Piyush Goyal
G20 in US: Indian Minister Goyal warns fertiliser shortage may turn into food crisis
Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal participated in the opening day of the G20 Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, hosted under the United States’ G20 Presidency where he mentioned that the ongoing fertiliser shortage could become tomorrow’s food crisis.
Addressing the meeting, Goyal said ensuring food security for all and creating greater opportunities for farmers remain central to India’s policy.
He reiterated that food must never be used as an instrument of pressure against any country.
Goyal said countries of the Global South are among those most adversely affected by food, fuel and fertiliser crises triggered by global conflicts.
He stressed that today’s fertiliser shortage could become tomorrow’s food crisis.
The minister said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, India ensured food security for more than 1.4 billion citizens and supplied foodgrains to several countries in need. He noted that more than 800 million people in India are currently being provided foodgrains free of cost.
Goyal said India maintains public food stocks, procures produce from small and marginal farmers and, in the event of a harvest shortfall, adopts temporary and transparent measures to ensure the availability and affordability of food.
He said these measures are recognised under World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, including through the Bali Ministerial Decision and the Geneva Ministerial Declaration.
Goyal called for a clear distinction between measures adopted to ensure food security and coercive trade actions.
He also referred to existing mechanisms, including the G20 Agricultural Market Information System, established in 2011, and the exemption of purchases by the World Food Programme from export restrictions, adopted at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference.
The minister reaffirmed India’s commitment to a rules-based, fair, non-discriminatory, equitable, transparent, open, inclusive and multilateral trading system, with the WTO at its core.
The G20 Trade Ministers reached consensus on the outcome document, titled ‘G20 Statement on the Weaponization of Food through Coercive Trade Actions’, and expressed their intent to continue cooperation on the issue.
Earlier in the day, Goyal joined G20 Trade Ministers and US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer on a visit to the Rockwell Automation office and factory in Mequon, Wisconsin.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Goyal held bilateral discussions with the Minister of Development, Industry, Trade and Services and the Foreign Minister of Brazil; the US Trade Representative; the European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security; the UK's Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Trade and President of the Board of Trade; the Secretary of Economy of Mexico; and the Minister of Finance and Economy of Poland.
The minister also attended a welcome dinner hosted by Ambassador Greer and US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins at the Milwaukee Art Museum
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