. /.  RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/WGTTT/M/29 
30 October 2009 
 
 (09-5445) 
Working Group on Trade and Transfer of Technology 
Twenty-Ninth Session  
 
 
 
NOTE ON THE MEETING OF 13 OCTOBER 2009 
 
Chairperson:  H.E. Mr. Philip Richard O. Owade (Kenya)  
  
A.
 ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA .........................................................................................................1  
B. ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRADE AND TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY ..............1  
C. ANY POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS ON STEPS T HAT MIGHT BE TAKEN WITHIN THE 
MANDATE OF THE WTO TO INCREASE FLOWS OF TECHNOLOGY TO DEVELOPING 
COUNTRIES ............................................................................................................................... ...2 
D. OTHER BUSINESS .........................................................................................................................2  
 
 A. 
ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA  
1. The agenda contained in Airgram WTO/ AIR/3434 of 29 September 2009 was adopted . 
B. ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRADE AND TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY  
2. Under this agenda item relating to the continuing analysis of the relationship between trade 
and transfer of technology, the representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)  made a 
presentation on "The Linkage between Technology Tran sfer and Productivity Gains in Agriculture".  
The presentation, among others, highlighted the effect that technology advancement in the period 
1965-2000 had had on increasing crop yields of a number of selected crops in developing countries, 
including wheat, maize, rice (paddy), sorghum and c assava.  The increase was attributed to the Green 
Revolution which helped to feed around 6.4 billio n people, increased per capita food availability by 
over 18 per cent as well as improved the livelihoods of several million farmers.  The Green Revolution also helped increase crop yields on fixed-la nd areas.  In spite of that, one out of every six 
people in the world went hungry every day, a situation which had worsened as a result of the food 
crisis and now the economic crisis . Around 1.2 billion people still remained in absolute poverty and 
vast areas of land still remained uncultivated.  Ha ving said that, the presentation also highlighted the 
fact that not all countries had benefited from the Gr een Revolution and, in many instances, the natural 
resource base had been negatively affected.   
3. The presentation also demonstrated that dur ing 1965-2000, food prod uction, both at the 
global level and developing country  level, had increased faster than the increase in the population. 
However, future global food demand was expected to  increase by 70 per cent in 2050 as a result of an 
expected population growth of 38 per cent (9.1 b illion) in 2050.  The presen tation showed that the 
growth in food demand could only, to a limited ex tent, be met by extending cultivation to currently 
fallow land and enhancing cropping intensity.  The underlying message of the presentation was that 
80 per cent of future increased food demand would have to be met by improving yields through 
substantially improved technology, including through, among others, improving research systems, WT/WGTTT/M/29 
Page 2  
 
  modernizing technical advisory services, building research-extension-farmers linkages and exploiting 
the potential of ICTs.  A number of ways of ach ieving that could include leveraging existing assets 
and the knowledge base, ge nerating knowledge in order to impr ove productivity and sustainability 
including enhancing yield ceilings for better ma nagement of natural resources, minimizing 
post-harvest losses, diversifying and adding va lue to agricultural products, improving access to 
markets and increasing investments in agricultural research and development (R&D).  A UN agency, 
ECOSOC, had found that developed countries currently  contributed about 5 per cent of their GDP to 
agricultural development while developing countries c ontributed much less.  It had estimated that, in 
order to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), developing countries would have to 
contribute at least 1 per cent of their agricultural GDP to agricultural development.  In addition, 
investments varied widely among developing count ries and among and within regions.  For example, 
two thirds of the total investments made in ag ricultural R&D in Sub-Saharan Africa were made by 
South Africa alone.  Capacity building and strengt hening institutions were also among the elements 
identified as contributing to increasing agricultural productivity. 
4. In the discussion following the FAO presentation, Members found that FAO's contribution 
was useful in highlighting the link between technolog y transfer and productivity gains in agriculture 
besides demonstrating the importance that countries attached to the issue of technology and R&D for 
sectors such as agriculture.  India
 drew attention to the effect th at the Green Revolution had had in 
helping alleviate hunger in India and helping it become a world leader in several crops.  The US  and 
EC provided examples of some of the work they were doing to help developing countries address 
challenges such as food security, rural development and climate change.  In that context, some of the 
issues that were mentioned included: increasing ag ricultural productivity (t hrough the provision of 
seeds and fertilizer); stimulating post-harvest, priv ate-sector growth; supporting the role of women 
and families in agriculture; maintaining the natural resource base in the context of climate change; 
expanding knowledge and training; increasing tr ade flows; and supporting food governance and 
policy reforms.   
5. UNCTAD  also informed the Working Group of its in tention to share, in one of the future 
meetings of the Working Group, the findings on its study on the role of technology and innovation in 
agricultural development in developing countries w ith a special focus on small-scale farmers in 
Africa.  India  reiterated the need of sharing experience with the Working Group by those countries 
which had benefited from transfer of technology.  
C. ANY POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS ON  STEPS THAT MIGHT BE TAKEN WITHIN THE MANDATE 
OF THE WTO TO INCREASE FLOWS OF TECHNOLOGY TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES  
6. There was no discussion under the agenda item relating to the consideration of possible 
recommendations on steps that might be taken to increase flows of technology to developing 
countries.   
D. OTHER BUSINESS  
7. No issue was raised under "Other Business".  The Chairman  informed Members that he was 
preparing a report, which the Ministers at the Hong Kong Ministerial in 2005 mandated the Working 
Group to make to the next Ministerial Sess ion that was scheduled to be held from 
30 November-2 December 2009.  He stated that the report would be factual covering the work carried out since the Working Group last reported to the Ministers in 2005.  The report would be prepared on his own responsibility.  He told Members that the draft report would be sent to Members within the 
next few days and Members would be given a week's time to comment before it was forwarded to the 
General Council. 
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