Egypt, developing countries refuse cutting agriculture subsidies

CAIRO - 10 December 2017: Egypt and other developing countries that are net food importers are not welcoming negotiations on agriculture subsidies they offer, Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade Tarek Kabil said Sunday.

Issuing a statement on behalf of developing countries that are net food importers, ahead of the 11th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) taking place in Argentina's Buenos Aires, Kabil said that any negotiations should give importing countries the needed flexibility to protect its food security.

"Despite the commitment of the WTO to take into account the demands of food importers from developing countries, the situation of food security in these areas has not been improved over the past two decades," Kabil said in the statement.

Net food imports of developing countries from cereals reached $20 billion in 2015, compared to $4.6 billion in 2001, Kabil said, adding that they import the equivalent to 18 percent of global imports.

On the other hand, food production declined 3.6 percent in 2015, compared to 8.8 percent in 2001.

"These countries will hold onto the policies that allow it to offer agriculture subsidies to increase its production, with the aim of trimming the food gap and will refuse decreasing it," he said.