Détention de stocks alimentaires et règles relatives aux subventions à l’agriculture de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce : Trouver une solution permanente

The report analyzes the challenges developing countries face when purchasing food at administered prices for public stockholding, which often exceeds WTO Aggregate Measure of Support (AMS) limits. It evaluates the 2013 Bali 'peace clause' and proposes five options for a permanent solution: updating reference periods for AMS calculations, redefining eligible production, exempting support when administered prices are below international levels, exempting Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and small economies, and expanding the Bali decision framework. The authors conclude that a modified Bali decision, combined with technical corrections to reference prices and production calculations, is the most promising path forward, provided transparency and anti-circumvention measures are maintained.

• Developing countries face a legal risk under WTO rules because public food purchases at fixed 'administered' prices are counted toward the Aggregate Measure of Support (AMS) limits, potentially exceeding allowed thresholds for trade-distorting support.
• The 2013 Bali decision provided a temporary 'peace clause' that prevents members from challenging public stockholding programs for traditional staple crops in the WTO dispute settlement mechanism, provided certain notification and transparency conditions are met.
• The current WTO method for calculating market price support is often inaccurate because it relies on a fixed external reference price (FERP) based on averages from 1986-1988, which does not reflect modern inflation or market volatility.
• The G33 coalition has proposed several alternatives, including excluding food purchased at administered prices from AMS calculations, updating the external reference price, or accounting for excessive inflation rates.
• Market analysis shows that while food prices were relatively stable until the mid-2000s, spikes between 2005 and 2013—driven by production deficits, biofuel demand, and energy prices—increased the price gaps used in AMS calculations.
• The report identifies five primary options for a permanent solution: updating AMS reference periods, redefining eligible production, exempting support when administered prices are below international levels, exempting LDCs and small economies, and building upon the Bali decision.
• Redefining 'eligible production' could help countries like Indonesia and the Philippines, which only purchase a small fraction of total domestic production, by allowing them to announce a maximum purchase volume instead of using total production in calculations.
• Exempting Least Developed Countries (LDCs) from AMS calculations for stockholding is proposed as viable because their production levels are generally too low to distort global markets.
• Regional food reserves, such as those managed by ASEAN+3 (APTERR), SAARC, and ECOWAS, are generally too small to significantly impact global trade or production.
• The authors conclude that the most promising path is a permanent solution based on the Bali decision, incorporating technical fixes to reference prices and eligible production, while expanding the range of eligible food items and maintaining strict transparency and anti-circumvention rules.

APA

Glauber, J., & Sinha, T. (2021). Détention de stocks alimentaires et règles relatives aux subventions à l’agriculture de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce : Trouver une solution permanente. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-10/food-stocks-wto-farm-subsidy-rules-fr.pdf

Chicago

Glauber, Joe, and Tanvi Sinha. Détention de stocks alimentaires et règles relatives aux subventions à l’agriculture de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce : Trouver une solution permanente. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2021. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-10/food-stocks-wto-farm-subsidy-rules-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Glauber |first1=Joe |last2=Sinha |first2=Tanvi |title=Détention de stocks alimentaires et règles relatives aux subventions à l’agriculture de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce : Trouver une solution permanente |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=August 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-10/food-stocks-wto-farm-subsidy-rules-fr.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{glauber2021dtention, author = {Glauber, Joe and Sinha, Tanvi}, title = {{Détention de stocks alimentaires et règles relatives aux subventions à l’agriculture de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce : Trouver une solution permanente}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = aug, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-10/food-stocks-wto-farm-subsidy-rules-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }