JOB/AG/ 140 
 
20 July 2018  
(18-4579) Page: 1/4 
Committee on Agriculture  
Special Session    
 
REPORT BY AMB. J. R.  D. (DEEP) FORD TO TH E  
COMMITTEE ON AGRICUL TURE IN SPECIAL SESS ION 
16 JULY 2018  
INTRODUCTION  
1.   I would like to welcome delegations to this second informal open -ended meeting of the 
Committee on Agriculture in Special Session this year. It is also the last CoA S pecial Session  
meeting before the summer break, and therefore an appropriate moment to reflect on where we 
stand and how to organize our work in the post -summer period. As many of you are aware, I hope 
that we gain more clarity on substance and process regarding the way forward – by the end of 
today's meeting.  
 
2.   This meeting will be followed immediately by informal dedicated sessions on Public 
Stockholding for Food Security Purposes and on the Special Safeguard Mechanism for Developi ng 
Countries.  
 
3.   Today's meeting has several objectives:  
 
a. to share reflections from  my consultations since the last CoA S pecial Session  on 24 May;  
b. to provide an opportunity to Members to introduce new submissions;  
c. to invite Members to react to the question s on substance and on information sharing that 
were circulated on 11 June and to the replies given by other Members today;   
d. to provide useful guidance in planning and organizing for our work after the summer 
break . 
 
4.   Your inputs to developing an optimal wo rk schedule for the post -summer period are essential. 
The work schedule will help us to allocate appropriate time to each topic; it is not meant to 
establish a hierarchy between the topics, nor to prejudge any outcome.  
 
5.   I would like to turn now to my repor t on the consultations I have held since the last 
CoA Special Session .  
 
REPORT ON CONSULTATIONS  
6.   Sixteen (16)  meetings  were held  with Members and group coordinators to hear their views, 
notably on how we might make progress on substance by re -energizing th e negotiating process. I 
was also invited to participate in the activities of some groups and th is report reflects and benefits 
from those interactions as well.  
 
7.   Some Members also used this opportunity to provide their preliminary replies to the questions 
to be discussed today.  
 
8.   The key messages from the recent consultations can be summari zed as follows:  
 
 All Members recognize the central role of agriculture and many state very strongly that 
agriculture should remain at the centre of any reform; many identified it as the gateway 
issue; one delegation even stressed that agriculture was the only reason for th em to be 
part of the WTO;   JOB/AG/140  
 
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 Transparency  was emphasized and considered crucial. Many Members think that adequate 
and up -to-date information, including thorough up -to-date notifications is necessary to 
enhance the understanding of issues on the table and t o inform the discussions; some 
even consider it as a prerequisite to further engagement in the negotiating process . The 
June symposium and similar activities were considered important, but are not enough 
without adequate current  situation  information being  available. A request was also made 
for impact studies to be undertaken. All potential sources for information, seminars, 
workshops and/or technical work among the Members themselves were reinforced as a 
necessary ongoing part of the process.  
 
 Goals . A suggestion was made to look at different levels of goals to build convergence. The 
UN sustainable development goals set the highest agreed goals such as "No poverty" or 
"Zero hunger" that call for among, other things, correcting and preventing "trade 
restric tions and distortions in world agricultural markets".  Working downwards from the 
SDGs may help identify the appropriate agriculture reform needed which, in turn, could 
assist in identifying measures to address for example Domestic Support, or perhaps 
starting with product specific distorting support.   
 
 Incremental steps . Potential progress in the form of incremental steps was envisaged by 
some Members. However, the messages were mixed about what incremental progress 
meant; how comprehensive should it be an d should issues in the incremental package be 
delinked from other issues. Some Members believed that progress would be easier with 
several issues on the table at the same time, while others believed that some individual 
topics should be taken forward on th eir own merit. As I requested in the conveni ng fax, 
incorporating today in your reflections ideas on how "incremental" might be translated into 
"practice"  in your interventions would be helpful to our progress.  
 
 Timing of negotiations . Members views differ  on how negotiations should proceed in terms 
of timing – should different issues be taken up "simultaneously" or "sequentially". For 
some, "simultaneous" negotiations did not only refer to agriculture issues, but also to non -
agricultural issues such as NAM A and Services. For others, it meant "sequencing" among 
the agricultural issues and within the pillars. Different Members have contrasting views on 
which issues should be eventually addressed first. Some delegations cautioned against 
overloading the agricu lture negotiations with too many topics and too many linkages that 
could potentially prevent  any or some from getting traction to lead to agreements.  
 
