India’s Food Security Concerns and the WTO Bali Ministerial Decision

Abstract

The Bali Ministerial decision on public stockholding for food security purposes was a triumph for India - welcomed by both the domestic constituents and other members of the WTO community. The decision was particularly important for India in the context of the enactment of the National Food Security Act, 2013. However, the lasting impact of the Bali Ministerial Decision will depend on the ability of World Trade Organization (WTO) members in securing a long term solution for authorizing various public stockholding programmes targeted at subsistence and resource-poor farmers. While the burden has shifted to the developed countries to find a permanent change in the provisions of the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA), the developing country food security programmes, including India's NFSA, could still face difficulties if a negotiated outcome is not achieved by the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference.