1. Chair Issues Draft Text Before MC14:
The Chair of the agriculture negotiations, Ambassador Ali Sarfraz Hussain,
circulated a draft ministerial decision after members failed to reach consensus
on any of the nine submissions made since December 2025.
2. Argentina’s Proposal to ‘Relaunch’ Talks:
Argentina
introduced a fresh submission calling on members to “relaunch agriculture
negotiations” and
reaffirm commitment to the reform process.
o Some members supported it as a basis for
convergence.
o Others questioned the meaning of
“relaunch” and its implications for existing mandates.
3. Food Security at the Core:
Many members backed Jamaica’s
submission focusing on food security as a potential foundation for a
ministerial decision.
o Suggestions emerged to combine Argentina
and Jamaica’s proposals.
o The African
Group proposed using its January compromise text as a basis.
4. Divergence Over Approach:
o Some members urged prioritizing food
security, cotton, and reduction of trade-distorting domestic support.
o Others argued for a comprehensive package
to avoid selective progress that could entrench positions.
5. No Single Text Commands Consensus:
The Chair concluded that none of the nine proposals had full support, prompting
him to take the lead in drafting a compromise “Chair’s text.”
6. Next Steps Before MC14:
o Consultations begin 2 March
o Next agriculture negotiations meeting on 6
March
o Report to the WTO General Council on 10–11
March
o Formal consideration at the 14th
Ministerial Conference (MC14), 26–29 March
The
circulation of a Chair’s draft text signals urgency to avoid deadlock at MC14.
Agriculture—particularly food security and domestic support reform—remains
politically sensitive and central to restoring momentum in WTO negotiations.
At
a meeting of the Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture on 27
February, members provided feedback on a new draft ministerial decision
introduced by Argentina in addition to eight other submissions circulated since
December 2025. In the absence of clear consensus around any single proposal,
and in response to calls to take the lead, the Chair circulated later in the
day a draft ministerial text for members' consideration ahead of the General
Council meeting on 10-11 March and the 14th Ministerial Conference on 26-29
March.
Discussion of submissions
and WTO members' views on the way forward
The
new submission by Argentina aimed at fostering convergence around
political guidance and called on members to "relaunch agriculture
negotiations reaffirming their commitment to the reform process."
This
new submission brings the total number of new submissions by members to nine
since December 2025.
"These
texts are not merely technical contributions," said the Chair of the
agriculture negotiating body, Ambassador Ali Sarfraz Hussain of Pakistan.
"They constitute a clear political signal of members' commitment to the
negotiating process and readiness to engage constructively."
Several
members welcomed the proposal by Argentina and considered that it could serve
as a basis for the negotiations, alone or together with some other proposals.
They appreciated the spirit of compromise developed by Argentina and welcomed
in particular the reference to the need to identify and address the factors
that have contributed to the current stalemate, as well as the elements on the
post-MC14 process.
Several
members, however, expressed concern over the use of the word
"relaunch" in the proposal. It was not clear whether it called for a
fundamental shift in the negotiations, or just renewing impetus on the present
path. Some members also questioned the way the proposal articulated the
relationship between the continuation of the reform process on agriculture and the
strengthening of global food security.
Many
members expressed support for the Jamaican submission, which focuses on the
principle of food security. They believed it could form the basis of a
ministerial decision. Others suggested that both submissions by Jamaica and
Argentina could be combined to build a consensual text. The African group
suggested that a possible basis could be its January proposal that aimed at
consolidating elements from various proposals in a spirit of compromise. Some
members expressed concern that the process for finding consensus on a draft
text lacked clarity on tangible outcomes and on clear guidelines on the way
forward post-MC14.
Some
highlighted the importance of fast-tracking progress on issues that ministers
had previously identified as priorities in the talks, such as food security,
cotton and reducing trade-distorting domestic support, while others argued in
favour of a comprehensive approach. Members also warned that prioritizing some
concerns over others would lead to more countries digging into their
long-standing positions and blocking progress.
Next steps
The
Chair thanked all members who had responded to his call by submitting
proposals. After considering the interventions made during the meeting, he
concluded that no single text commanded the support of the entire membership.
He
therefore announced that, in response to repeated calls from members for him to
take the lead, he would circulate a Chair's text later in the day. He also
indicated that he would hold consultations starting on 2 March and convene the
next meeting of the agriculture negotiations body on 6 March to report on his
consultations. The aim is to report on the state of play in the
negotiations and present his key takeaways at the WTO General Council meeting
planned for 10 and 11 March.