As agriculture remains to be one of the most sensitive and highly debated topic at the World Trade Organizations (WTO), the newly appointed Chair of the agriculture negotiations, Ambassador Ali Sarfraz Hussain of Pakistan, calls for innovative approaches to reach deal.
Members should strive to avoid repeating previous mistakes and explore innovative approaches on agriculture leading up to the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) in March 2026, he said.
At a meeting of the Committee on Agriculture on 30 April, members noted that agriculture remains a priority and stressed that MC14 should play a pivotal role in advancing the negotiations. The Chair reported on the consultations he held with various groups and individual members since he assumed the role as Chair on 1 April.
He said that divergences in views continue to persist on how the shared goal of making progress on agriculture talks can be translated into a meaningful MC14 outcome. However, while MC14 might not be the conclusion of members’ efforts, it should result in a meaningful step forward. The credibility of the WTO depends on its ability to respond to real-world challenges, particularly in the current turbulent international context, he said.
Moving forward, Ambassador Hussain encouraged members to engage constructively in an attempt to narrow differences and explore solutions. He committed to facilitating this effort through dialogue across all groups upon request. He noted that meetings of the Committee on Agriculture in Special Session (CoASS) will be held as needed to promote transparency and inclusivity. These meetings will serve to update members, allow feedback and share progress.
Ambassador Hussain said he intends to pursue in the coming weeks his consultations in various configurations, starting with proponents on the various topics, to explore how concrete progress can be made on their topics of interest in a pragmatic and effective manner.
The Chair also indicated that there will not be a facilitator-led process for now, but more technical discussions may be launched if needed. This phase will culminate in a stocktaking session after the summer, likely in late September or early October, to evaluate progress and collectively decide on the way forward and the expected outcome, setting the stage for final negotiations ahead of MC14.
Members overall expressed support for the process outlined by Ambassador Hussain, urging a focus on achievable MC14 outcomes and aiming at a clear roadmap post-MC14 for more detailed negotiations. Innovative approaches in Geneva were advocated, avoiding ineffective past methods. Members also underlined the importance of the upcoming retreat on sustainable agriculture on 5-6 May, and of future meetings of the Committee on Agriculture, which should contribute to maximizing the effectiveness of discussions ahead of concrete ministerial action in 2026.
Several members highlighted the on-going joint work between the Cairns Group of agricultural exporting economies and the African Group as a promising example of substantive discussions aimed at narrowing gaps. The two groups reported that since their last update to members in February, they have continued discussions, together with others, on a draft package that could form the basis of CoASS negotiations. These discussions aim to identify and work through areas of difference, identify and build on commonalities and make progress on a draft modalities package across all topics.
The two groups noted that the goal is to continue this technical work and submit a document to CoASS for the membership’s consideration and further work. The process has been designed so that ideas can be put on the table and assessed without prejudice to final positions, in an effort to facilitate a constructive dialogue. Members participating in the process are doing so on the basis that there is no commitment to any elements where convergence may develop until an overall package that is satisfactory to all is reached, they said.
Public stockholding and the Special Safeguard Mechanism
Members held dedicated sessions on public stockholding (PSH) for food security purposes and on the Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) to have more focussed discussions on these topics.
The Chair reported on his recent consultations, noting that he sensed a political will from many delegations to engage constructively on finding a way forward on PSH. However, significant disagreements remain, particularly regarding the sequencing of negotiations and concerns about expanding domestic support, he said. The concern about the impact of the current trade context on efforts to make meaningful progress was expressed by several members.
The proponents stressed that securing a permanent solution on PSH was increasingly urgent, as it remained critical to global food security amid growing economic uncertainties and potential disruptions to food supply chains.
Ambassador Hussain stressed that “there is no alternative to frank exchanges to achieve meaningful progress” on the key issue of PSH. He expressed his confidence that progress can be made “if we shift from fixed positions to shared solutions.”
On SSM, discussions also reflected that members continue to hold different views regarding the linkage between SSM and market access. Given how important this file is for many developing economies, and the need to achieve a balanced outcome at MC14, the Chair urged members to think creatively to help break the impasse. He suggested identifying a pragmatic approach to foster a substantive technical dialogue on the various components of a potential SSM outcome.