G/AG/N/AUS/105  
 
6 December 2016  
(16-6679) Page: 1/7 
Committee on Agriculture  Original: English  
 
 NOTIFICATION  
The following submission, dated 5 December 2016, 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 Effec ts of the Reform Programme on 
Least -Developed and Net Food -Importing Developing Countries ( Table NF:1 ) for the financial 
year 2014/15.  
 
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  Table NF:1  
NOTIFICATION UNDER A RTICLE 16:2 OF THE A GREEMENT: MONITORING  OF THE 
FOLLOW -UP TO THE DECIS ION ON MEASURES CONC ERNING THE POSSIBLE  
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE REFORM PROGRAMME  ON LEAST -DEVELOPED  
AND NET FOOD -IMPORTING DEVELOPING  COUNTRIES:  
AUSTRALIA  
REPORTING PERIOD: FI NANCIAL YEAR 2014/2015  
__________________________________________________________ ____________________  
1  QUANTITY OF FOOD AID  PROVIDED TO LEAST DE VELOPED AND NET FOOD -
IMPORTING DEVELOPING  COUNTRIES  
1.1.  All Australian food assistance in financial year 201 4/15 was provided as cash-based  support 
to the UN World Food Programme1, with a total valu e of AUD 79.8 million , inclusive of commodity 
purchases, cash and voucher transfers and logistical costs (Attachment A).  In that year, Australia 
provided funding for  emerg ency food assistance which totalled AUD 34.7 million  (see 
Attachment  B). This data in cludes emergency food assistance to Least -Developed Countries 
(LDCs)2 and Net Food -Importing Developing Countries (NFIDCs)3. 
2  INDICATION OF THE PR OPORTIONS IN FULLY G RANT FORM OR  APPROPRIATE 
CONCESSIONAL TERMS  
2.1.  All Australian food assistance  is provided on f ully grant terms.  
3  TECHNICAL AND FINANC IAL ASSISTANCE UNDER  PARAGRAPH 3 (III) OF T HE 
DECISION  
3.1.  Following the integration of the former Australian Agenc y for International 
Development  (AusAID) into the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)  from 
1 November  2013, DFAT is the agency primarily responsible for delivering Australia's aid 
program me. DFAT aims to reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development in developing 
countries not just by improving agriculture and rural development, but a lso by directing its efforts 
across a variety of sectors. The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research  (ACIAR) 
also assists developing countries through  bilateral and multilateral projects focusing on delivering 
more productive and sustain able agriculture to increase food se curity and rural incomes. 
ACIAR  delivers agricultural research programmes in collaboration with Australian institutions and 
their counterparts in developing countries.  
3.2.  In the financial year 201 4/2015, Australia provided AUD 385.3 million  for programmes w ithin 
the ambit of the Decision . Of this, over AUD 208.8  million was directed to LDCs  and NFIDCs.  The 
expenditure was channelled through a number of programming windows including multilateral, 
regional and bilateral, human itarian/emergency assistanc e, non -government 
organisations  (NGOs), ACIAR , and other government departments (OGDs).  
                                                
1 Australia has moved towards cash -based re porting for its food assistance (rather than tonnage -based 
reporting). All Australian food assistance is provided as cash -based support through the UN World Food 
Programme (WFP). WFP decides what commodities to purchase with Australia’s contribution.  
2 Based on Least -Developed Countries (LDCs) as recognised by the Economic and Social Council of the 
United Nations.  
3 LDCs as well as Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bolivarian Republ ic of Venezuela, Botswana, 
Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, E gypt, El Salvador, Gabon, Grenada, Honduras, Jamaica, 
Jordan, Kenya, Maldives, Mauritius, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Pakistan, Per u, Saint Kitts and Nevis, 
Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Senegal , Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Trinidad and Tobago,  and Tunisia. 
(G/AG/5/Rev.10 of 23 March 2012).  G/AG/N/AUS/105  
 
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  Direct aid flows for fo od security, by programme, 2014/2015  
Programme  Sub Programme  2014/2015 (AUD) 
Bilateral & Regional Programmes  Bilatera l Programmes  158,130,380 
 Regional Programmes  43,087,845  
Global Programmes  Humanitarian  51,551,105  
 Other International  54,033,380  
Non-DFAT Programmes  ACIAR  74,353,473  
 Other Government Departments  4,190,136  
Total   385,346,319  
Source : DFAT  
Direct aid flows for food security, by programme, LDCs and NFIDCs, 201 4/2015 
Programme  Sub Programme  2014/2015 (AUD) 
Bilateral & Regional Programmes  Bilateral Programmes  127,257,000  
 Regional Programmes  7,793,340 
Global Programmes  Humanitarian  31,833,079  
 Other International  18,031,096  
Non-DFAT  Programmes  ACIAR  22,900,330  
 Other Government Departments  1,059,730  
Total   208,874,575  
Source : DFAT 
 
3.3.  All financial assistance provided through DFAT and ACIAR is in fully grant form.  Some further 
information follows . 
DFAT Bilateral and Regional Programmes  
 
3.4.  The majority of Australia's aid is delivered through bilateral (or country) and regional 
programmes.  Bilateral country strategies reflect recipient government priorities as well as 
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 2014/2015 , the bilateral and regional technical and financial assistance provided to  LDCs 
and NFIDCs was approximately AUD 135 million.  This assistance focused on agricultural 
productivity and sustainability, crop storage, environmental management, the prov ision of 
infrastructure related to food security and assist ing countries adjust to changes in trade patterns.  
Humanitarian and Emergency  
 
