Since last week, representatives from the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies convene in the city of Piura, Peru as part of APEC Food Security Week.
Running until September 25, the event will seek to develop an efficient biotech framework for regional food security. The Fourth APEC Food Security Ministerial Meeting will take place on September 26-27.
Peru’s Deputy Minister of Agricultural Policies Juan Carlos Gonzales will lead the Policy Partnership on Food Security (PPFS) meetings —set to address market access, trade facilitation, climate change and rural-urban development.
“Nutrition and Food Safety involves people’s physical, economic and socio-cultural access to sufficient, harmless and nutritional food,” said Gonzales, who stressed the importance of these meetings for the country.
Over the last years, chronic malnutrition in children has fallen from 23.8% in 2009 to 14.4% in 2015.
Even though this is an important step forward, we still have tasks to fulfil, considering the challenges associated with climate change, rapid population growth and large urban areas.
On the other hand, the current global population of 7.3 billion is expected to reach 9.6 billion in 2050; that is, 60% more food will be needed to feed the world.
Climate change will impact crops and fisheries, as well as affect global food production, due to greater vulnerability to disasters and spoiled natural resources.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a regional economic forum established in 1989 to leverage the growing interdependence of the Asia-Pacific.
APEC's 21 members aim to create greater prosperity for the people of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth and by accelerating regional economic integration.
APEC's 21 member economies are Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; People's Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea; Peru; The Philippines; The Russian Federation; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; United States of America; Vietnam.
(END) NDP/MAO/RMB/MVB
Published: 9/23/2016