A Critical Analysis of the World Trade Organization Ministerial Decision on Public Stockholding Programs

This thesis analyzes the World Trade Organization (WTO)’s recent Ministerial Decision on Public Food Stockholding Programs (the Ministerial Decision). I argue that the Ministerial Decision does not provide sufficient policy space for the WTO’s developing Members to protect their food producers and consumers from dependency on foreign imports and volatile international food prices. Referring to recent policies initiated by the Government of India, I interpret the restrictive terms of the Ministerial Decision as a concession to the economic elite in developing countries, rather than an indication that the WTO’s developing Members are incapable of promoting their non-trade interests within the organization. This research speaks to the status of developing Members and non-trade concerns within the WTO, and can be situated within the broader ongoing debate between food sovereignty and food security.