What National Farm Policy Trends Could Mean for Efforts to Update WTO Rules on Domestic Support

The report argues for the urgent reform of WTO agricultural domestic support rules to align with Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goal 2. It proposes simplifying rules through a percentage-of-production value for trade-distorting support, increasing notification transparency, and implementing gradually reducing limits on support that harms foreign producers. Specific recommendations include special treatment for developing countries and exemptions for certain public stockholding programs.

• The report advocates for the urgent reform of WTO rules on agricultural domestic support to foster more efficient, sustainable, and equitable markets and to support Agenda 2030, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 2 regarding food security and sustainable agriculture.
• To simplify domestic support rules, the report proposes allowing a minimal level of trade-distorting support based on a percentage of production value and calls for increased transparency in government notifications.
• The report recommends implementing new overall limits on domestic support that harm foreign producers, which should be gradually reduced over time and based on current market and policy realities rather than fixed historical levels.
• The report suggests specific mechanisms for WTO negotiations, including special and differential treatment for developing countries (such as higher initial caps or longer phase-in periods), limits on support for single commodities, and exemptions for food bought at administered prices under public stockholding programs if the price is below an agreed international market price.

APA

Laborde,, J. H. M. W. G. (2020). What National Farm Policy Trends Could Mean for Efforts to Update WTO Rules on Domestic Support. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/what-national-farm-policy-trends-could-mean-efforts-update-wto-rules-domestic

Chicago

Laborde,, Jonathan Hepburn,Sophia Murphy,Joseph W. Glauber,David. What National Farm Policy Trends Could Mean for Efforts to Update WTO Rules on Domestic Support. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/what-national-farm-policy-trends-could-mean-efforts-update-wto-rules-domestic.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Laborde, |first1=Jonathan Hepburn,Sophia Murphy,Joseph W. Glauber,David |title=What National Farm Policy Trends Could Mean for Efforts to Update WTO Rules on Domestic Support |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=24 April 2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/what-national-farm-policy-trends-could-mean-efforts-update-wto-rules-domestic |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{laborde2020what, author = {Laborde,, Jonathan Hepburn,Sophia Murphy,Joseph W. Glauber,David}, title = {{What National Farm Policy Trends Could Mean for Efforts to Update WTO Rules on Domestic Support}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/what-national-farm-policy-trends-could-mean-efforts-update-wto-rules-domestic}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }