Agriculture reform critical to ensure post-Covid recovery

In 1995, the World Trade Organization, which happens to be the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations signed the WTO Agreement on Agriculture whose main aim was to establish a fairer trading system that would increase access to markets and improve the livelihoods of farmers on a global scale.

These efforts and the supply chains needed to actualize them have been seriously hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Kenya in particular hasn’t been left out as the exportation of horticultural crops, tea, and coffee were affected by the epidemic as most flights were canceled. 

In a press release, Former UK International Trade Secretary Dr. Liam Fox warned that the World Trade Organization is ‘failing in its duty’ if it cannot deliver for rural communities.

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Dr. Fox was nominated in July by Britain as its candidate to be the next Director-General of the World Trade Organization. He today pledged to make unlocking progress on agricultural reform a priority if made Director-General of the WTO.

The WTO has long failed to make meaningful progress on reducing and reforming trade distortive agricultural subsidies because of competing pressures from WTO Members. Dr. Fox now says the context of the coronavirus pandemic means reform on the trade in agriculture and agricultural goods is critical to ensure a ‘fairer and more robust’ economic recovery.

He said the new Director-General has a clear mandate for reform on a range of issues including domestic subsidies and market access. That mandate also extends to public stockholding as well as export restrictions, export competition, cotton, and the Special Safeguard Mechanism.

Dr. Fox said, “All Members of the WTO understand that agriculture is a special case and Governments have a fundamental obligation to make sure that their citizens are fed.

“The coronavirus pandemic makes progress in agricultural reform all the more critical – together we have an opportunity to ensure that the economic recovery in agricultural trade is fairer and more robust than ever.”

Dr. Fox is through to the second round of the selection process to be the next Director-General of the WTO.  He has pledged to reinvigorate agricultural discussions between WTO Members.

Dr. Fox said, “Making progress on agriculture needs to be top of the list for the new Director-General. That new DG needs to demonstrate to WTO Members that we all benefit from a meaningful step forward on agriculture.”

“Agricultural and fisheries discussions mean so much to the people in local and rural communities across the globe. If the WTO cannot deliver for these people, then it is failing in its duty to use trade as a vehicle to improve the lives of all our citizens across the world. 

“When the WTO has delivered, and where trade has flourished, it has created prosperity far beyond what any amount of overseas aid could accomplish.” 

The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson nominated Dr. Fox to be a candidate to replace current Director General, Roberto Azevedo, who stepped down after seven years in charge. 

Dr. Fox is campaigning to restore the credibility of the WTO at the heart of the rules-based trading system, reform its appellate body, deliver genuine gender equality by ensuring that at least half of his top team are women and work more closely with other international organizations. 

He Fox has published an updated version of his campaign pamphlet, outlining his plans to reform and reinvigorate the World Trade Organization, which can be found on his campaign hub.