Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal participated in the opening day of the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, hosted under the United States G20 Presidency on October 1, 2026. During the session on food and trade, Goyal emphasized that ensuring food security for all and creating greater opportunities for farmers are central to India's policy, stating that food must never be used as an instrument of pressure against any country.
Goyal highlighted that countries of the Global South are among the most adversely impacted by the food, fuel and fertiliser crises caused by global conflicts, warning that today's fertiliser shortage could become tomorrow's food crisis. He detailed India's food security measures, noting that during the COVID-19 pandemic, India ensured food security for over 1.4 billion citizens and supplied foodgrains to several countries in need. Currently, over 800 million people in India are being provided foodgrains free of cost.
The Minister explained that India maintains public stockholding, procures from small and marginal farmers, and adopts temporary and transparent measures to ensure food availability and affordability in the event of harvest shortfalls. These measures are recognized under the WTO through the Bali Ministerial Decision and Geneva Ministerial Declaration. Goyal called for a clear distinction between measures taken to ensure food security and coercive trade actions, referring to existing mechanisms including the G20 Agricultural Market Information System established in 2011 and the exemption of World Food Programme purchases from export restrictions adopted at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference.
Goyal reaffirmed India's commitment to a rules-based, fair, non-discriminatory, equitable, transparent, open, inclusive multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core. The G20 Trade Ministers reached consensus on the outcome document 'G20 Statement on the Weaponization of Food through Coercive Trade Actions' and expressed their intent to continue cooperation on the subject.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Goyal held bilateral meetings with the Minister of Development, Industry, Trade and Services and the Foreign Minister of Brazil; the United States Trade Representative; the European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security; the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade and President of the Board of Trade of the United Kingdom; the Secretary of Economy of Mexico; and the Minister of Finance and Economy of the Republic of Poland. Earlier in the day, Goyal joined other G20 Trade Ministers and United States Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer on a visit to the Rockwell Automation office and factory in Mequon, Wisconsin.