The agricultural ministers of the BRIC countries outlined a new food security strategy after meeting last Friday. According to the meeting’s declaration, the plan is meant “…to promote food security, [by supporting]…a well-functioning, worldwide food market and a trade system based on the principles of justice and freedom from discrimination.”
The declaration by the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) highlights the stalemate in the World Trade Organization’s Doha round of global trade talks. The Moscow Times points out that the talks “…were stalled in 2008 over disagreements between developed and developing countries on measures that would allow poorer countries to levy tariffs on certain agricultural goods.”
More importantly, it illustrates the desire by these rising powers to cooperate to solve their major concerns. The BRIC plan is intended to work through the WTO’s inertia while addressing the needs of the BRIC countries, which contain, “…32 percent of [the world’s] arable land…[and produces] 40 percent of the world’s wheat, 50 percent of its pork, more than 30 percent of its poultry and 30 percent of its beef.”
According to Xinhua, “The [meeting’s] declaration…said the ministers have defined the four major areas of BRIC’s agricultural cooperation…[to include] establishing the information exchange system, sharing experience on agriculture and food stock, reducing impact of climate change on agriculture, and developing agricultural technology and innovation.”
Posted by Michael Lucivero.
