BRICS Agriculture Ministers Meetings 2021 August 27 virtual hosted by India

JOINT DECLARATION OF THE ELEVENTH MEETING OF BRICS MINISTERS OF AGRICULTURE

1. We, the Ministers of Agriculture of the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Russian Federation, the Republic of India, the People’s Republic of China, and the Republic of South Africa met virtually on 27th August 2021 for our Eleventh meeting held under the theme “BRICS Partnership for Strengthening Agro Biodiversity for Food Security and Nutrition”.

2. BRICS countries recognize the leading role of multilateralism in food and agriculture and reaffirm our commitment to the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and note that BRICS countries are well positioned to take a leading role in achieving the objectives of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals to eradicate hunger and poverty, recognizing that ensuring food security is of significance to poverty alleviation and economic development.

3. We recognize the importance of food security and nutrition for all countries. We are therefore committed to increasing food security and nutrition through increasing agricultural production and productivity as well as continuing to strengthen the international and national mechanisms for addressing food security and nutrition challenges.

4. We acknowledge the strong agricultural research base in BRICS countries and the need to harness and share knowledge, facilitate transfer of technologies from lab to land to provide improved solutions for enhanced productivity especially in the face of climate change, while maintaining agro biodiversity, and ensuring sustainable use of natural resources.

5. BRICS have developed the Basic Agriculture Information Exchange System and BRICS Agriculture Research Platform to promote cooperation in the areas of agricultural research, extension, technology transfer, exchange of information and policy, best practice sharing, training and capacity building. We express our intention to support and encourage the BAIES and ARP.

6. We endorse the Action Plan 2021-2024 for Agricultural Cooperation of BRICS countries and look forward to closer mutual cooperation and understanding to fructify the objectives in order to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Agro Biodiversity for Food Security and Nutrition

7. Considering that all BRICS members are signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity, noting the ongoing discussions on the Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, and recognizing the importance of agro biodiversity, especially in the context of climate resilience, bio stress tolerance and conservation of wild relatives of crops, we reaffirm our commitment for protection of plant varieties, and promoting sustainable farming systems. We underline the importance of including the topic of agro biodiversity for food security and nutrition in the Action Plan for 2021-2024 for Agricultural Cooperation of BRICS Countries. The biodiversity objectives shall be aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals for optimizing impacts and synergy between various international and national commitments through a multi sectoral approach.

8. We affirm the need for mainstreaming biodiversity for a better balance between environmental sustainability and economic development underlining the requirement of evaluation of ecosystem services and biodiversity as one of the tools for raising awareness of the importance of biodiversity. We call for adopting appropriate technologies into agriculture in partnership with all stakeholders which can enable optimized translation of policies and programs and ensure sustainable agriculture, respecting traditional knowledge and culture, boosted by science, and local food systems for enhanced food security and nutrition.

Small and family farmers — empowerment through cooperation

9. Acknowledging the commencement of the United Nations Decade of Family Farming 2019-28, we affirm support for the welfare of the small and family farmers of our countries through an open, inclusive, and collaborative approach.

10. We resolve to promote cooperation amongst individual farmers as a means of pooling in traditional knowledge, resources, dissemination and adoption of technology, and most importantly shifting from subsistence to farming as an enterprise. We recognize that it is essential to continuously improve technical and advisory services, capacity building and access to markets, with focus on smallholders.

11. We also look upon the private sector for increased investments in strengthening of rural infrastructure, particularly post-harvest management and thereby reduce food loss and waste and increase farm incomes and build more resilient agri value chains. We commit to promote gender equality in terms of equal access to resources, voice in decision making and benefit sharing.

Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture

12. Fisheries and aquaculture are a major source of livelihood and food security for millions of people in BRICS countries. The BRICS countries shall strengthen cooperation in the field of fisheries and aquaculture especially for food security and nutrition and economic development for livelihoods of the populations including traditional fisher communities.

Food safety and SPS

13. We express concern on the growing incidences of diseases which put additional burdens on the livestock sector. We underline the need to increase the level of investment in food safety and identify country wise sectors for enhanced outcomes and impact. We take note of the deliberations in the meeting of the Experts Group on prioritizing hazards and commodities from a food safety perspective and the need for a systematic literature review focusing on the BRICS countries. BRICS will promote the implementation of internationally agreed Sanitary and Phytosanitary standards, to harmonize export accreditation procedures.

Financial Inclusion: making agriculture profitable

14. We recognize the need of financial inclusion of farmers by assuring accessible institutional credit and insurance for risk management and building resilience. This is especially important to enable small holders and family farmers to progress from subsistence farming to producing for the markets ensuring sustainable livelihoods. We are cognizant to the fact that the health crisis under the COVID-19 pandemic transformed quickly to an economic crisis in many countries due to the lockdowns and closure of borders hence disrupting essential services and supply chains. The resilience of farmers and agri — Small and Medium Enterprises in such circumstances can receive a boost by increasing financing with simpler regulations; IT enabled strategies for financial management, analysis, and availability.

Enhancing climate resilient agriculture

15. Recognising that climate change can pose serious threat to food security and livelihoods of agriculture producers we reiterate the need to work together and share resources and knowledge to fulfil the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals. We further resolve that BRICS countries will undertake collaborative research for developing affordable and efficient technologies to boost agricultural production and productivity and adapt to climate change impacts.

16. We agree to enhance BRICS cooperation in sharing best practices, adapting to climate change, to work together on surveillance and early warning and reporting systems, reducing food loss, increasing farmers’ income, and improving smallholders’ adaptability to climate change.

Trade Facilitation

17. We recognize that international agri-food trade is critical in achieving global food security and ensuring adequate nutrition. We also recognize that enhancing market predictability and avoiding disruption of food supply chains is critical to ensure stable access to food. We reiterate the importance of an open, transparent, inclusive, and non-discriminatory multilateral trading system consistent with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.

Conclusion

18. We shall endeavor to fulfill the objectives of the Action Plan 2021-2024 for Agricultural Cooperation of BRICS Countries through mutual cooperation and collaboration.

19. We appreciate the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Republic of India for organizing the 11th Meeting of BRICS Agriculture Ministers and we express our support and encouragement to the People’s Republic of China, which will be hosting the next meeting in 2022.

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