The World Trade Organization and the Food and Agricultural Organization are joining hands to step up collaboration over trade and food security, as well as other issues such as functioning of international grain markets.
As part of the collaboration, the WTO will lend a hand to the groundwork on the FAO's flagship publication, the State of Agricultural Commodity Markets, whose main focus this year is on trade and food security.
Announcing the initiative in Geneva last Friday, WTO director-general Roberto Azevêdo and UN FAO director-general José Graziano da Silva deliberated on how trade and the multilateral trading system could help in creating a more favourable global environment for food security and sustainable agriculture.
Roberto Azevêdo said: "Food security is closely linked to trade and therefore it is an important element of our work at the WTO. I am delighted that we will now be able to enhance our work on this crucial issue which affects so many people, through an even closer partnership with the FAO."
"I am deeply engaged in continuing to develop our joint work with WTO as food security and trade can play together a very important role to help fulfil FAO's mandate", said Graziano da Silva.
Doha round trade negotiations and successive efforts made by governments were also touched upon in the directors-general talks.
Image: DG Azevêdo meets with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General José Graziano da Silva.Photo courtsey of WTO.
