World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, emphasized the critical role of trade in ensuring global food stability during the opening plenary of the World Food Forum in Rome on Tuesday. Hosted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the forum highlighted the importance of modernized trade rules and a fair, open multilateral trading system to address challenges in agriculture and food security.
Okonjo-Iweala stressed that the WTO’s efforts to update trade regulations are crucial in building a sustainable agrifood system that can meet the world’s growing demand for food. She called for domestic policies to complement these international rules by reducing distortions, enhancing competition, and providing essential resources to farmers. These resources include research, pest control, efficient water management, and extension services to improve productivity and sustainability.
The WTO chief pointed to the strong partnership between the WTO and FAO in tackling food and agricultural challenges. She also warned of the growing impact of climate change on food systems, with water scarcity, biodiversity loss, and deforestation exacerbating agricultural issues. FAO figures show that 733 million people are currently facing hunger, predominantly in Africa and South Asia, making the goal of ending hunger by 2030 increasingly difficult to achieve.
Okonjo-Iweala also criticized trade restrictions and subsidies that distort agricultural production, noting that in 54 countries, support for individual producers averaged $630 billion annually from 2020 to 2022, often leading to environmental harm. She urged global leaders to focus on reforming agricultural trade to make markets function more efficiently and free up resources for better use.
While acknowledging the slow progress in agricultural trade negotiations at the WTO, Okonjo-Iweala expressed determination to push forward. “Agriculture and a well-functioning agricultural trading system are too important to the world for us to give up,” she concluded.