Statement of the AMIS Chair, Seth Meyer of the United States

Recent global events threaten to renew volatility in global commodity markets, upend those markets and push at-risk communities around the world into greater hunger.  

Volatility had settled over the last several months. The decline in volatility has come with some moderation in prices, but they remain elevated. Economic conditions in the most food-vulnerable importing countries remains a concern and recent events threaten to renew or deepen concerns about food security in those countries.

As AMIS Chair, it is important to remind member countries of their responsibilities. Countries should not take actions which limit the flow of agricultural and food goods, conflate military targets and civilian food distribution supply chains, nor take trade action which exacerbates or transmits greater uncertainty onto the rest of the world as it is the globe’s most vulnerable consumers that bear the brunt of such actions.

The Black Sea remains a vital corridor for the distribution of key food and agricultural goods and AMIS calls on all its members to renew and reaffirm actions which ensure the flow of grains, oilseeds, other food and agricultural inputs from the region.

Further, I call on AMIS member countries to refrain from or retract export restrictions on key food grains, such as rice, which only serve to harm other consumers and have long term negative impacts on the countries’ own producers, destabilizing long run food security in the country imposing the export restrictions. Such restrictions have recently pushed rice prices to five-year highs when rice had largely been insulated to the volatility in other grains and oilseeds for the last two years.

Finally, I call on all AMIS member countries to enhance transparency and fulfill their responsibilities as AMIS members to report on their internal market conditions to allow the market to be fully informed and respond in the most rapid and efficient way possible.

Through these actions we, as member countries of AMIS, can contribute to greater global food security both immediately and over future growing seasons around the world.