G/AG/N/AUS/108  
 
24 April 2017  
(17-2224) Page: 1/7 
Committee on Agriculture  Original: English  
 
NOTIFICATION  
The following submission, dated 20 April 2017 , 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 ) for the financial year  2015/16. 
 
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  Table NF:1  
NOTIFICATION UNDER A RTICLE 16:2 OF THE A GREEMENT: MONITORING  OF THE 
FOLLOW -UP TO THE DECISIO N ON MEASURES CONCER NING THE POSSIBLE  
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE REFORM PROGRAMME  ON LEAST -DEVELOPED  
AND NET FOOD -IMPORTING DEVELOPING  COUNTRIES:  
AUSTRALIA  
REPORTING PERIOD: FI NANCIAL YEAR 2015/2016 
____________________________________________________________ __________________  
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 2015/16 for Least Developed Countries  (LDC) 
and Net Food -Importing Developing Countries (NFIDC)  was provided as cash -based support to the 
UN World Food Programme1 , with a total value of $54.9 million, inclusive of commodity 
purchases, cash and voucher transfers and logistic costs (see Attachment A for a breakdown by 
recipient country). In that year , Australia provided funding for emergency food assistance which 
totalled $24.4 million (Attachment B). This data includes emergency food assistance to LDCs2 
and NFIDCs3. 
2  INDICATION OF THE PR OPORTIONS IN FULLY G RANT FORM OR  APPROPRIATE 
CONCESSIONAL TERMS  
2.1.  All Australian food assistance  is provided on fully grant terms.  
3  TECHNICAL AND FINANC IAL ASSISTANCE UNDER  PARAGRAPH 3 (III) OF T HE 
DECISION  
3.1.  The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is the agency primarily 
responsible for delivering Aust ralia'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 also 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 sustainable agriculture to increase 
food security and rural incomes.  ACIAR delivers agricu ltural research programmes in collaboration 
with Australian institutions and their counterparts in developing countries.  
3.2.  In the financial year 201 5/2016, Australia provided $374.6 million  for programmes within the 
ambit of the Decision. Of this, over $136.9 million  was directed to LDCs and NFIDCs. The 
expenditure was channelled through a number of programming windows including multilateral, 
regional and bilateral, humanitarian/emergency assistanc e, non -government 
organisations  (NGOs), ACIAR, and other gover nment departments (OGDs).  
                                                
1 Australia has moved towards cash -based reporting 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 as recognised by the Ec onomic and Social Council of the UN.  
3 See G/AG/5/Rev.10 of 23 March 2012.  G/AG/N/AUS/108  
 
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  Direct aid flows for fo od security, by programme, 201 5/2016  
Programme  Sub Programme  2015/2016 (AUD million ) 
Bilateral & Regional Programmes  Bilateral Programmes  138.9  
 Regional Programmes  12.5 
Global Programmes  Humanitarian  85.3 
 Other International  50.4 
Non-DFAT Programmes  ACIAR  81.5 
 Other Government Departments  6.0 
Total   374.6  
Source : DFAT  
Direct aid flows for food security, by programme, LDCs and NFIDCs, 201 5/2016 
Programme  Sub Programme  2015/201 6 (AUD million ) 
Bilateral & Regional Programmes  Bilateral Programmes  68.7 
 Regional Programmes  3.0 
Global Programmes  Humanitarian  29.6 
 Other International  12.0 
Non-DFAT  Programmes  ACIAR  22.5 
 Other Government Departments  1.1 
Total   136.9  
Source : DFAT 
 
3.3.  All financial as sistance 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 countr y 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 progra mmes 
which are often the most cost effective response to region -wide development challenges.  
3.5.  In 2015/2016, the bilateral and regional technical and financial assistance provided to  LDCs 
and NFIDCs was approximately $71.7 million. This assistance focused on  agricultural productivity 
and sustainability, crop storage, environmental management, developing agricultural markets, the 
provision of infrastructure related to food security and assisting countries adjust to changes in 
trade patterns.  
Humanitarian and E mergency  
 
