G/AG/GEN/231  
 
28 November 2023  
(23-8052) Page: 1/7 
Committee on Agriculture  Original: English  
 
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT TO THE 107TH WTO REGULAR MEETING OF  
THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE (27 -29 NOVEMBER 2023)  
SUBMISSION BY THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME (WFP)  
The following submission, dated 28 November 2023, is being circulated at the request of the World 
Food Programme (WFP).  
 
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1  RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN GLOBAL FOOD INSECURITY  
1.1  Key Messages:  
• Food insecurity remains at highly concerning levels.  
• Net food -importing developing countries (NFIDCs) are home to 70 % of acutely food  insecure 
people.  
• The current economic context poses risks to food security. These include debt distress, 
stubbornly high domestic food inflation in many places and a tight global rice market.  
• NFIDCs ' food imports are expected to contract in 2023 amidst we akening currencies and high 
debt servicing cost. A decline in local supplies puts upward pressure on domestic prices.  
• Conflict and climate crises remain key drivers of food insecurity. Renewed escalation of 
conflicts, most recently in Palestine, and the active El Niño event worsen the global food 
security outlook.  
• Funding cuts could lead to further increases in the sever ity of food security.  
 
1.2  Background:  
Food security  
 
• In 2023, 333 million people are acutely food insecure across 78 countries with WFP operational 
presence and where data is available. This is an increase of 184 million people compared to 
early 2020, before  the COVID -19 pandemic.  
• An estimated 47.3 million people across 54 countries are in emergency or worse levels of 
acute food insecurity (IPC/CH Phase 4 +1, including severely food insecure based on CARI2) 
in 2023. Without urgent life -saving action, these p opulations will be at risk of falling into 
catastrophe or famine conditions.  
• All countries with people in catastrophic conditions (IPC Phase 5) in 2023 belong to the group 
of NFIDCs. These are Burkina Faso, Mali, Somalia and South Sudan .3 
• NFIDCs are home to 70% of acutely food insecure people (234 million ).4  
 
1 Integrated Food Security Phase Classification/Cadre Harmonisé (IPC/CH ): https://www.ipcinfo.org/ .  
2 Consolidated Approach for Reporting Indicators of Food Security (CARI):  
https://docs.wfp.org/api/documents/WFP -0000134704/download/ . 
3 IPC. 2023. Integrated Food Security Phase Classification . 
4 Net food -importing developing countries as defined in WTO. 2023. WTO list of NFIDCs for the purposes 
of the Marrakesh Ministerial Decision on measures concerning the possible negative effects of the reform 
programme on LDCs and NFIDCs  G/AG/GEN/231  
 
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  • WFP and FAO warn that between November 2023 and April 2024 acute food insecurity is likely 
to deteriorate in 18 hunger hotspots. Hotspots of highest concern are Burkina Faso, Mali, 
Palestine, South S udan and the Sudan .5 
• Acute food insecurity could be further exacerbated by the funding gaps, which are forcing WFP 
to cut rations across many operations. WFP estimates that, on average, every percentage 
point cut in its food assistance could push more tha n 400,000 additional people into 
emergency hunger .6 
 
Economics  
 
• The fight against inflation, the war in Ukraine and growing geopolitical fragmentation constrain 
economic activity. Global growth is slow and uneven, projected to reach 3.0 % in 2023 and 
2.9% in 2024. This is well below the 3.8 % average over the last two decades (2000 –2019).7 
• 56% of low -income countries are currently in debt distress or at high risk thereof .8  
• High debt payments leave many developing countries with impossibl e decisions between 
servicing their debt or servicing their people. 3.3 billion people live in countries that spend 
more on interest than health or education .9 
• Currencies of 17 NFIDCs have lost 15 % or more of their value within the last year. Six of them 
even saw their currency lose at least 30 % in value year -on-year.10  
• Global food prices have fallen from their peaks in 2022. However, they remain 19 % higher 
than before the COVID -19 pandemic. The ge neral decline masks substantial increases in rice 
and sugar prices in recent months (to decade -highs ).11 
• The global food import bill is expected to hit a new record high in 2023. However, NFIDCs ' 
import costs are expected to decline by 4.6 % (USD 6.8 billio n) compared to 2022. The 
reduction is partly due to lower import volumes, suggesting that weakening currencies and 
high debt servicing cost are limiting countries ' ability to pay for food imports. Lower supply of 
food within these countries puts upward pre ssure on domestic prices .12 
• Thirty percent of NFIDCs (24 countries) currently experience annual food inflation of 10 % or 
more. In four NFIDCs food prices have even increased upwards of 50 % over the last year. 
This threatens access to food for those barely able to afford enough to eat in normal times .13 
 
Conflict & Climate  
 
• Conflict remains the primary driver of hunger for most people in the world .14 
• Seven out of ten acutely food insecure people live in fragile or conflict -affected situations .15  
• All four countries with people in Catastrophic conditions in 2023 are experiencing high levels 
of armed violence .16 
• Weather extremes have been the primary dri ver of acute food insecurity in one out of five 
countries with food crises .17 
• An El Niño event is affecting food security across the globe with impacts in some areas 
extending well into 2024. Drought affected Central America, parts of Ethiopia and Asia. Mo st 
of Southern Africa will also be affected; in contrast, wetter seasons in the Horn of Africa will 
improve conditions for vulnerable populations.  
 
