Why it is in the news
On 1 October 2026, the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, under the United States G20 Presidency, reached consensus on a “G20 Statement on the Weaponization of Food through Coercive Trade Actions”, with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal declaring that food “must never be used as an instrument of pressure against any country”. The same day, the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA)'s Monthly Economic Review for September, citing the WTO World Trade Report 2026, warned that trade deals which replace rather than complement the multilateral system raise trade costs, diversion and uncertainty.
The exam angle
Issue: As FTAs, unilateral tariffs and coercive measures spread, the rules-based multilateral trading system centred on the WTO is eroding — with food security among the most exposed areas.