APEC economies have agreed on the need to collectively pursue the shared goals of sustainable development of the agricultural sector and facilitation of investment, trade and markets.
The goals are set out in the Niigata Declaration on APEC Food Security that was adopted at the end of the first-ever APEC Ministerial Meeting on Food Security in Japan on Oct. 17.
Ministers agreed that to deal with imbalance in food supply and demand due to growing populations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum economies need to work together to expand food supply capacity, enhance disaster preparedness in the agricultural sector, adapt to climate change and develop rural areas.
They agreed that food security cannot be achieved without stable, efficient and equitable distribution systems that can deliver food to the whole population.
Therefore, ministers emphasised the necessity to boost APEC cooperation in facilitating trade in food and agricultural products, strengthening confidence in agricultural markets, improve the business environment, enhance food safety practices, and promote responsible agricultural investment.
At the end of the two-day meeting, ministers also endorsed an APEC Action Plan on Food Security which puts forth specific measures to realise the goals of the declaration.
Vietnam’s delegation to the meeting, led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong, made recommendations to the Niigata declaration and action plan.
The delegation also held working sessions with a number of APEC members to seek ways of stepping up agricultural cooperation./.
The goals are set out in the Niigata Declaration on APEC Food Security that was adopted at the end of the first-ever APEC Ministerial Meeting on Food Security in Japan on Oct. 17.
Ministers agreed that to deal with imbalance in food supply and demand due to growing populations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum economies need to work together to expand food supply capacity, enhance disaster preparedness in the agricultural sector, adapt to climate change and develop rural areas.
They agreed that food security cannot be achieved without stable, efficient and equitable distribution systems that can deliver food to the whole population.
Therefore, ministers emphasised the necessity to boost APEC cooperation in facilitating trade in food and agricultural products, strengthening confidence in agricultural markets, improve the business environment, enhance food safety practices, and promote responsible agricultural investment.
At the end of the two-day meeting, ministers also endorsed an APEC Action Plan on Food Security which puts forth specific measures to realise the goals of the declaration.
Vietnam’s delegation to the meeting, led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong, made recommendations to the Niigata declaration and action plan.
The delegation also held working sessions with a number of APEC members to seek ways of stepping up agricultural cooperation./.
