agriculture
Agri-Food Business Day
Virtual
08-09/12/2022
All youtube links to the various sessions of Agri-Food Business Day can be found below.
For Speakers' Bio-Book Click here
Video Highlights of Agri-Food Business Day
This year the Annual Symposium of the WTO Agriculture and Commodities Division (AGCD) will take the form of an Agri-Food Business Day, to be held virtually. The aim of Agri‑Food Business Day is to promote dialogue between WTO Members and the agri-food industry on topical issues in international trade in food and agricultural commodities, and the specific barriers to trade facing the industry across different geographic locations. Agri-Food Business Day will build on the recently convened WTO Global Supply Chains Forum.
International trade plays a vital role in ensuring global food security, and is essential to the fulfilment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As the United Nations Secretary General stated at the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) on 23 September 2021, “Open, non‑discriminatory, transparent, rules-based trade is essential for building more inclusive and resilient food systems. Despite challenges to global supply chains, COVID-19 has shown the resilience of local and regional food systems.”
Agri-Food Business Day consists of five roundtables that have been carefully curated to ensure that all sectors of the agri-food industry, from across all geographical regions, are represented. The event will allow WTO Members from all regions, including small and medium-sized economies, vulnerable economies, and least-developed Members, to interact with chambers of commerce, industry representatives, and farmers.
The Secretariat-organized event is open to all WTO Members and Observers and the public and will be livestreamed on the WTO YouTube channel, with the possibility of viewers interacting with speakers. Agri-Food Business Day will be archived on the WTO website to allow for viewership past the event date.
The resilience of agricultural trade
International trade plays a crucial role in delivering food to consumers worldwide. It helps expand consumer choice, and plays a critical role in reducing food insecurity across the globe. According to conservative estimates, international trade feeds one in every six people around the globe. Over the past decade, international agricultural and food markets have witnessed a number of changes which have brought domestic and international markets closer together, expanding economic opportunities for all.
Since 1995, international trade in food and agriculture has more than doubled in real terms, rising to $1.5 trillion in 2018, in response to a more rules-based trading environment, falling tariffs, and reductions in trade-distorting producer support. Global agricultural production has also continued to increase, driven by rapid growth in a number of developing regions, in particular in Asia and South America.
Today Global Value Chains (GVCs) form an integral part of the international food and agricultural trade landscape, a trend that is expected to grow. Nevertheless, agri-food systems need to be made more resilient to shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and political turmoil. While these last few years have shown the agriculture sector’s surprising capacity to withstand shocks and stresses, the extended nature of current crises calls for a better understanding on how to promote its continued resiliency. The Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) State of the Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2021, Making Agri-food Systems More Resilient to Shocks and Stresses, provides guidance on how governments can promote the resilience of their agri-food systems.
Given the critical role of international trade in ensuring global food security, and the role that it will increasingly be called upon to play in climate adaptation through just and equitable food redistribution across the globe, value chains need to be reinforced and made more resilient to crises as well as more environmentally sustainable. How then can international trade in food and agricultural commodities be further strengthened, and what are the obstacles that farmers and agri-food businesses see? This year's Agri-Food Business Day will seek to respond to this complex nexus of issues through the following five roundtables.
PROGRAM OF AGRI-FOOD BUSINESS DAY
DAY 1: THURSDAY 8 DECEMBER
OPENING SESSION - (09:30 – 11:00)
For Remarks by DDG Anabel Gonzalez Click Here
Five Highlights & a Quote
Anabel Gonzalez
Deputy Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO)
Jaine Chisholm Caunt
Director General of the Grain and Feed Trade Association (GAFTA) and Chair of the Federation of Commodity Associations
Luiz Carlos Corrêa Carvalho
President, Brazilian Agribusiness Association (ABAG)
Alzbeta Klein
Director General, International Fertilizer Association (IFA)
Agnes Kalibata
President, Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)
Moderator
Doaa Abdel-Motaal
Senior Counsellor, WTO Agriculture and Commodities Division
FIRST ROUNDTABLE: RESILIENT GLOBAL FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS - (11:20 – 12:50)
Five Highlights & a Quote
Global agricultural trade has more than doubled since 1995, amounting to $1.5 trillion in 2018, with emerging and developing countries' exports on the rise and accounting for over one-third of the world's total. Global trade and well-functioning markets have acted as engines for this growth, and have the potential to spur more inclusive economic growth and sustainable development, and to increase the international community's resilience to shocks. Currently, about one-third of global agricultural and food exports are traded within GVCs and cross international borders at least twice. The rise of GVCs is driven by income growth, lower trade barriers and technological advancements. This session will explore the views of industry and farmers on the functioning of GVCs, examining how to increase their resilience and the lessons that can be learned from the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic and current political turmoil.
