WTO African group : joint proposal on the negotiations on agriculture

Abstract

The importance of agriculture in the economies of African countries cannot be overstated. Notwithstanding geographic and climatic diversity and other country specificities, the agricultural sector in African countries is the main source of rural livelihoods and, in general, employs more than two-thirds of the labour force. Agriculture generates more than a third of GDP in most African countries, and accounts for up to 40 per cent of exports. Most African countries have undertaken autonomous liberalization in agriculture. Hence, tariffs remain the only viable trade policy instrument to protect domestic production, while severe fiscal constraints limit the possibility for utilising export subsidies and domestic support in any comparable manner to developed economies. African countries' commitment to further domestic tariff reduction in agriculture will therefore is linked to substantial progressive reduction of domestic support and export subsidies in developed countries.