The meeting (Source: Xinhua)

Food security was the focus of discussions at a recent meeting of APEC agriculture and industry officials in Qingdao, China, according to a press release by the APEC Secretariat on May 14.

They underscored the importance of advancing innovative development to keep pace with changing regional and global conditions and meet long-term food security requirements.

APEC economies are in the process of deepening public-private collaboration to improve industry production and supply chains. It is hoped that this will ensure access to safe, high-quality food supplies across the Asia-Pacific, the world’s largest agricultural marketplace.

According to the United Nations, the sector accounts for about 40 percent of the world population, which is expected to jump from the current 7.2 billion people to 9.6 billion by 2050. It is estimated that food production will need to increase by 70 percent to meet higher demand.

Addressing the event, Chair of the APEC Policy Partnership on Food Security, Han Jizhi, said new seed varieties, better cultivation and enhanced irrigation and fertilisation have greatly increased production output.

He said APEC wishes to improve farming technology exchanges, the development of standards, ease of access to markets and the operation of post-harvest management systems, which reduce food wastage.

A gathering of APEC Food Security Ministers will take place in Beijing on September 18-19.

VNA