The Agreement on Agriculture Annex 2, also known as the Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM), is a vital component of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Agriculture. The SSM is a safeguard mechanism that enables developing countries to protect their agricultural sectors from import surges and price decreases, ensuring food security and promoting rural development.

The SSM is particularly relevant for developing countries, which often have vulnerable agricultural sectors that are unable to compete with heavily subsidized agricultural imports from developed countries. The mechanism enables developing countries to temporarily increase tariffs or apply quantitative restrictions on agricultural imports that are causing harm to their domestic producers.

The SSM is designed to provide a safety net for developing countries, enabling them to protect their farmers and ensure food security in the face of market volatility. The mechanism helps to stabilize prices and prevent sudden surges in imports from causing damage to developing countries’ agricultural sectors.

The SSM has been a highly contested issue in WTO negotiations, with developed countries opposing the mechanism on the grounds that it creates trade barriers and distorts international markets. However, developing countries argue that the SSM is a vital tool for protecting their agricultural sectors and ensuring food security.

The SSM was first introduced in the Doha Development Agenda in 2001, with negotiations on the mechanism ongoing for over 15 years. The mechanism was finally agreed upon at the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires in 2017, with a number of developing countries expressing disappointment that the mechanism did not provide sufficient protection for their agricultural sectors.

Despite these concerns, the SSM represents an important step forward for developing countries in the ongoing struggle for fair and equitable international trade. The mechanism provides an important safeguard against the negative effects of agricultural imports on developing countries’ agricultural sectors, enabling them to promote rural development and ensure food security for their populations.

In conclusion, the SSM is a critical component of the WTO’s Agreement on Agriculture, providing developing countries with a vital safeguard mechanism to protect their agricultural sectors from import surges and price decreases. While the mechanism has been highly contested in WTO negotiations, it represents an important step forward for developing countries in the ongoing struggle for fair and equitable international trade. The SSM enables developing countries to promote rural development and ensure food security for their populations, providing a vital safety net for vulnerable agricultural sectors.