The goal is to keep pandemic controls from becoming trade barriers.   Ottawa—With a growing threat of food shortages in parts of the world, Canada and 23 other members of the World Trade Organization have signed a joint statement to reinforce international cooperation in agrifood trade. International Trade Minister Mary Ng said the statement underlines the need to keep trade “open and predictable to ensure people around the world have access to the food and essential goods they need. This will help to protect and promote food security, nutrition and the health of people around the world.” Dan Darling, President of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA), welcomed the international commitment “to keep international borders open to agrifood to help maintain the stability of a network of sectors that need to remain robust and resilient for the workers they employ and for the consumers they feed.” Keeping supply chains functioning to ensure the free movement of food products and agriculture inputs is important, he said. “We welcome commitments to not impose agriculture export restrictions that can impact trade flows, food availability and result in price volatility, and can lead to shortages of essential food products and inputs. “This initiative will help avoid any unnecessary disruption of supply chains and ensure the adequate production and distribution of critical agrifood products,” he said. “Despite the near shutdown of economies around the world, global agrifood markets remain relatively stable, grocery store shelves remain stocked and food prices have not spiked. This is directly because governments around the world are recognizing that keeping borders open to essential agri-food is vitally necessary to prevent shortages and chaos. “Commitments to not impose new barriers, to not stockpile food products destined for export and to maintain open dialogue amongst global trading partners will ensure food prices and food security remain stable,” he said. “We will continue to work hard to ensure Canadians and people around the world have the food they need at prices they can afford. Keeping trade free and open will be key to those efforts.” Ng said the countries that signed the statement are “committed to not imposing agriculture export restrictions or implementing unjustified trade barriers on agrifood products and key agricultural production inputs. “They also agreed that emergency measures related to agriculture and agri-food products designed to tackle COVID-19 must be targeted, proportionate, transparent, temporary and consistent with WTO rules,” she said. “At this critical time, Canada continues to work with its international partners to ensure that safe, affordable and nutritious food is available and accessible to Canadians and people around the world.” The WTO action was driven by concerns that some countries are slowly introducing measures that threaten the current stability, from export restrictions to protectionist subsidies when instead the response to supply shortfalls are increased production and unfettered flow of products, CAFTA said. It also reinforces other international initiatives supporting open trade lines and avoiding any unnecessary disruption of supply agrifood chains. “For our export-oriented sectors and the 90 per cent of Canadian farmers who depend on trade, taking away the possibility to sell abroad would remove the foundation of a system bearing much pressure.” Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.