The International Grains Council (IGC) is an intergovernmental organization which oversees the

Grains Trade Convention The International Grains Agreement (IGA) is an international agreement focused on the grain trade which replaced the International Wheat Agreement in 1995, comprises a Grains Trade Convention (GTC) and a Food Aid Convention (FAC). The IGA is admin ...

and seeks to promote cooperation in the global

grain trade The grain trade refers to the local and international trade in cereals and other food grains such as wheat, barley, maize, and rice. Grain is an important trade item because it is easily stored and transported with limited spoilage, unlike other ...

. It’s tasked with enhancing market stability and world food security through providing impartial analysis on supply and demand fundamentals in the grains and oilseed sectors and improving transparency through regular reporting on market and policy developments. The IGC's data, analysis and reporting are used by member governments, private organizations and other international bodies concerned with grain market developments. The IGC's benchmark Grains and Oilseeds Index, which tracks international grain and oilseed prices, is publicly available on the organization's website. The IGC Secretariat also administers the

Food Assistance Convention The Food Assistance Convention is an international treaty relating to food aid, food assistance. It was adopted on 25 April 2012 in London. The treaty aims at "addressing the food and nutritional needs of the most vulnerable populations" and inclu ...

, provides administrative services to the Food Assistance Committee and forms part of the secretariat of

Agricultural Market Information System The Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) is an inter-agency platform to enhance food market transparency and encourage international policy coordination in times of crisis. It was established at the request of the Group of Twenty (G20) in ...

. The headquarters are in London, where the IGC hosts the annual Grains Conference which brings international buyers and sellers, industry representatives and policy makers together. The definition of “grains” was formally expanded to include rice (1 July 2009) and oilseeds (1 July 2013). The Food Aid Convention of 1995 added pulses to the list. This Convention was subsequently renegotiated and replaced by the Food Aid Convention of 1999, which considerably broadened the list of eligible products. The Food Aid Convention, 1999 expired on 30 June 2012 and a new Food Assistance Convention entered into force on 1 January 2013. The new Food Assistance Convention is a separate legal instrument, independent of the GTC. At the 35th IGC Council Session in June 2012 members approved a request that the IGC Secretariat continue to provide administrative services to the new Food Assistance Committee.

Food Assistance Convention, 2013

The negotiation of a new Food Assistance Convention began in early 2011. The text of the Food Assistance Convention was adopted on 25 April 2012 by the negotiating Parties, endorsed by the Food Aid Committee and opened for signature on 11 June 2012 by the United Nations. It entered into force on 1 January 2013. The new Food Assistance Convention expands the traditional focus of previous Food Aid Conventions to include all forms of food assistance that will protect and improve access to food for those most in need. The new Convention includes a new commitment structure, a broader toolbox of eligible activities and food assistance products, as well as a commitment to improved transparency and accountability.

Council membership

As of April 2020 its membership comprises 11 producing members and 18 importing members:

Exporting member countries

* Argentina *

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

* Canada * European Union * India * Kazakhstan * Russian Federation * Serbia * Turkey * Ukraine * United States of America

Importing member countries

* Algeria *

Côte d’Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

* Cuba * Egypt * Iran * Iraq *

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

* Kenya * South Korea * Morocco * Norway * Oman * Pakistan * Saudi Arabia * South Africa *

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

* Tunisia * Vatican City

Notes

External links

International Grains Council (official page)

Text of the 1995 International Grains Agreement
(PDF) {{Authority control Intergovernmental commodity organizations Canary Wharf Intergovernmental organizations established by treaty 1949 in international relations International organisations based in London Organizations established in 1949 Wheat Vegetable oils Rice