 
5 WFP and FAO. 2023. Hunger Hotspots. FAO –WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity: November 
2023 to April 2024 Outlook . 
6 WFP. 2023. Estimating the food security impact of cuts in WFP assistance . 
7 IMF. 2023. World Economic Outlook: Navigating Global Divergences . 
8 IMF. 2023. World Economic Outlook: Navigating Global Divergences . 
9 UNCTA D. 2023. A World of Debt . 
10 Trading Economics. 2023. Currencies  (accesse d 20 November 2023), and November 2023 RAM Prices 
& Currencies Brief.  
11 FAO. World Food Situation  (accessed 22 November 2023).  
12 FAO. 2023. Food Outlook – November 2023 . 
13 Trading Economics.  2023. Food Inflation  (accessed 20 November 2023), and November 2023 RAM 
Prices & Currencies Brief.  
14 FSIN. 2023. Global Report on Food Cri ses. 
15 Own calculation based on the World Bank 's FY23 List of Fragile and Conflict -affected Situati ons and 
food security figures as underlying WFP 's Global Operational Response Plan: Update #9 – November 2023 . 
16 WFP. 2023. WFP Global Operational Response Plan: Update #7 – February 2023 . 
17 FSIN. 2023. Global Report on Food Crises . G/AG/GEN/231  
 
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  Black Sea Grain Initiative  
 
• The Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI), signed in July 2022, has helped bring int ernational 
prices of staple foodstuffs down for all countries reliant on imports – as well as for WFP. Up 
until the termination of the BSGI in July 2023, the UN Joint Coordination Centre facilitated the 
outbound passage of over 31.5 million metric tonnes o f food commodities, helping push global 
food prices down from their peak.  
• 1.7 During the course of the BSGI, 21 WFP -chartered vessels were loaded, carrying 
625,000  metric tonnes of grain to support WFP operations in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, 
Somalia, S udan and Yemen. The non -extension of the BSGI has pushed exports down from 
last year 's level.   
 
2  WFP RESPONSE TO THE GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS18 
1.  Between January and June 2023, WFP was able to reach an estimated 119.5 million people with 
food, cash, and commodity vouchers. This is 8 million more people reached than the same period 
last year. Still, in many countries, people have been excluded from assistance completely, while in 
others, people have been assisted with reduced rations, or for a shorter peri od of time, stretching 
assistance to enable a greater coverage of populations in need.  
2.  For 2024, WFP plans to reach 157.3 million people, based on current funding outlooks and needs. 
Country offices are already employing prioritization strategies to meet e xpected funding levels and 
will continue doing so into 2024.  
3.  The historic funding decline amidst a persistent global food crisis means acute food insecurity is 
expected to increase significantly in severity in 2024 and beyond, with consequences weighing 
heavier on women and girls. Almost half of WFP country operations have already reduced, or plan 
to soon reduce, the size and scope of food, cash, and nutrition assistance programmes . 
3  WTO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE – WFP UPDATES  
4.  With reference to the Work Plan of the WTO Committee on Agriculture (documents G/AG/35  and 
G/AG/W/233 ), updates are provided on three areas: food assistance, resilience strengthening, and 
partnerships with other international organizations.  
5.  As we are witnessing an unprecedented global food crisis, WFP wor ks with its partners to provide 
food and nutrition assistance to the most vulnerable populations, scaling up operations to address 
critical new needs. From 1 January to 10 November 2023, the food procured by WFP amounted to 
2.3 million metric tonnes, valued at USD 1.8 billion. Over 25% of these food purchases (both in 
terms of volume and value) was from Least Developed (LDCs) and Net Food Importing Deficit 
(NFIDCs) countries. The full breakdown by country is contained in Annex 1.  
6.  Since the appr oval of WFP's Local and Regional Food Procurement Policy  in 2019, the world has 
changed dramatically, with a cluster of multiple crises. In this context, WFP has increased local and 
regional procurement as a tool to support and protect food systems, their actors and the people who 
live in them. By injecting resources into local economies, supporting smallholders and value chain 
actors, and developing more sustainable food procurement pathways through local sourcing and 
diversification of commodities, WFP co ntributed to supporting food systems and strengthening their 
resilience.  
7.  WFP's local and regional procurement supports inclusive agricultural growth and sustainable 
social and economic transformation. As of end October 2023, WFP has acquired approximately  60% 
of both the value and volume of its operational food requirements from local and regional sources 
despite the overall decrease in global food purchases due to current financial constraints.  
8.  Deliberate efforts have been made to improve smallholder far mers' (SHF) livelihoods. Traced 
pro-SHF purchases increased from a value of USD 42.2 million in 2020 to 52 million as of end 
October  2023, representing approximately 6.5% from the total volume of local/regional purchases.  
 
