APEC ministers bolster food systems with new roadmap to increase productivity and minimize food waste

19 Aug 2021 --- Agriculture and food ministers from the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies have boosted their commitment to an open, transparent, productive, sustainable and resilient APEC food system with the launch of a new 10-year food security roadmap.

According to a World Bank policy brief, almost 2.37 billion people lacked access to adequate food in 2020, a rise of 320 million in just one year.

A report by the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC) found that the number of people facing acute food insecurity who need urgent life and livelihood-saving assistance hit a five-year high in 2020.

Against this backdrop, APEC ministers convened at today’s annual APEC ministerial meeting on food security, chaired by New Zealand Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor, and adopted the APEC Food Security Roadmap Towards 2030.

Targeting food security 
It details goals and critical action areas where APEC is well placed to help ensure people always have access to sufficient, safe, affordable and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

“While food security was already a challenge, COVID-19 showed us that there are vulnerabilities in our food systems and in our economies and that our food systems need improvement,” says O’Connor.

The roadmap, aligned with New Zealand’s APEC 2021 priorities and the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040, incorporates four key focus areas. They include digitalization and innovation, using digital levers to drive food sustainability. Productivity by prioritizing systems that are fit for purpose. Inclusivity by ensuring that underrepresented groups are set up to thrive and sustainability, tackling climate change and environmental challenges. 

Reducing food waste
“Besides our effort to address the challenges of food security, the roadmap also emphasizes efforts in increasing productivity and efficiency, minimizing food waste, mitigating and adapting to climate change as well as reducing costs and facilitating food trade,” added Philip Houlding, Chair of the APEC Policy Partnership on Food Security. The group spearheaded the development of the roadmap and drives public-private sector engagement on all aspects of food security in the region.

At the virtual meeting, APEC Ministers heard from Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), on closing the digital divide, especially in rural areas, and how this can help address some challenges faced by small-scale food producers. 

Ministers acknowledged the benefits of digitalization and discussed measures to promote innovation and improve the use of digital technology to ensure food security as the region recovers from COVID-19.

Ministers also highlighted the central role of the private sector throughout the food value chain concerning production and processing, distribution, trade and investment. They encourage deeper collaboration between policymakers and the private sector to ensure an innovative, refreshed food system to meet future food security challenges.

Edited by Gaynor Selby