At the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé, Cameroon, which concluded on March 29, 2026, India introduced a strategic proposal for agricultural negotiations. The proposal centers on a “sequential approach” that prioritizes long-standing development mandates before moving to broader market reforms.
The Core Strategy: A Sequential Approach
India’s draft declaration argues that negotiations must follow a specific order to preserve the “development dimension” originally established by the Doha Work Programme.
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Standalone Mandates: India insists that three key issues—a Permanent Solution for Public Stockholding (PSH), the Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM), and Cotton—must be addressed on a standalone basis.
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No Contingency: Crucially, India proposes that progress on these priorities must not be made contingent on progress in other, broader agricultural reforms (such as market access or export competition) favored by developed nations.
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Time-Bound Pathway: The proposal calls for a clear roadmap to deliver outcomes on these mandated issues no later than MC15.
Key Objectives of the “New Approaches”
India’s strategy aims to address structural imbalances in global trade while protecting its domestic food security programs:
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Public Stockholding (PSH): India is seeking a permanent solution that allows developing nations to bypass current subsidy caps (the 10% de minimis limit) when buying food at administered prices, such as the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
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Eliminating “Historical Entitlements”: India called for the elimination of Final Bound Aggregate Measurement of Support (FBTAMS). These are historical subsidy allowances that largely benefit developed nations, creating an unlevel playing field for the Global South.
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Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT): The proposal emphasizes that any new approach must strengthen existing S&DT provisions, ensuring developing countries maintain the policy space needed to protect small-scale farmers.
Strategic Context: Defending the Multilateral Mandate
The Yaoundé conference took place against a backdrop of significant geopolitical and economic pressure. India’s firm stance serves as a defense against “plurilateral” agreements—deals between smaller groups of members—which India argues undermine the WTO’s foundational principles.
By anchoring its proposals in the Doha Mandate, India is positioning itself as the voice of developing economies, reminding the global community that food security and rural livelihoods must remain the priority of the international trading system.
The Takeaway: India is essentially telling the WTO that the “old business” of development and food security cannot be traded away for “new business” in market liberalization.