18 WFP Global Operational Response Plan: Update #9 – November 2023 | World Food Programme . G/AG/GEN/231  
 
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  9.  WFP continue to source its food c ommodity from a large number of origin countries (see table 
annex 1c), with the aim to diversify our supply base to reduce the supply chain risks, and to buy in 
the countries of operations, closer to our beneficiaries. The MC12 is certainly an enabler to a llow 
WFP to access excess production where available and move it internationally and to neighbouring 
countries. WFP will continue to implement the "no harm " principle when taking procurement 
decisions, avoiding to buy in deficit countries or impact markets  through excessive imports.  
10.  Support to value chain analyses has also grown significantly over the past two years, being 
instrumental in identifying actions and partners to address bottlenecks to enhance efficiency along 
the food value chains. WFP is levera ging its global collaboration and Memorandum of Understanding 
with the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) in this area of work.  
11.  WFP is also working on building evidence of the impact of WFP's procurement and of the 
programma tic work implemented in the framework of the Policy to identify investments needed to 
scale up the support to smallholder farmers and relevant value chain actors – including innovative 
technologies as well as partnerships with research centres and the priv ate sector.  
12.  WFP will continue to use local and regional procurement as a catalyst to develop more resilient 
food value chains, by improving local production capacities through land rehabilitation and 
restoration, infrastructure improvements, and natural r esources management.  
13.  Finally, WFP maintains close collaboration with international financing institutions and other 
international organizations to seek solutions to tackle the global food crisis. Jointly with the 
World  Bank, the IMF, FAO and the World Trad e Organization, WFP is advocating and calling for 
urgent and coordinated action and creating a framework for closer cooperation both at the policy 
and country levels.  
 G/AG/GEN/231  
 
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  ANNEX 1 – DETAILS ON WFP PURCHASES IN 2023  
Data for 2023, 1 January until 9 November 2023  
a. WFP food purchases from Least Developed Countries1 in 2023  
Origin countries  USD tot Value  Quantity MT  
Rwanda   55,824,857.07  38,369  
Afghanistan   55,598,714.91  117,460  
Uganda   43,696,534.85  74,906  
Ethiopia   42,625,435.72  60,430  
Democratic Republic of the Congo   36,732,417.66  30,312  
Myanmar   35,053,665.28  56,282  
Burkina Faso   24,915,280.80  46,637  
Niger   21,739,260.19  37,633  
Chad  15,856,606.15  32,162  
Sudan   14,937,822.94  29,139  
Benin   10,321,915.40  19,751  
Mozambique   9,693,670.64  16,305  
Guinea   6,404,642.42  11,039  
South Sudan   5,077,500.00  9,300  
Malawi   4,791,277.97  6,081  
Bangladesh   4,686,887.30  3,401  
Madagascar   4,289,952.62  2,156  
Yemen   3,585,700.00  1,690  
Zambia   3,124,997.05  3,807  
Central African Republic   2,420,294.66  2,958  
Burundi   2,203,162.37  2,460  
Sierra Leone   1,733,675.12  2,636  
Mali  1,164,988.63  1,509  
Guinea -Bissau   1,001,802.80  1,072  
The Gambia    586,372.38  648 
Haiti   377,593.07  209 
Angola    208,184.50  328 
Senegal    198,717.54  880 
Nepal     82,600.44  86 
Mauritania     75,176.80  95 
Liberia     5,120.00  8 
Grand Total  409,014,827.27  609,749  
% (Food purchases from LDCs  over total food purchases)   25%  28%  
 
b. WFP Food Purchases from Net food -importing developing countries (outside of LDC)2 
in 2023  
Origin countries  USD tot Value  Quantity MT  
Pakistan  125,674,509  79,210  
Kenya  33,713,922  25,823  
Jordan  30,889,792  45,189  
Honduras  25,484,981  20,679  
Morocco  24,256,353  23,351  
Venezuela , Bolivarian Republic of  14,132,398  12,902  
Egypt  13,600,176  7,909  
Sri Lanka  1,222,837  2,314  
El Salvador  917,324  917 
 
