Food security shouldn’t distort global agriculture market: Karl De Gucht
Every human has the right to food security but any such programme shouldn't distort the global agriculture market, EU Trade Commissioner Karl De Gucht said.
Reacting to India's tough stance on holding on to food subsidy, Gucht said, "Every human being has the right to food security, either living in India or (elsewhere) ... discussion at stake is how you make sure that the food security programme does not distort the agriculture market."
Trade ministers and diplomats from nearly 130 nations have gathered in Bali to participate in the WTO ministerial conference. While developed countries like the U. S., Germany and France are against stockpiling of food grains, countries like India are in favor of stock piling food grains to supply cheap grains to poor people under their food security programme.
The G-33, group of 46-member developing countries including India, Indonesia and China, wants to have amendments in the WTO Agreement on Agriculture so that they can procure food grains from farmers at minimum support price (MSP) and sell them to poor people at cheap rates through public distribution system (PDS).
India has enacted a Food Security Act that entitles nearly 82 crore people of the country to 5 kilograms of food grains per person per month at a price of just Rs 1-3 per kilogram. The country will require 62 million tonnes of food grains per year to implement the law, which is matter of concern for the developed countries.