G/AG/N/AUS/119  
 
15 November  2018 
(18-7215) Page: 1/7 
Committee on Agriculture  Original: English  
 
 
NOTIFICATION  
The following submission, dated  14 November  2018, 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  2016/17 . 
 
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  Table NF:1  
NOTIFICATION UNDER A RTICLE 16.2 OF THE A GREEMENT: MONITORING  OF THE  
FOLLOW -UP TO THE DEC ISION ON MEASURES CO NCERNING THE POSSIBL E 
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE REFORM PROGRAMME  ON LEAST -DEVELOPED  
AND NET FOOD -IMPORTI NG DEVELOPING COUNTR IES: AUSTRALIA  
REPORTING PERIOD:  FINANCIAL YEAR  2016/17  
______________________________________________________________________________  
 
1  QUANTITY OF FOOD ASSISTANCE  PROVIDED TO LEAST -DEVELOPED AND NET FOO D-
IMPORTI NG DEVELOPING COUNTR IES 
 
1.1.  All Australian food assistance in  financial year 2016/17 for Least Developed Countries (LDC) 
and Net Food -Importing Developing Countries (NFIDC) was provided as cash -based support to the 
UN World Food Programme1. The total value of ongoing food assistance was $52.8 million, inclusive 
of commodity purchases, cash and voucher transfers and logistic costs (see Attachment A for a 
breakdown by recipient country).  In addition, Australia provided funding for emergency food 
assistance to LDCs2 and NFIDCs3 which totalled $20.9 million (Attachment B ).  
2  INDICATION OF THE PR OPORTION IN FULLY GR ANT FORM OR APPROPRI ATE 
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  THE DECISION  
 
3.1.  The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is the agency primarily 
responsible for delivering Australia's aid programme.  DFAT aims to reduce poverty and achieve 
sustainable development in developing countries not just by improving agric ulture 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 de livering more productive and sustainable agriculture to increase 
food security 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 2016/2017, Australia provided $377.2 million for programmes within the 
ambit of the Decision.   Of this, $158.5 million was directed to LDCs and NFIDCs.  The expenditure 
was channelled through a number of programming windows including multila teral, regional and 
bilateral, humanitarian/emergency assistance, non -government organisations (NGOs), ACIAR, and 
other government 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 Economic and Social Council of 
the UN.  
3 See G/AG/5/Rev.10 of 23 March 2012.  G/AG/N/AUS/119  
 
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  Direct aid flows for food security, by programme, 2016/2017  
Programme   Sub Programme   2016/2017 (AUD mill ion)  
Bilateral & Regional Programmes   Bilateral Programmes   136.6  
   Regional Programmes   24.7 
Global Programmes   Humanitarian   56.8 
   Other International   58.4 
Non-DFAT Programmes  ACIAR   93.5 
   Other Government Departments   7.2 
Total      377.2  
Source:  DFAT .  
Direct aid flows for food security, by programme, LDCs and NFIDCs, 2016/2017  
Programme  Sub Programme  2016/2017 (AUD million)  
Bilateral & Regional Programmes  Bilateral Programmes  75.8 
 Regional Programmes  4.5 
Global Programmes  Humanitarian  31.5 
 Other International  15.7 
Non-DFAT Programmes  ACIAR  30.8 
 Other Government Departments  0.1 
Total   158.5  
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 chall enges.  
3.5.  In 2016/2017, the bilateral and regional technical and financial assistance provided to LDCs 
and NFIDCs was approximately $80.3 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 Emergency  
  
3.6.  In 2016/2017, Australia supported projects valued at approximately $20.9 mi llion 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 development 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 measures contribute to strengthening 
human infrastructure in the beneficiary countries.   Australia supports 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 infrastructure in developing countries.  G/AG/N/AUS/119  
 
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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 2016/2017, the 
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) expended $111 million of which 
$36.7 million was provided to multilateral International Agricultural Research Centres (IARCs).   The 
purpose of thes e 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 economic growth and feed themselves and their families better; and mana ge 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 and poverty alleviation issues : 
• increased availability of and access t o 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 agricultur e, 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 primary  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, agricultural productivity and 
income generation.  
4  OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION WITH RES PECT TO ACTIONS TAKE N WITHIN THE 
FRAMEWORK OF THE DEC ISION  
 
4.1.  Outside  the aid programme a number of Federal and State Government agencies ("Other 
Government Departments") sponsored official exchanges between Australia and developing 
count ries on agriculture and food security, totalling around $100.7 million in 2016/2017.  
 
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  ATTACHMENT A 
All Australian food assistance in 201 6/17 was cash -based. Quantity of food assistance provided to 
Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Net Food -Importing Developing Countries (NFIDCs) 201 6/17. 
Breakdown by recipient country and total Australian dollar amounts.  
 
Country  Total Value (AUD)  
Banglade sh  8,560,000  
Bhutan  320,000  
Cambodia  810,000  
Democratic Republic of the Congo  2,250,000  
Ethiopia  9,750,000  
Jordan   3,000,000  
Kenya  500,000  
Laos  1,750,000  
Lesotho  2,829,300  
Madagascar  1,627,299  
Malawi  2,469,303  
Mali  1,430,000  
Mozambique  3,126,097  
Myanmar  2,710,000  
Pakistan  6,116,133  
Nepal  570,000  
Somalia  5,000,000  
TOTAL  52,818,133  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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  ATTACHMENT B 
Emergency Food Assistance, including to LDCs and NFIDCs, by country, 201 6/17 
Country  Total Value (AUD)  
Afghanistan   4,500,000  
Chad  1,351,000  
Niger  2,000,000  
South Sudan  8,570,000  
Sri Lanka   500,000  
Swaziland  930,300  
Yemen  3,000,000  
TOTAL  20,851,300  
 
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  ATTACHMENT C  
ACIAR Contribution to IARC s, 2016/ 17 
ACIAR Contributions to IARCs  2016/17 Funding  
 (AUD)  
CGIAR Centres   
Unrestricted funding to all CGIAR Centres (Window 1)  5,500,000  
Funds to CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs) via CRP 
Lead Centres (Window 2)   
CIAT 1,630,000  
CIFOR  1,300,000  
CIMMYT  1,250,000  
CIP 1,500,000  
ICRISAT  900,000  
ILRI 1,300,000  
IFPRI  1,720,000  
IRRI 400,000  
IWMI  1,500,000  
WFC 1,300,000  
Total to CRP Lead Centres  12,800,000  
ACIAR specific projects   
Window 3 Funding from ACIAR  10,155,802  
Bilateral Funding from ACIAR  6,736,907  
Total ACIAR specific projects  
(Window 3 and bilateral)   
16,892,709  
Total CGIAR  35,192,709  
Non-CGIAR IARCs  
AVRDC  427,000  
CABI 530,000  
Total Non -CGIAR IARCs  957,000  
Regional support  
APAARI  110,000  
SPC 427,000  
Total - Regional Support  537,000  
Total Multilateral Funding  36,686,709  
Source:  ACIAR . 
 
 
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