Brazil Presents Draft Decision on Agriculture Talks at WTO

Turkey's Ambassador Alparslan Acarsoy, chair of the World Trade Organization's agriculture negotiations, said "fresh thinking" is needed to end the stagnation in current agriculture talks, the WTO said. Addressing the participating members of the ag negotiating body during the first meeting since the 13th Ministerial Conference, Acarsoy urged members not to ditch "past efforts" despite the disappointment felt after a deal was not struck at MC13.

Brazil presented a draft decision on "how to revive the agriculture talks," which "envisages talks proceeding across all agriculture negotiation topics in parallel," the WTO noted. The decision includes sections on domestic support, market access, special safeguard mechanisms, export prohibitions and restrictions, export competition, cotton trade-related components, cotton development assistance components, public stockholding for food security purposes and a timeline for implementation.

Members disputed whether to take a "comprehensive approach" or tackle the talks on an issue-by-issue basis. Many nations favored "resuming text-based negotiation as the way forward," while others urged caution in favor of welcoming new ideas and approaches, the WTO said.