International Relations

India can push the WTO to permit foodgrain exports from public stocks on a governmentto-government (G2G) basis to fulfill international shortages at the Ministerial Conference (MC12) Existing mechanism:

·       WTO restricts exports of food, that is procured by governments at support costs.

·       This rule is limiting wheat exports from India, because the Indian government procures wheat at a minimum support worth (MSP) from farmers.

·       WTO is especially targeted on procurance by the world Food Programme (WFP).

World Food Programme (WFP)?

·       Its the food-assistance branch of the UN (UN).

·       It absolutely was supported in 1961 and is that the world’s largest humanitarian organization targeted on hunger and food security.

·        Its headquartered in Rome.

·       The WFP was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 for its efforts to supply food help in areas of conflict and to stop the utilization of food as a weapon of war.

·       Issue of Food security: The food market is additionally extraordinarily fragile, with simply six food baskets supply the most important chunk of the world’s staple food.

·       The poor countries are web importers and also the high financial gain countries web exporters, irrespective of their food production potential.

·       The Black Sea region, which includes Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, is one amongst the world’s six food baskets.

·       Russia is that the world’s largest wheat exporter whereas Ukraine is sixth on the list.

·       The Ukraine war has hit the world provides of food things endangering global food security.

·       The war has led to a “three-dimensional” crisis — rising food costs, rising energy costs and modification finance.

·       Countries have already resorted to hoarding staple foods that until recently they exported for profits.

·       Hence, within the immediate future, the general international accessibility of food grains are additional reduced.

·       This is often the third global food crisis (after the crises of 2007-08 and 2010-11) within the past 15 years, however the worst-ever in severity and spread.