G20 agree on agriculture market measures: US official

Minister Bruno le Maire (L) welcomes Tom Vilsack
© AFP Fred Dufour

PARIS (AFP) G20 agricultural ministers reached a consensus on measures to improve food security and combat price volatility at talks on Thursday, US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.

“The consensus reached today by the G20 agricultural ministers marks an historic union of resolve in combating the pressing challenges of hunger and food price volatility confronting our world with greater regularity,” Vilsack said in a statement.

G20 agriculture ministers also supported establishing an international agricultural market information system, or AMIS, said the US minister.

Vilsack said that “if fully supported and utilised” the information system “will mitigate volatility” on agricultural commodity markets by improving production and price information.

Ministers also agreed to remove food export restrictions for food purchased for humanitarian purposes.

“In particular, we recognise that food export bans restricting humanitarian aid penalise the most needy,” Vilsack said in statement.

“We have also reaffirmed our opposition to erecting trade barriers through export bans,” he added.

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