Procuring food stocks under World Trade Organization farm subsidy rules: finding a permanent solution
This report identifies options that negotiators and policy-makers could pursue in order to reach a permanent solution at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to the problems some developing countries say they face when buying food at government-set (or government-administered) prices under their public stockholding programs for food security purposes. The report looks at the nature of the problem, as well as the proposals that different countries and negotiating coalitions have put forward to try to resolve it. The analysis also examines the evolving market and policy context, including for key commodities such as rice and wheat. Finally, it examines the advantages and disadvantages of various possible ways in which the public stockholding issue could be addressed and identifies possible ways forward.
