National and International Food Systems, Agricultural Trade and the Challenges Ahead

In the 2014-16 period, some 795 million people were estimated to be undernourished. The Eleventh WTO Ministerial Conference (MC11) represents a key opportunity for governments to take steps towards SDG 2, that of ending hunger and malnutrition, one of the key commitments under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As policies affecting trade and markets are critical to improving food and nutrition security, this session explored steps governments can take to build on progress realised at previous ministerials. In particular, the session addressed how policymakers can contribute to the goals of the 2030 Agenda by fostering more equitable and sustainable markets for food and agriculture. This session was organised under the E15 Initiative, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, and was moderated by Christophe Bellmann, Senior Resident Research Associate, ICTSD.

The biennial Trade and Sustainable Development Symposium (TSDS), held alongside the WTO ministerial conference for over a decade, is the leading multi-stakeholder platform for intellectual enquiry and dialogue on sustainable development and the global trade and investment system. The TSDS – organised by ICTSD in partnership with the Centro de Implementación de Políticas Públicas para la Equidad y el Crecimiento (CIPPEC), the Inter–American Development Bank (BID), Consejo Argentino para las Relaciones Internacionales (CARI) and Bolsa de Cereales with the support and collaboration of the Ministerio de Producción, Presidencia de la Nación, Argentina – acts as an inclusive platform outside of the WTO negotiating setting for sharing ideas, engaging in dialogue, and influencing trade policy negotiations. Drawing in participants from government, business and civil society, the Symposium helps to maintain and elaborate a global vision of sustainable development in trade and investment policymaking.