Ambassador Chenggang Li
Permanent Representative of China to the WTO
Kristjan Hebert
CEO of Herbert Farms, Global Farmer Network (GFN)
Gerald Masila
Executive Director, East Africa Grain Council (EAGC)
Jennifer Han
Chief Supply Chain Officer for Nutrition (Foods Brands), Unilever
Yu Lu
Vice President, China Chamber of Commerce of Foodstuffs and Native Produce
Juliana Lopes
Chief Sustainability Officer-Amaggi, Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development
Moderator
Renata Cristaldo Oviedo
WTO Agriculture Attaché (Paraguay)
LUNCH BREAK - (12:50 – 14:00)
SECOND ROUNDTABLE: FOOD STANDARDS FOR BETTER FUNCTIONING GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS - (14:00 – 15:30)
Five Highlights & a Quote
Food labelling, packaging and international standards and requirements can play a vital role in regulating food markets and achieving legitimate public policy goals, but lack of international harmonization can result in unnecessary obstacles to trade. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a host of new food safety regulations. Risk reduction measures and quality certification programs can not only pre-empt food safety crises but can better position exporters in overseas markets. This session will explore the important role of the WTO plays in addressing such public policy goals through instruments such as the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS), the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), and the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF). It will hear from industry and farmer representatives about the types of trade barriers encountered on the ground, and the improvements to the trading environment that need to be made.
Ambassador Salomon Eheth
Permanent Representative of Cameroon to the WTO
Carel du Marchie Sarvaas
Executive Director, Health for Animals
Jamie Jonker
Chair of International Dairy Federation Science and Programme Coordination Committee
Giulia Di Tommaso
International Strategic Advisor on Sustainability, Innovation and Food Systems
Cindy Brown
President, Global Pulse Confederation
Randal Giroux
VP Global Regulatory Affairs Leader, Cargill
Moderator
Elisa Maria Olmeda de alejandro
WTO Agriculture Attaché (Mexico)
THIRD ROUNDTABLE: TRADE FACILITATION, DIGITALIZATION AND E-COMMERCE - (15:50 – 17:20)
Five Highlights & a Quote
Efficient facilitation of trade in food and other agricultural products promises a myriad of benefits including improved food security, more nutritionally-varied diets, greater agricultural productivity and more export income. Because many foods are highly perishable, they require particularly efficient trade regimes and border crossings. Food security is enhanced when cross-border flows of food cargo are facilitated to minimize time spent in trade, thereby reducing physical losses and costs. This session will explore industry and farmer perceptions of how trade can and should be facilitated further to achieve these goals, and practical experiences on the ground. In addition, it will tackle the impact of digitalization and e-commerce on the food industry, exploring how they can facilitate trade.
Marcel Vernooij
Chair, WTO Committee on Agriculture
Valerie Picard
Deputy Director, Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation, International Chamber of Commerce
Emily Whitelock
Senior Regulatory Affairs Executive, Food Industry Asia
Darren Howie
Director, Carbon & Sustainability - Trimble Agriculture
Stéphane Graber
Director General, International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association
Gary C. Martin
President and CEO, North American Export Grain Association
Moderator
Sunday Ogwuche
WTO Agriculture Attaché (Nigeria)
DAY 2: FRIDAY 9 DECEMBER
FOURTH ROUNDTABLE: THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OF GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS - (09:30 – 11:00)
Five Highlights & a Quote
International trade leads to a more efficient allocation of resources, including natural resources such as energy, land and water. The declining availability of renewable natural resources poses a serious threat to agricultural production and food systems, as highlighted at the UNFSS in September 2021. For instance, amid increasing water scarcity in many parts of the world, virtual water trade as both a policy instrument and practical means to balance the local, national and global water budget is being carefully studied. This session will explore the interlinkage between international agricultural trade and environmental sustainability, and the trade policy reforms that can contribute to improved environmental outcomes. Industry and farmer views on how the trading system can contribute to greater sustainability will be sought.
Ambassador George Mina
Permanent Representative of Australia to the WTO
Berry Marttin
Rabobank Executive Board Member and President of the European Association of Co-operative Banks
Rodolfo Rossi
Former President and Board Member, Argentinean Soybean Chain (ACSOJA)
Antonia Wanner
Head of ESG, Sustainability Strategy and Deployment, Nestlé
Lowell Randel
Senior Vice President—Government and Legal Affairs, Global Cold Chain Alliance
Jabu Mabobo
Executive Director, Southern African Business Development Forum
Moderator
Tetsuo Ushikusa
Deputy Assistant Minister - Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAFF) of Japan
FIFTH ROUNDTABLE: INDUSTRY VIEWS ON THE RULES-BASED MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM - (11:20 – 12:50)
Five Highlights & a Quote
The agri-food industry wishes to see lower barriers to trade in food and agricultural commodities, and a stronger multilateral trading system. Rules-based international trade has been a major contributor to global food security and economic growth worldwide. Adherence to the principles of non-discrimination, transparency and predictability are vital to building a resilient global food system. Failure to follow WTO rules risks locking developing and least-developed nations out of global markets, and preventing the emergence of a truly level playing field. This session will delve into the pragmatic ways through which a rules-based international trading system can be promoted, and the enforcement of trade rules secured.
