4 October 2016
APEC Adopts Declaration on Food Security
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Participants at the Fourth Ministerial Meeting on Food Security of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) adopted the Piura Declaration on Food Security, which makes recommendations and commitments related to: enhancing regional food markets and trade; developing sustainable and resilient food systems; improving cooperation for sustainable water resource management; prioritizing rural-urban development; and investment and services for food security.

The Declaration indicates ministers' intention to establish an APEC Food System by 2020.

apec27 September 2016: Participants at the Fourth Ministerial Meeting on Food Security of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) adopted the Piura Declaration on Food Security, which makes recommendations and commitments related to: enhancing regional food markets and trade; developing sustainable and resilient food systems; improving cooperation for sustainable water resource management; prioritizing rural-urban development; and investment and services for food security. The Declaration indicates ministers’ intention to establish an APEC Food System by 2020.

The Declaration lays out the main challenges and opportunities for food security in the APEC Region, including those related to population growth and rapid urbanization, the growing importance of aquaculture, impacts of climate change, vulnerable populations, and the need for inclusive and gender-balanced policies on food security. On regional food markets and trade, the Declaration emphasizes: the importance of free trade, including implementation of the ‘Nairobi Package’ of measures adopted by the World Trade Organization (WTO); and exchanging expertise on developing food business linkages and building entrepreneurial capacity for smallholders, family farmers, small-scale fishers, and small and medium food enterprises.

On sustainable and resilient food systems, the Declaration addresses: sustainable and integrated water management; knowledge for an integrated approach to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; implementing fisheries conservation agreements, and eliminating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; sustainable forest management; and support for the APEC Program on Food Security and Climate Change. On innovation and technology, the Declaration includes recommendations on: science and innovation to increase resilience, mitigation and response to climate change; collaboration and science communication on biotechnology innovation and regulatory frameworks; regionally-adapted technology innovation in agriculture; and research and exchange of best practices regarding safe supply of diverse and nutritious food.

On rural-urban development, the Declaration highlights the need for: a comprehensive policy approach on rural-urban development focusing on linkages between urban centers and rural and peri-urban areas; connecting smallholder farmers to local, regional and global markets; improving education and employment opportunities for youth, women and smallholder farmers; and effective application of information and communication technology (ICT) for sharing knowledge and connecting smallholder and family farmers to producers, traders and consumers.

On infrastructure, investment and services for food security, the Declaration calls for public-private partnerships (PPPs) for investment in water management infrastructure, and implementation of innovative technologies and appropriate infrastructure to reduce post-harvest losses and other infrastructure necessary to reduce food loss. The Declaration concludes with a commitment to strengthen the Policy Partnership on Food Security (PPFS) with a view to establishing an APEC Food System by 2020.

The Ministerial Meeting marked the end of a week-long series of meetings on food security, including on: agricultural biotechnology; oceans and fisheries; agricultural technical cooperation; and partnerships for food security. The APEC 2016 Food Security Week took place from 16-25 September 2016, in Piura, Peru, and the Fourth Ministerial Meeting on APEC Food Security convened on 26-27 September. [Piura Declaration on APEC Food Security] [APEC Press Release: Ministerial Meeting] [APEC Press Release: High-level Policy Dialogue on Biotechnology] [APEC Press Release: Food Security Week]

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