WT/GC/261  
 
1 December  2023 
(23-8195) Page: 1/2 
General Council  Original: English  
 
  
THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM TO SUSTAINABLE AND 
RESILIENT AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS  
Statement by the Cairns Group* 
The following statement, dated 30 November  2023, is being circulated at the request of the Cairns 
Group .1 
 
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1.1.  Deeply concerned by the global environmental and food security challenges we currently face 
and the restrictive implications of recent unilateral trade -related environmental meas ures 
undertaken by some WTO Members ; 
1.2.  Recalling the Cairns Group's vision of achieving a fair, equitable and market -oriented 
agricultural trading system; and  
1.3.  Reaffirming our commitments to multilaterally agreed environmental, development and food 
security goals, targets and principles, including those expressed in the UNFCCC and its Paris 
Agreement, among other declarations and treaties regarding environmental issues and climate 
change ; 
1.4.  The Cairns Group underscores the following as a basis for a fair and eq uitable transition towards 
more sustainable agricultural and food systems and calls on all WTO Members to:  
1. Recognise and promote the role of fair, rules -based, transparent, non -distorted and 
market -oriented international agricultural trade in strengthening sustainable and resilient 
agri-food systems in support of global food security and improved environmental 
outcomes;  
2. Underline that sustainable agriculture is essential for improving food security, nutrition, 
economic development and environme ntal outcomes and that policies to promote 
sustainable agriculture should not be designed for protectionist purposes;  
3. Maintain their commitment to the multilateral trading system, with the WTO at its core;  
4. Progress multilateral agricultural trade reform co nsistent with Article 20 of the Agreement 
on Agriculture, recognising that the majority of global agricultural support is distortionary 
and harmful to the environment and human health;  
5. Uphold the WTO Agreement on Agriculture, the Agreement on Technical Ba rriers to Trade 
and the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures;  
6. Recognise that different Members have unique agricultural production conditions, 
circumstances and practices and there is no 'one size fits all' approach for impr oving 
sustainability outcomes in agriculture;  
 
* This statement  was also circulated as G/AG/GEN/222/Rev.1  on 26 September  2023.  
1 Excluding Pakistan and South Africa . Indonesia  is still consulting.   WT/GC/261  
 
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  7. Implement practices and policies that assist global agri -food systems to adapt to a 
changing climate while eradicating hunger and safeguarding global food security;  
8. Refrain from imposing trade policy measures  for environmental purposes that constitute 
a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on 
international trade, including through extraterritorial requirements;  
9. Avoid unjustified trade restrictions and excessive complian ce requirements and costs 
when implementing measures affecting trade in agri -food products, and ensure that such 
measures are transparent and consistent with international standards where they exist, 
and/or are risk -, science - and evidence -based, including  as required by relevant WTO 
agreements;  
10. Underscore the importance of improving the productivity, resilience and sustainability of 
agricultural practices and food systems, including through investment, research and 
development and innovation, and encourage  the dissemination and appropriate transfer 
of technology, particularly to developing countries; and  
11. Recognise the importance of the participation and leadership of women, Indigenous 
peoples, rural communities, and agri -food industry and farm associations in sustainable 
agriculture and food systems.  
1.5.  We reiterate the Cairns Group 's commitment to work with other WTO Members and groups, in 
the WTO and other forums, in a collaborative and constructive effort to this end.  
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