 Flexibility . All Members (in one way or another) recogni ze the need for more flexibility. 
However, it is  my reading that Members are more flexible regarding the process than 
substance. It is recognized  that the current political and policy -making environment may 
limit the room for manoeuvre by Members. Members suggested that additional flexibility  
be shown , notably on substance, so as to allo w for discussions on a "what if " basis. 
Further, that if you do not think the proposed idea is the right way to solve the problem – 
"Top it" – working together to suggest alternatives towards  a better solution. We need to  
promote a collaborative way to achieve shared goals.  
 
9.   Two points related to urgency  should be made . Firstly , after the summer break, we essentially 
have three months before we are in the Ministerial year – we need additional submissions on all 
topics in o rder to advance our work. So, I urge Members – several of whom have indicated that 
they are working on submissions – to table them very soon, if not before the break, then soon 
after, in September and October. Secondly , there is urgency because capitals and constituencies 
are getting increasingly frustrated by the Geneva WTO process not yielding more results. The 
longer the progress takes, the more difficult it would be for governments to modify the support to 
farmers, support that may not be in keeping with agriculture reform in the WTO.  
 
10.   Now, turning to substance:  
 
DOMESTIC SUPPORT  
11.   For most Members, Domestic Support remains the priority issue and the centre piece of the 
agriculture negotiations. "Simultaneity" or "seq uencing" of steps to be taken and efforts to be 
made by different Members seems to be particularly important under this pillar. The views range JOB/AG/140  
 
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  from addressing some issues within the pillar first, then to others, yet other views suggest 
addressing all the elements simultaneously or at least i n parallel to other pillars . 
 
12.   The requests for more information are particularly numerous here, primarily to assess the 
current agricultural subsidies landscape, as well as the impact of different ideas that have been put 
forward.  
 
13.   We have received two submission s on Domestic Support  which will be presented today. I 
encourage full consideration and frank  discussions on all submissions since our last meeting.  
 
COTTON  
14.   Cotton is an area of prime interest for many delegations. It was identified as a high priority 
by the C4 and several other delegations, with some suggesting that an incremental output may be 
feasible in this area.   
 
15.   However, some other Members, have made it clear that a stand -alone outcome on Cotton 
Domestic Support would not be doable and should be accompanied by something on overall 
Domestic Support.  
 
16.   As you know I held a C otton Quad P lus meeting on 23 May and a Dedicated Discussion of the 
relevant trade -related developments for C otton on 19 June. T here was broad agreement at both 
meetings on the need for updated information and data to inform C otton negotiations. The 
importance of this point was stressed by the C4 and several other Members. Our negotiation s must 
be based on up -to-date and comprehens ive data on Members' policies, values of production and 
Domestic Support levels.  
 
17.   These data should come first and foremost from your notifications, but can also be usefully 
compl emented by your replies to the C otton questionnaire circulated on a biannual  basis by the 
Secretariat in advance o f the dedicated discussions on C otton.  
 
18.   All Members  are urged , particularly key C otton players , to bring their notifications up -to-date. 
 
MARKET ACCESS  
19.   A number of Members have renewed their wish to see Market Access t aken forward in the 
negotiations. Some of these Members also  believe that the inclusion of M arket Access in the 
negotiations would provide the necessary balance to the negotiating basket. Simultaneously, 
however, I have also heard a number of other Members  who are apprehensi ve of progress in 
agricultural M arket Access in the absence of parallel  progress in NAMA and Services M arket Access. 
Linkages within agriculture was also stressed by some Members who consider that a chieving prior 
progress in the D omestic  Support pillar is necessary for them to engage actively in the M arket 
Access negotiations.  
 
EXPORT COMPETITION  
20.   Export Competition  is still being considered as "unfinished business " by some Members, 
notably in the areas of international Food Aid and STEs.  
 
EXPORT RESTRICTIONS  
21.   It was again stressed that  Export Restrictions  had been considered before MC11 as a possible 
deliverable by a very large number of Members and this is likely still the case.  
 
22.   Finally, the overwhelming view is that CoA S pecial Session  meetings should be held on a 
monthly basis. At least this frequency will be honoured.  
 
23.   Members stressed the importance of carrying out technical work on issues , by e xperts and 
within groups , and also among Members with different views to better assess the problems and JOB/AG/140  
 
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  consider possible news ideas or approaches . The need to reserve enough time for such exchanges 
was also highlighted.  
 
24.   There was caution by some  Members who expressed the view that a substantial outcome in 
agriculture could not be realistically envisaged before MC13 and that Members should aim at 
incremental outcomes at MC12.  
 
25.   Clearly, w hat is achieved and when is in our hands.  
 
26.   This concludes my report.   
 
 
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