3.6.  In 2014/2015 , Australia supported projects valued at  approximately  AUD 31.8 million in 
relation to humanitarian and em ergency relief  to LDCs and NFIDCs.  
Other  
 
3.7.  A proportion of Australia's core contributions to the multilateral development banks and other 
relevant multilateral organisations are used for food security, agricultural productivity and 
infrastructure related de velopment activities.  
3.8.  There are also a number of other areas where Australia's aid programme supports food 
security, agricultural productivity and infrastructure.  The measure s contribute to strengthening 
human infrastructure in the beneficiary countries.  Australia support s scholarship students from 
LDCs and NFIDCs in the areas of agriculture, forestry and fisheries.  A number of Australian NGOs  
receive aid programme funding that has a direct impact on improving food security, agricultural 
productivity and in frastru cture in developing countries.  
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  ACIAR  
 
3.9.  ACIAR’s purpose is to achieve more productive and sustainable agricultural systems for 
developing countries through agricultural research and training partnerships. In 20 14/2015 the 
Australian Centre for Inter national Agricultural Research (ACIAR) expe nded approximately 
AUD 110 million of which AUD 42.3 million was provided to multilateral  International Agricultural 
Research Centres (IARCs) whose mission is to advance agri -food science and innovation to enable 
poor people in LDCs and NFIDCs, especially poor women, to increase agricultural productivity and 
resilience; share in economic growth and feed themselves and their families better; and manage 
natural resources in the face of climate change and other threat s (see Attachment C).  
3.10.   Projects funded under ACIAR's programmes comprise research targeting the following food 
security and poverty alleviation issues:  
 increased availability of and access to meat, milk, grains, fruit and vegetables;  
 improved nutritional  quality and diversity of diets;  
 new and diversified enterprise options;  
 enhanced market chains for smallholder agriculture;  
 increased productivity, quality and market access for agriculture, aquaculture and 
forestry products, greater resilience and dive rsity of production systems;  and 
 strengthened plant and animal biosecurity and reduced post -harvest loss and waste.  
The primary criterion on which ACIAR bases its allocation of Australia's funds to the IARCs is the 
comparative advantage of a centre to del iver research applicable to Australia's regional 
development priorities that contribute to sustainable food security, agricultural productivity and 
income generation.  
4  OTHER RELEVANT INFOR MATION WITH RESPECT TO ACTIONS TAKEN WIT HIN THE 
FRAMEWORK OF THE DEC ISION  
4.1.  Outside the aid programme a number of Federal and State Government agencies ("Other 
Government Departments") sponsor ed official exchanges between Australia and developing 
countries on agriculture and food security, totalling  around AUD 4.2 million  in 2014/2015 .  G/AG/N/AUS/105  
 
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  ATTACHMENT A 
All Australian food assistance in 201 4/15 was cash -based. Quantity of food assistance 
provided to Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Net Food -Importing Developing 
Countries (NFIDCs) 201 4/15: Breakdown by recipient countr y and to tal Australian dollar 
amounts  
Country  Total Value ( AUD) 
Afghanistan  15,764,583  
Bangladesh  7,807,246  
Bhutan  500,000  
Cambodia  4,181,867  
Ethiopia  2,499,493  
Kenya  2,792,940  
Laos 3,271,470  
Mozambique  2,596,265  
Myanmar  6,504,420  
Nepal  6,039,588  
Pakist an 9,077,824  
Somalia  4,543,464  
South Sudan  9,086,928  
Sudan  1,250,000  
Uganda  2,561,321  
Vanuatu  1,300,000  
Total  79,777,409  
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  ATTACHMENT B 
Emergency Food Assistance, including to LDCs and NFIDCs, by country, 201 4/15 
Country  Total Value ( AUD ) 
Iraq 15,604,939  
Nepal  1,000,000  
South Sudan  2,596,265  
Syria 11,596,265  
Syria Regional  3,894,398  
Total  34,691,867  
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  ATTACHMENT C  
ACIAR Contribution to IARCs, 201 4/15 
CGIAR Centres  2014 -15 
Centre specific  
(AUD) Project specific  
(AUD) 
WORLDBANK  The Internati onal Bank for Reconstruction 
and Development  18,300,000    
AFRRICE  Africa Rice Center      
CIAT International Center for Tropical Agriculture    87,264  
CIFOR  Center for International Forestry Research  480,000  0 
CIMMYT  International Maize and Wheat Improve ment 
Center    9,957,262  
CIP International Potato Center    0 
ICARDA  International Center for Agricultural 
Research in Dry Areas    3,680,053  
WORLD AGROFORESTY 
CENTRE  World Agroforestry Centre    2,614,802  
ICRISAT  International Crops Research Institute for  
the Semi -Arid Tropics    156,472  
IFPRI  International Food Policy Research Institute    0 
IITA International Institute of Tropical Agriculture    0 
ILRI International Livestock Research Institute    1,404,048  
IPGRI  Bioversity International    85,805  
IRRI International Rice Research Institute    947,235  
IWMI  International Water Management Institute    681,279  
WFISH  World Fish Center    2,713,811  
Non-associated centre       
AVRDC  The World Vegetable Center  417,000  653,815  
CABI CAB International  530,000  0 
Subtotal    19,727,000  22,981,846  
        
Regional support        
APAARI  Asia Pacific Association of Agricultural 
Research Institutions  82,849    
TOTAL MULTILATERAL FUNDING  42,336,695  
Source : ACIAR.  
 
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