India urged the World Trade Organisation (WTO) members at the 13th ministerial conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi to find a permanent solution to the long-pending public food stockpile issue.
Public stockholding programme is a policy tool under which the government procures crops like rice and wheat from farmers at 'administered' prices, then stores and distributes foodgrains to the poor.
While India and some other countries argue that food security is a legitimate policy objective, several WTO members have been opposing the stockholding programmes on the ground that it distorts trade.
Ministerial conference is the highest decision-making body of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).