The Quest for Affordable Food: Prospects in the Doha Round for Net Food-importing Developing Countries

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the impact of agricultural trade policies and the Doha Round of WTO negotiations on the food security of net food-importing developing countries (NFIDCs). It analyzes how trade-distorting subsidies, export restrictions, and tariff reforms affect the affordability and accessibility of food in low-income societies.

• A global food crisis in 2008 was driven by a mismatch between food demand and supply, leading to significant price increases: vegetable oil rose by 97%, cereals by 87%, and rice by 46% between 2002 and 2008.
• Net food-importing developing countries are the primary victims of rising food prices, with import bills for cereals increasing by 44% during 2006–07 and overall food import bills for least-developed and NFIDCs climbing by 125% from 2002–03 levels by 2007–08.
• Agricultural trade is highly distorted by protectionist measures; the average bound tariff for agricultural commodities is 62%, compared to 29% for industrial products. In the EU, US, Canada, and Japan, agricultural tariffs are four times higher than industrial tariffs.
• Trade-distorting domestic support in OECD countries totaled approximately $350 billion in 2003, a sum roughly equal to the annual GDP of all sub-Saharan African countries. In Japan, 90% of this support is provided as market price support.
• Export restrictions on food commodities, allowed under GATT Article XI(2)(a) and the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA), threaten the food security of NFIDCs. Current AoA rules only require exporting members to 'give due consideration' to importing members, which is a non-enforceable best-endeavour clause.
• The Doha Round's Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) and the ability to designate 'special products' for lower tariff cuts are less beneficial for NFIDCs than for food-producing countries, as these mechanisms raise import prices or protect domestic producers rather than lowering costs for consumers.
• Revised Draft Modalities for Agriculture propose stricter limits on food export restrictions, requiring existing prohibitions to end within the first year of implementation and new restrictions to generally last no more than 12 months.
• Reducing trade-distorting domestic support (Total AMS) in the EU, US, and Japan may cause a short-term price increase—with a World Bank study projecting an 18% rise in cereal prices for NFIDCs—but could provide a long-term solution by incentivizing global production and stabilizing prices.
• Biofuel production, supported by subsidies in OECD countries, has diverted food crops and increased prices. In 2007, 25% of US corn production and 60% of EU rapeseed oil production were used for biofuels.
• The proposal to exempt NFIDCs from Total AMS reduction commitments is practically limited, as only three NFIDCs—Morocco, Tunisia, and Venezuela—have scheduled Total AMS commitments that exceed de minimis levels.

APA

Mulleta, F. F. (2010). The Quest for Affordable Food: Prospects in the Doha Round for Net Food-importing Developing Countries. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Occasional-Paper-54.pdf

Chicago

Mulleta, Fantu Farris. The Quest for Affordable Food: Prospects in the Doha Round for Net Food-importing Developing Countries. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2010. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Occasional-Paper-54.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mulleta |first1=Fantu Farris |title=The Quest for Affordable Food: Prospects in the Doha Round for Net Food-importing Developing Countries |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=February 2010 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Occasional-Paper-54.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mulleta2010quest, author = {Mulleta, Fantu Farris}, title = {{The Quest for Affordable Food: Prospects in the Doha Round for Net Food-importing Developing Countries}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2010}, month = feb, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Occasional-Paper-54.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }