Goyal urges clear line between food weaponisation and legitimate security measures at G20

At the G20 Trade Ministers' meeting in Milwaukee, India’s trade minister Piyush Goyal called for a clear demarcation between the weaponisation of food supplies and lawful measures that address food-security needs. He argued that food should remain a source of stability, security and international cooperation. The remarks were made during a panel on "Weaponisation of Food through Coercive Trade Action."

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer outlined the United States' four-pillar agenda for its G20 presidency: tackling food weaponisation, managing structural excess capacity, reviewing the Most-Favoured-Nation principle, and confronting forced labour in global supply chains. Greer warned that coercive trade actions involving food and agricultural inputs can have serious economic and social repercussions, while excess production can depress global markets.

He also noted that the MFN principle, though foundational, may need periodic reassessment to stay effective. Finally, Greer framed forced labour as both a humanitarian and trade issue, stressing its distortion of fair competition.