Intervenção do Ministro Mauro Vieira na Sessão sobre Agricultura da MC14 -aundê, Cameroun, 28 de março de 2026

Thank you, Mr Facilitator.

For many members of the WTO agriculture is a fundamental negotiating pillar.

This is even more evident in a Ministerial Conference held in Africa, where food security is of the utmost importance.

Members cannot lose sight of the obligation contained in Article 20 of the Agreement on Agriculture, which direct them to deepen reform in a manner that further liberalizes trade in agriculture and reduces levels of trade distorting support and practices.

Agriculture is the sector that has seen less progress during the WTO's 30 years of existence. We cannot allow this to continue.

We must find the right compromise that will unleash negotiations in the Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture, and make sure agriculture is not left aside in the context of WTO reform.

Brazil is ready to support a decision or declaration by Ministers at MC14 on Agriculture reform, along the lines of the text proposed by the Chair of the Committee.



We are one of the proponents of a dialogue on Emerging Agricultural Trade Issues in the context of WTO reform.

Agriculture cannot be treated differently from other sectors, such as industrial goods and services or the digital economy.

In fact, progress in agriculture would be a huge contribution to the rules-based international trading system, levelling the field in terms of efficiency and development.

Nonetheless, we see Members defending a moratorium in the application of import duties on electronic transmissions while maintaining agricultural duties as high as possible. This inevitably raises questions of balance and fairness.

When addressing a mandate on agriculture, we need to move beyond a fixation on specific words and avoid getting stuck on up-front commitments or modalities.

The system is in dire need of launching an outcome-oriented process and discussion under the auspices of the Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture.

We need to compromise and agree on a balanced basis for discussions and a work plan that can put agriculture back on the radar at the WTO.

In order to do so, we may need to draw on knowledge developed in other fora and translate it into WTO rules that contribute to a fair and market-oriented multilateral trading system.

On food security, for example, the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty has compiled a basket of policy instruments.

We will also need to examine and try to fulfil relevant past mandates on issues of importance.

On distortions and restrictions on agricultural trade, the OECD provides widely used metrics capturing both border measures and subsidies. There is a body of work that we can draw from in order to set rules based on evidence and policy objectives.

If we want to unlock these negotiations, we need to focus less on pre-negotiated modalities for negotiations and more on balanced outcomes.

These are Brazil's suggestions for a possible way forward.

I thank you.