Politico Pro published an article regarding food security in India. India’s efforts to get a permanent exemption from global agricultural subsidy rules for its domestic food security program is creating a huge rift ahead of the WTO meeting. The concern is India could hold “hostage” other negotiations in areas such as fishing subsidies, vaccines, and public health if its concerns over food subsidy rules are not resolved to its satisfaction. India complains it is difficult to stay within its limits the way the aid is calculated by the WTO. Despite that “peace clause,” it was an intense issue for India in 2013, during the Bali ministerial. Their trade officials may just want “the validation” of having it finally resolved, said Senior Research Fellow Joseph Glauber, who co-authored a recent paper examining the issue.
“That could be done if India is willing to agree to a number of “technical fixes” to satisfy other countries that its stockholding program doesn’t distort trade.”