Bali WTO meet: India to press for food security right

New Delhi: Ahead of crucial WTO ministerial meeting in Bali this week, India today made it very clear that it will be firm on the core agenda of food security while pursuing a “persuasive and constructive” dialogue.

The Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference will be held in Bali, Indonesia, from December 3 to 6. A day after Commerce Minister Anand Sharma asserted that India will secure and protect its right to food security and strive for a permanent immunity from any kind of farm subsidy breach, he is likely to unequivocally convey to his interlocutors that India’s concerns on food security are non- negotiable.

[caption id=“attachment_1260517” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Anand Sharma. Reuters [/caption]

Sharma, who is leading a 30-member delegation for the Bali meet, is also likely to raise strongly the issue of subsistence to farmers in India in the G-33 meeting being convened tomorrow ahead of the ministerial conference.

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Sources said he will underscore the fact the Bali ministerial meet must have a fair and balanced outcome, addressing concerns of developing countries adequately, especially on food security. The Minister is expected to take a position that India’s public stock-holding programme for public distribution system cannot be compromised for minor gains of developed countries.

Sharma is likely to underscore India’s commitment for the LDC (least developed countries) agenda where India has taken a unilateral decision for zero duty access covering 96.2 per cent of tariff lines.

India will demonstrate its constructive engagement, as it has unequivocally endorsed 3 out of the 5 issues under consideration - LDC issues, tariff rate quota and export competition, sources said.

Sharma may also pitch for a balanced outcome which addresses India’s food security concerns and not just an outcome which concerns the interests of the strong exporting economies of the developed world.

However, developed countries might oppose India’s stance vis-a-vis agreement on food security.

PTI