India is set to place food security and agriculture at the centre of its agenda at the upcoming ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO), reflecting its long-standing concerns over safeguarding farmers and ensuring stable food distribution systems.
According to officials, New Delhi will strongly push for a permanent solution on public stockholding programmes for food security. These programmes allow the government to procure and store staple crops such as rice and wheat at administered prices to support farmers and supply subsidised food to millions. India argues that existing WTO rules unfairly restrict such support, making a lasting solution critical for developing nations.
Another major demand is the introduction of a Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM), which would enable countries like India to raise tariffs temporarily in response to sudden surges in imports or sharp price declines. This is aimed at protecting domestic farmers from volatile global markets and unfair competition.
India is also expected to call for strengthening the WTO’s dispute settlement system and preserving core multilateral trading principles, amid concerns that the global trade body’s effectiveness has weakened in recent years.
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The ministerial conference, scheduled in Cameroon later this month, will see discussions on a wide range of issues including agriculture, fisheries subsidies, e-commerce rules, and broader WTO reforms.
India’s focus on food security underscores its broader strategy of balancing global trade commitments with domestic priorities, particularly the protection of livelihoods in its vast agriculture sector while ensuring affordable food for its population.
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