3.6.  In 2015/2016, Australia supported projects valued at  approximately  $24.4  million in relation 
to humanitarian and emergency relief  to LDCs and NFIDCs  (Attachment B) . 
Other  
 
3.7.  A proportion of Australia's core contributions to the multilateral develop ment banks and other 
relevant multilateral organisations are used for food security, agricultural productivity and 
infrastructure related development 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 G/AG/N/AUS/108  
 
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  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 infrastru cture in developing countries.  
ACIAR  
 
3.9.  ACIAR’s purpose is to achieve more productive and sustainable agricult ural systems for 
developing countries through agricultural research and training partnerships. In 2015/2016 the 
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) expended $111 million of which 
$37.2 million was provided to multilateral Inte rnational Agricultural Research Centres (IARCs). The 
purpose of these Centres 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 eco nomic growth and feed themselves and their families better; and manage natural 
resources in the face of climate change and other threats (see Attachment C).  
3.10.   Projects funded under ACIAR's programmes comprise research targeting the following food 
security an d 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 agricultur e;  
 increased productivity, quality and market access for agriculture, aquaculture and forestry 
products, greater resilience and diversity of production systems;  and 
 strengthened plant and animal biosecurity and reduced post -harvest loss and waste.  
3.11.   The pr imary criterion on which ACIAR bases its allocation of Australia's funds to the IARCs is 
the comparative advantage of a centre to deliver research applicable to Australia's regional 
development priorities that contribute to sustainable food security, agric ultural 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 $6.0 million  in 2015/2016 .  G/AG/N/AUS/108  
 
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  ATTACHMENT A 
All Australian food assistance in 201 5/16 was cash -based. Quantity of food assistance 
provided to Le ast Developed Countries (LDCs) and Net Food -Importing Developing 
Countries (NFIDCs) 201 5/16: Breakdown by recipient countr y and total Australian dollar 
amounts . 
Country  Total Value ( AUD) 
Afghanistan  10,900,000  
Bangladesh  5,413,000  
Bhutan  255,000  
Cambod ia 1,520,000  
Democratic  Republic of the Congo  3,142,943  
Ethiopia  12,219,461  
Kenya  920,000  
Laos 2,510,000  
Malawi  3,591,935  
Myanmar  1,260,000  
Nepal  1,795,967  
Niger  3,591,935  
Pakistan  3,000,000  
Rwanda  1,945,631  
South Sudan  1,496,640  
Uganda  1,346,9 76 
Total  54,909,488  
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  ATTACHMENT B 
Emergency Food Assistance, including to LDCs and NFIDCs, by country, 201 5/16 
Country  Total Value ( AUD ) 
Fiji 1,000,000  
Iraq 8,142,943  
Nigeria Regional  4,489,919  
Syria Regional  10,726,954  
Total  24,359,816  
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  ATTACHM ENT C  
ACIAR Contribution to IARCs, 201 5-16 
CGIAR Centres  2015 -16 
Centre specific  
(AUD)  Project specific 
(AUD)   
WORLD BANK  
 The International Bank for 
Reconstruction and 
Development     
Window 1   5,490,000    
Window 2      
  CIAT 427,000    
  CIFOR  854,000   
  CIMMYT  2,135,000    
  CIP 427,000    
  ICARDA  854,000    
  ICRISAT  1,708,000    
  IITA 427,000    
  ILRI 854,000    
  IFPRI  2,562,000    
  IRRI 854,000    
  IWMI  1,281,000    
  WFC 427,000    
  Total Window 2  12,810,000    
Window 3    11,108,135  
  Total World Bank  18,300,000  
PROJECTS      
Contribution to CIFOR    120,000  
Bilateral    6,270,024  
   Total Projects  6,390,024  
Non-associated Centre   
 AVRDC  427,000    
 CABI 427,000    
  Total Non -associated Centre  854,000    
Regional support   
  APAARI 111,467    
  SPC 427,000    
  Total - Regional Support  538,467    
Total multilateral funding   37,190,626    
Source : ACIAR, 13 February 2017.  
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