APEC economies have agreed on the need to collectively pursue the sharedgoals of sustainable development of the agricultural sector andfacilitation of investment, trade and markets.
Thegoals are set out in the Niigata Declaration on APEC Food Security thatwas adopted at the end of the first-ever APEC Ministerial Meeting onFood Security in Japan on Oct. 17.
Ministersagreed that to deal with imbalance in food supply and demand due togrowing populations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forumeconomies need to work together to expand food supply capacity,enhance disaster preparedness in the agricultural sector, adapt toclimate change and develop rural areas.
They agreedthat food security cannot be achieved without stable, efficient andequitable distribution systems that can deliver food to the wholepopulation.
Therefore, ministers emphasised thenecessity to boost APEC cooperation in facilitating trade in food andagricultural products, strengthening confidence in agricultural markets,improve the business environment, enhance food safety practices, andpromote responsible agricultural investment.
At theend of the two-day meeting, ministers also endorsed an APEC Action Planon Food Security which puts forth specific measures to realise the goalsof the declaration.
Vietnam’s delegation to themeeting, led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development BuiBa Bong, made recommendations to the Niigata declaration and actionplan.
The delegation also held working sessions with a number of APEC members to seek ways of stepping up agricultural cooperation./.
Thegoals are set out in the Niigata Declaration on APEC Food Security thatwas adopted at the end of the first-ever APEC Ministerial Meeting onFood Security in Japan on Oct. 17.
Ministersagreed that to deal with imbalance in food supply and demand due togrowing populations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forumeconomies need to work together to expand food supply capacity,enhance disaster preparedness in the agricultural sector, adapt toclimate change and develop rural areas.
They agreedthat food security cannot be achieved without stable, efficient andequitable distribution systems that can deliver food to the wholepopulation.
Therefore, ministers emphasised thenecessity to boost APEC cooperation in facilitating trade in food andagricultural products, strengthening confidence in agricultural markets,improve the business environment, enhance food safety practices, andpromote responsible agricultural investment.
At theend of the two-day meeting, ministers also endorsed an APEC Action Planon Food Security which puts forth specific measures to realise the goalsof the declaration.
Vietnam’s delegation to themeeting, led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development BuiBa Bong, made recommendations to the Niigata declaration and actionplan.
The delegation also held working sessions with a number of APEC members to seek ways of stepping up agricultural cooperation./.
