through a programme of 
fundamental reform.
3" 
1.4.  Public stockholding is only one tool used to address food security, and disciplines regarding 
its application are already addressed in the Agreement on Agriculture. Moreover, under the Bali 
Decision, Members commit to ensure that "programs do not distort trade or adversely affect the 
food security of other Members4." 
                                               
1 WT/MIN(13)/38, paragraphs 8-10. 
2 Doha Ministerial Declaration, WT/M IN(01)/DEC/1, paragraphs 1 and 2. 
3 Doha Ministerial Declaration, WT/MIN(01)/DEC/1, paragraph 13. 
4 WT/MIN(13)/38, paragraph 4. G/AG/W/134 
 
- 2 - 
 
  1.5.  In this context, the United States proposes that Members agree to consider the following 
elements for a Work Program on food security, incl uding the issue of public stockholding for food 
security, which will provide the Membership with a basis for recommending a permanent solution pursuant to the Bali Decision. 
EVALUATION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BALI DECISION  
a. The Secretariat should compile a report as soon as possible for Members to consider in 
the Committee on Agriculture regarding food security policies based on the list of 
information included in the Annex of the Bali Decision on Public Stockholding and current 
notification obligations; and 
b. Based on the report and information made available through notifications, Members 
should assess the context under which a permanent solution could be considered and 
recommended. 
EVALUATION OF MEMBERS' EXPERIENCES WITH FOOD SECURITY 
a. Members should make brief submissions to the Committee on Agriculture regarding their 
experiences with: 
i. achieving food security for their people, including existing or past challenges; and  
ii. public stockholding and other food security-related policies, including how specific 
programs are implemented (i.e., how the pr ogram operates, what are its objectives, 
and how each Member determines success in meeting the stated objective), and how programs are notified to the WTO.  
b. The Secretariat should compile a report, including information from past submissions, on 
the various categories of food security policies and programs that have been 
implemented by Members and factors that ha ve affected Members' success in achieving 
food security. 
EVALUATION OF FOOD SECURITY POLICIES 
1.6.  Members should review food security polic ies, across all three pillars, to determine their 
efficacy as food security tools and their effects on trade.  
a. The Secretariat should compile an economic literature review from established peer-
reviewed journals and international governmental organizations on each category of food security policy and the resulting effects of each category on trading partners.  
b. In light of the Bali Decision, the literature review should take particular account of public 
stockholding for food security programs with a focus on measures within such programs 
that can be taken to minimize their potential to distort trade and to cause adverse effects on the food security of other Members, particularly LDCs. 
c. In light of the Bali Decision, Members should also review, taking into account relevant 
academic literature and country experiences, the potential for stockholding or other food security programs to provide support within the limits of the Total AMS or de minimis  
threshold while achieving food security goals. 
DEVELOPMENT OF BEST PRACTICES AND RECOMMENDATIONS 1.7.  Taking into account the outcomes of the im plementation and evaluation aspects of the work 
program proposed above, Members should work toward:  
a. developing a set of best practices for food security policies, including public stockholding 
policies, which will: 
i. identify policies that can address Members' food security objectives in an economical, 
targeted, and effective manner, taking into account the directive in the Bali Decision 
that programs shall not distort trade or adversely affect the food security of other Members; G/AG/W/134 
 
- 3 - 
 
  ii. identify policies that promote trade liberali zation and food security as broadly as 
possible for all Members; and  
iii. establish an exhaustive list of notification and monitoring procedures;  
b. recommending a permanent solution pursuant to the Bali Decision. 
__________