Members discuss agriculture domestic support, impact of El Nino and Middle East conflict

A total of 229 questions were raised by members concerning individual notifications and specific implementation matters during the meeting. This peer review process allows members to address issues related to the implementation of commitments in the Agreement on Agriculture.

Among the 34 new items, 14 concerned, among other things, domestic support programmes, restrictions on poultry imports and other price stabilization schemes by several members, including Cameroon, China, the European Union, Nigeria, Oman and the Philippines. Questions covered Argentina's dairy support programmes, Australia's Small Drought Relief Loan programme, Japan's technology promotion and support for young farmers, and the US Farmer Bridge Assistance Program. Other new topics raised included Brazil's request to Türkiye to respond to a question regarding domestic content requirements for tobacco-derived products, and New Zealand querying Mexico on its Anti-Inflation and Shortage Package legislation.

Discussions carried over from previous meetings included India's various policies on several members' domestic support programmes, export restrictions and public stockpiling issues. Other topics included Canada's tariff rate quota for cheese, the European Union's forestry policies, India's wheat export policies, the Philippines' suspension on rice imports, Thailand's discounting for fertilizers, and the United States' and targeted agricultural support measures.

The US, Australia, Paraguay and Ukraine submitted a counter-notification in document G/AG/W/259 concerning India's market price support for rice and wheat. The document argued that India's market price support for the two crops is significantly above notified levels and is fuelling rice and wheat export growth that is having a distorting impact on global markets. India strenuously defended its policies, saying the findings are based on disputed data sets. The policies are necessary to support food security, and are in line with WTO guidelines, India added.

All questions submitted for the meeting are available in G/AG/W/261. All questions and replies received are available in the WTO's Agriculture Information Management System.

The Chair, Mr Diego Alfieri of Brazil, urged members to submit timely and complete notifications, stressing the critical importance of enhanced transparency. In the same vein, the Chair urged members to submit timely replies to the questions they receive in the Committee, noting that several remained outstanding.

Stock-taking on net food-importing developing country (NFIDC) status

Members took up the annual discussion on NFIDC status in the agriculture sector. As in recent Committee meetings, members focused on how they should collectively evaluate the NFIDC list, with positions diverging on the assessment of NFIDCs already on the list. The Chair said there was no consensus currently achievable, and that discussions should continue.

The WTO's Committee on Agriculture actively monitors the implementation of the NFIDC Decision. The latest version of the list is contained in G/AG/5/Rev.12. The Committee is mandated to annually review the list of NFIDC members, and to facilitate discussions regarding food security, supply chain resilience and food import financing to address acute food instability in the wake of the agreed report (G/AG/38) of a work programme that the Committee undertook on these matters during 2022-24.

Follow-up to ministerial decisions

Members reviewed their work on the follow-up to ministerial outcomes, particularly the implementation of the agreements reached in 2024-25 on transparency and notification requirements covering export competition and tariff rate quotas. The discussions were initially held in an informal setting and were supported by a detailed presentation from the WTO Secretariat on related efforts. Members also explored how to advance discussions on technology transfer, together with the follow-up to a ministerial decision adopted in Bali in 2013 concerning general services.

Updates on agricultural market developments and food security

Members heard updates from the International Grains Council (IGC), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) regarding recent market developments and the current state of global food security.

The IGC presented  highlights of its Grains, Oilseeds and Rice Market Outlook report. According to the report, production of wheat is expected to decline by 3% in 2026, while maize output is forecast to decrease by 2%. Further growth of 3% is projected for soybeans, with steady production prospects for rice but demand for imports in Sub-Saharan Africa and key Asian markets is forecast to expand.

The FAO warned that updated projections show that 512 million people, or approximately 6% of the global population, will face chronic hunger in 2030. The 2026 edition of its Global Report on Food Crises estimates that 266 million people across 47 countries and territories experienced high levels of acute food insecurity in 2025. Although this figure is slightly lower than in 2024, the decline mainly reflects reduced country coverage rather than an improvement in conditions.

The FAO also found that world trade in cereals in 2025-26 (July/June) is forecast at 504.3 million tonnes, representing an expansion of 18.9 million tonnes (3.9%) from the 2024-25 level. The conflict in the Middle East is causing a shortfall in fertilizer shipments. Paired with the effects of the expected El Nino weather pattern, this may negatively impact food production in the coming year.

The WFP reported that food insecurity is expected to remain at highly concerning levels in 2026. In 2025, 23% of the analysed population in 47 countries and territories, corresponding to 266 million people, experienced high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC/CH Phase 3 or above), according to its 2026 Global Report on Food Crises. The share of the population experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity has doubled over the last decade. WFP estimates an additional 45 million people could fall into acute hunger if the Middle East conflict continues through the second quarter of this year.

Side-events

In the margins of the Committee meeting, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) presented its 2025 Agricultural Policy Monitoring and Evaluation report and the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2025-34. The United States hosted a side event on rice, focusing on how trade policies and market dynamics influence global rice supply chains, with a focus on private sector experiences and perspectives.

Next meeting

The next regular meeting of the Committee on Agriculture will be held on 24-25 September.