Formed in 1999, the G-20
represents 85% of the world’s economy and two-thirds of world’s population. The
G-20 aims at providing developing countries with a better position to influence
the dynamics of the global economy. Now, the Interagency Report on “Sustainable
Agricultural Productivity Growth And Bridging The Gap For Small-Family Farms”
recommends that G20 Governments should “demonstrate leadership in multilateral
negotiations. The Interagency Report which was published on 12 June 2012 by a group of
multilateral organization (Bioversity, CGIAR Consortium, FAO, IFAD, IFPRI,
IICA, OECD, UNCTAD, Coordination team of UN High Level Task Force on the Food Security
Crisis, WFP, World Bank, and WTO), emphasizes the need for G-20 need to
demonstrate leadership in order to strengthen international disciplines on all
forms of import and export restrictions, as well as on domestic support schemes
that distort production incentives”.
The Interagency Report, which was used as a
key input in the discussions of the G20 Agricultural Group, was compiled in
response to the request to international organization by the G20 President
early 2012 in Mexico to examine practical actions that could be undertaken to
sustainably improve agricultural productivity growth, in particular on small
family farms. The Interagency Report states that “substantially reducing trade and
production distorting domestic support, improving market access opportunities,
eliminating export subsidies and strengthening the disciplines on export
restrictions will improve the enabling environment for investment and
productivity growth”.
The Interagency Report also notes the critical role
played by the WTO’s Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement in contributing to the
reduction of production losses due to pests and diseases, and the need to
support capacity building in this field, including through the Standards and
Trade Development Facility.
