APEC emphasizes need to improve food security

Asia Pacific leaders have ended the APEC meeting in Philippines emphasizing the need for improved sustainable agriculture, food security, food safety, and nutrition to build resilient communities across the region.

In the final communique the leaders say they have instructed ministers to implement the APEC High-Level Policy Dialogue on Food Security and Blue Economy Plan of Action in the areas of resilient oceans and coastal resources, fish loss reduction, and agri-business development.

“We support the APEC Food Safety Co-operation Forum and its Partnership Training Institute Network.  We encourage progress on the APEC Food Security Roadmap toward 2020, to contribute to the achievement of APEC’s food security goal,” leaders stated through the communique.

 They also recognize the important role of forests in supporting communities, conserving biodiversity, and mitigating and adapting to climate change.

“We reaffirm our commitment to the aspirational goal in the Sydney Declaration of increasing forest cover in the region by at least 20 million hectares of all types of forests by 2020 and to promote sustainable forest management, conservation and rehabilitation, and combat illegal logging and associated trade. We welcome the report of assessment of progress towards the aspirational goal on forests in the Sydney Declaration,” they say.

Author: 
Joy Kisselpar