1 Based on the latest list from UN: https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/wp -
content/uploads/sites/45/publication/ldc_list.pdf . 
2 Based o n the latest list from WTO, 29 March 2023: 
https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=q:/G/AG/5R12.pdf&Open=True . G/AG/GEN/231  
 
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  Origin countries  USD tot Value  Quantity MT  
Côte d'Ivoire  375,829  360 
Senegal  198,718  880 
Namibia  26,114  98 
Grand Total  270,492,951  219,631  
% (Food purchases from NFIDC over total food purchases)  17%  10%  
 
c. WFP Total Food Procured to date in 2023  
Origin countries  USD Value  Quantity MT  
Ukraine  149,666,552  410,255  
Pakistan  125,691,018  79,222  
Türkiye  98,137,130  125,374  
France  88,499,157  25,877  
Afghanistan  72,967,984  155,391  
Nigeria  69,294,840  68,145  
Rwanda  55,824,857  38,369  
Kazakhstan  48,539,341  104,049  
Poland  48,231,538  14,666  
India 46,714,093  63,672  
Uganda  43,696,535  74,906  
Ethiopia  42,625,436  60,430  
Democratic Republic of the Congo  36,732,418  30,312  
Myanmar  35,053,665  56,282  
Indonesia  34,720,474  28,582  
Kenya  33,777,297  26,245  
Jordan  30,889,792  45,189  
China  30,614,370  29,564  
United States of America  30,422,974  8,914  
Russian Federation  27,613,955  34,706  
Honduras  25,644,297  20,866  
Burkina Faso  25,060,091  46,937  
Morocco  24,256,353  23,351  
Romania  23,961,562  36,139  
Lebanon  23,046,608  21,400  
Niger  22,193,450  37,833  
Australia  22,095,150  61,725  
Belgium  21,882,089  20,836  
Guatemala  20,886,555  18,800  
Thailand  17,699,396  34,116  
Tanzania  17,048,794  34,816  
Chad 16,210,500  32,724  
Egypt  15,090,932  8,420  
Sudan  14,966,868  29,296  
Venezuela , Bolivarian Republic of  14,547,397  13,326  
Canada  13,146,361  14,916  
Syrian Arab Republic  12,943,705  15,200  
Uzbekistan  12,746,623  30,785  
Hungary  12,509,324  8,008  
Korea , Republic of  12,080,000  40,000  
Mozambique  11,596,452  18,911  
Colombia  11,509,326  6,831  
Benin  10,321,915  19,751  
Malaysia  10,255,799  8,530  
South Africa  9,548,346  4,477  
Ghana  9,271,973  7,542  
Mexico  8,575,497  5,966  
Nicaragua  6,641,798  4,577  
Guinea  6,541,202  11,164  
Tajikistan  5,345,055  12,200  G/AG/GEN/231  
 
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  Origin countries  USD Value  Quantity MT  
Viet Nam  5,276,325  11,172  
South Sudan  5,077,500  9,300  
Bangladesh  4,972,963  3,554  
Denmark  4,890,284  1,555  
Malawi  4,791,278  6,081  
Madagascar  4,289,953  2,156  
Palestine  4,013,795  6,773  
Japan  3,784,043  5,403  
Yemen  3,585,700  1,690  
Zambia  3,344,177  4,042  
Cameroon  3,259,928  5,244  
Brazil  3,064,409  3,941  
Iran (Islamic Republic of)  2,918,429  4,108  
Burundi  2,536,816  2,806  
Central African Republic  2,420,295  2,958  
Algeria  2,254,120  1,998  
United Arab Emirates  2,186,778  1,523  
Kyrgyz Republic  2,112,207  2,217  
Sierra Leone  1,733,675  2,636  
Sri Lanka  1,323,322  2,413  
Spain  1,298,098  430 
Mali 1,164,989  1,509  
Guinea -Bissau  1,001,803  1,072  
Saudi Arabia , Kingdom of  998,692  988 
El Salvador  917,324  917 
Philippines  888,769  1,125  
Bulgaria  883,098  1,818  
Zimbabwe  726,543  1,207  
The Gambia  586,372  648 
Oman  525,600  336 
Argentina  418,658  637 
Haiti 377,593  209 
Côte d'Ivoire  375,829  360 
Armenia  351,633  204 
Ecuador  302,090  121 
Angola  208,185  328 
Senegal  198,718  880 
Eswatini  179,386  398 
Uruguay  131,600  200 
Lao People's Democratic Republic  109,927  149 
Nepal  82,600  86 
Mauritania  75,177  95 
Congo  38,415  25 
Namibia  26,114  98 
Liberia  5,120  8 
Iraq 2,797  11 
Grand Total  1,687,047,969  2,225  
 
 
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