G8 farm ministers look to curb food protectionism

By Jeremy Smith

CISON DI VALMARINO, Italy (Reuters) - Several farm ministers from the world's most developed nations called on Sunday for an end to protectionism in agriculture, saying the best way to food security lay in better incentives for farmers.

Debate at the first meeting of farm ministers from G8 and G5 states has shifted towards options for improving food security and ways to raise output. But food protectionism, as exercised by both rich and poor countries in the form of export bans and import duties, has also been a subject of debate.

International organisations such as the World Food Programme have called for self-restraint in curbing exports, criticising export bans imposed by countries hit by rising prices which it says are impeding efforts to get food to the world's neediest.

While richer countries are keen to protect their markets -- Russia, the largest importer of U.S. chickens, aims to become self-sufficient in poultry and pork in two years, for example -- many poorer countries reacted to 2008 spikes in food prices by slapping export bans on staple foods like rice and wheat.

"I think there have been strong messages to try and cut the head off 'ugly' protectionism," European Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel said in an interview.

"It might even be counter-productive, and reinforce the difficulties that we have on food security because it could reduce the incentives for farmers to produce," she said.

The meeting brings together the Group of Eight leading industrialised countries and ministers from Brazil, China, India, South Africa, Mexico, Argentina, Australia and Egypt.