Agriculture has long-been recognised as one of most challenging sectors for international trade cooperation. Over the past several years, there has been growing recognition across a range of international processes of the importance of greater sustainability in agricultural trade - on issues ranging from food security, nutrition and sustainable livelihoods to sustainable production, food waste, and deforestation.

Alongside, there is growing attention to a range of different trade-related policies - from environmentally harmful subsidies to voluntary standards and government requirements – and, critically, to the urgent need for trade cooperation that makes a meaningful impact on the ground.

This event will provide an opportunity to take stock: what is working, what is not, and where there are opportunities to foster cooperation that will achieve real, lasting positive impacts on sustainability in all its three dimensions - social, environmental and economic?

Expert panelists will be invited to present remarks of 6 minutes each, followed by 3-4 minutes each per delegate on the role of international cooperation on the following topics:

fostering sustainable agricultural production, consumption, and trade;

⁠ending environmentally harmful agricultural subsidies;

ensuring policy coherence between development, trade and environmental objectives; and

promoting food, nutrition and livelihood security.

Speakers:

Carolyn DEERE BIRKBECK, Executive Director, TESS

Pinar KARAKAYA, Economist (Trade and Food Security), FAO

Doaa ABDEL-MOTAAL, Senior Counsellor - Agriculture and Commodities Division, WTO

Christophe BELLMANN, Head of Policy Analysis and Strategy, TESS

Emeline FELLUS, Director of Food Reform for Sustainability and Health (FReSH), World Business Council for Sustainable Development

Xiaotian FU, Food And Natural Resources Program Director, WRI China (Online)

Diego ALFIERI, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of Brazil to the World Trade Organization and other international organizations in Geneva

Luis OÑA, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Ecuador to the World Trade Organization and other International Economic Organizations in Geneva​

Giulio MENATO, First Counsellor, Permanent Mission of the European Union to World Trade Organization

Marlito CABU√ëOS, Assistant Agriculture Attaché, Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the World Trade Organization

Aurore DUPIN, First Secretary Agriculture, Permanent Mission of the United Kingdom to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations at Geneva