APEC Ministers to hold first meet on food security
During the October 16-17 meeting, Ministers will develop an action plan, aimed at improving reliable access to food, particularly agricultural products, throughout the Asia-Pacific region, where one quarter of the world's undernourished people live.
Although food security has long been a priority issue for APEC, the remarkable spike in food prices between 2007 and 2008 and the global financial crisis have highlighted the fragility of balancing food demand and supply. The region is also frequently affected by natural disasters that can damage production and reduce access to food.
In 2009, the world's undernourished population exceeded one billion people and estimates by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations indicate that to accommodate a world population of more than nine billion by 2050, food production must increase by 70 percent.
APEC Ministers will address environmental concerns related to agriculture production, including the impact of climate change. Emergency preparedness for agriculture in the event of natural disasters is also expected to be discussed along with development of rural communities that rely on agriculture as a source of income.
The meeting is also set to look at promoting investment in agriculture to meet growing food consumption needs, facilitating trade of agricultural products and strengthening confidence in international agricultural markets to address volatility and uncertainty in commodity prices.
The Ministerial meeting will make an important contribution to APEC's agenda of "human security", and the formulation of its growth strategy, to be finalized by Leaders in Yokohama in November, which is committed to "high-quality economic growth" in the region.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Ministers are expected to issue a declaration on APEC food security and an action plan on food security and hold a press conference for local and international media.