About International Grains Council
- International Wheat Council as established by the International Wheat Agreement, 1949 was renamed as International Grains Council by the Grains Trade Convention, in 1995. It is located in London.
- International Grains Council is an inter-governmental organisation that administers the Grains Trade Convention.
- Scope: Food Items Covered under the definition of Grains are Rice (added later), Pulses (added later), barley, maize, oats, rye, sorghum, triticale and wheat and their products.
- Functions of International Grains Council:
- Further international cooperation in grain trade.
- Promote expansion, openness and fairness in grains sector.
- Contribute to grain market stability and enhance world food security.
- Forum for exchange of information and discussion of members regarding trade in grains
- International Grains Council has been formed under the Grains Trade Convention, 1995 and also administers the GTC.
- Membership: Membership of IGC consists of all parties to the Grain Trade Convention, 1995 with 30 countries as members. Each member is designated as an importer or exporter based on its average trade in grains, rice and oilseeds. India is a member of this organisation. Department of Food & Public Distribution under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Acts as the nodal agency on behalf of government of India in International Grains Council.
- Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of this council are elected annually by the council.
- IGC holds two regular Council Sessions each year, either in London or by invitation in member countries.
- IGC also acts as the secretariat of Food Assistance Convention, 2013. (Food Assistance Convention aims to reduce hunger, improve food security and improve nutritional status of the most vulnerable populations. India is not a party to this convention).
Initiatives of the International Grains Council
- Grains & Oilseeds Index: An index developed by International Grains Council which provides daily updates on variation of prices of commodities covered by International Grains Council.
- Grain Market Report: It is a monthly publication that reviews the situation and outlook for wheat (including durum), maize (corn), barley, sorghum, oats, rye, rice, soybeans, soy meal and rapeseed/canola markets.
- Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS): International Grains Council joined the Secretariat of Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) in 2012. AMIS was established at the request of Agriculture Ministers of G20. It covers four crops (Wheat, Maize, Rice and Soyabeans). AMIS aims to promote food market transparency and coordination of policy action in response to market uncertainty.
Grains Trade Convention, 1995 (GTC)
- GTC is the only international treaty covering trade in grains, rice and oilseeds trade.
- Scope: Food Items Covered under the definition of Grains are Rice (added later), Pulses (added later), barley, maize, oats, rye, sorghum, triticale and wheat and their products.
- Recently, Egypt which is one of the largest importers of Wheat in the world, withdrew from the Grains Trade Convention, 1995.