John Clarke
Director for International Affairs, DG Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission
Lloyd Day
Deputy Director-General, IICA-Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture
Ricardo Calderon Lopez
Executive Director, APPAMEX-Asociación de Proveedores de Productos Agropecuarios (Mexico)
Donald Moore
Executive Director, Global Dairy Platform
Rick White
President and CEO, Canadian Canola Growers Association
Lucy Muchoki
CEO, Pan-African Agribusiness and Agroindustry Consortium
Moderator
Assan Touray
Agriculture Attaché (The Gambia)
LUNCH BREAK - (12:50 – 14:00)
CLOSING SESSION - (14:00 – 15:30)
For Remarks by DDG Anabel Gonzalez Click Here
Five Highlights & a Quote
Food labelling, packaging and international standards and requirements can play a vital role in regulating food markets and achieving legitimate public policy goals, but lack of international harmonization can result in unnecessary obstacles to trade. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a host of new food safety regulations. Risk reduction measures and quality certification programs can not only pre-empt food safety crises but can better position exporters in overseas markets. This session will explore the important role of the WTO plays in addressing such public policy goals through instruments such as the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS), the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), and the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF). It will hear from industry and farmer representatives about the types of trade barriers encountered on the ground, and the improvements to the trading environment that need to be made.
Anabel Gonzalez
Deputy Director-General, WTO
Michael Keller
Secretary General of International Seed Federation, Chair of the International Agri-Food Network (IAFN)
Ambassador Maria Pagan
Permanent Representative of the US to the WTO
Arianna Giuliodori
Secretary-General, World Farmers Organization (WFO)
Ambassador Ahmed Ihab Gamaleldin
Permanent Representative of Egypt to the WTO
Moderator
Doaa Abdel-Motaal
Senior Counsellor, WTO Agriculture and Commodities Division
Partager
Quotes from Agri-Food Executives
Jaine Chisholm Caunt, Director General
Grain and Feed Trade Association
The ability of international trade to keep agri-commodities flowing throughout the pandemic has been a testament to its vital role in enabling global food security. As the Director General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala recently noted "Trade has been and will remain a critical means of adaptation to the mounting global shocks that the world is currently experiencing. This is not the time to retreat inward".
Valerie Picard, Deputy Director
Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation
Trade facilitation must be front and centre of international agri-food policy. Reducing the time and cost of trade through digitalisation and other proven techniques improves market access for small producers in particular, enhancing food security while minimising needless waste.
Rebecca Lee, Executive Director, Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada
International Federation of Produce Standards
Our sector relies on global supply chain standards in addition to science-based regulations to ensure that consumers worldwide can enjoy accessible, safe and nutritious fruits and vegetables. The WTO Agri-Food Business Day is a unique opportunity to showcase and increase understanding of the high level of integration of the fruit and vegetable sector, including the global interdependence of the supply chain, from the sourcing of inputs all the way to production and distribution.
Donald Moore, Executive Director
Global Dairy Platform
Global food security is of paramount importance and can only be ensured through a stable and resilient multilateral trading system. If we want children to have the milk they need to be healthy and to grow, our exporters and importers must have a functional trading system that prioritizes food.
Juliana Lopes, Chief Sustainability Officer
Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development
Brazil is a major contributor to food and climate security, with its agricultural sector representing 30% of the country's GDP. Amid growing consumer awareness, international entities are raising the bar for sustainability standards across agricultural value chains, with Brazil being a key player to watch in this space. We welcome the opportunity to discuss the agriculture trade and sustainability nexus at the WTO's Agri-Food Business Day.
Reg Clause, Chairman of the Board
Global Farmer Network
Throughout history, people have aspired to make their world a greater place. The Global Farmer Network, which unites farmers from 60 countries, aims to take these aspirations forward. To do so, it is imperative that farmers be included in all dialogues on markets and trade, in both global and regional platforms. We welcome the WTO's Agri-Food Business Day.
Lucy Muchoki, CEO
Pan African Agribusiness & Agroindustry Consortium
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) play a critical role in the African economy, as key contributors to job creation. For sustainable agricultural production in Africa, the participation of MSMEs in markets and international trade must be boosted and the challenges they face addressed. We welcome the opportunity to explore these issues in the WTO’s Agri-Food Business Day.
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