WTO nears food pledges; India_ Sri Lanka_ Egypt hold out

World Trade Organization (WTO) members sought on Monday to go for agreements on food security to ease strained supply and sharply higher prices that the Ukraine war have worsened_ with only India_ Sri Lanka and Egypt withholding support.

The 164-member trade body is negotiating to reach two agreements at a meeting of trade ministers this week in Geneva_ Switzerland on steps to alleviate a food crisis that threatens the poor countries most.

One agreement would be a declaration to keep markets open_ not restrict exports and be more transparent. The second one would be a binding decision not to curb exports of food products to the World Food Programme (WFP)_ which seeks to fight hunger in places hit by conflicts_ disasters and climate change.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that about 30 countries have restricted exports of food_ energy and other commodities.

WTO member countries have expressed broad support for both texts_ with the exception of India_ Egypt and Sri Lanka_ a WTO spokesperson told.
 
Egypt and Sri Lanka_ the two net food importing countries_ want recognition that their ability to export food might be limited.

Meanwhile_ India_ a South Asian country with a history of blocking multilateral trade agreements_ wants the WTO to allow developing countries to hold food stocks without facing penalties.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development have urged  WTO members earlier on Monday to refrain from imposing restrictions on exports of essential food products to vulnerable countries and the WFP.

The situation is particularly acute in the African region_ which imported about 80% of its food and 92% of its grains 2020.