Council of Agriculture (COA) Minister Chen Chi-chung shared Taiwan’s food security policies and measures with ministers of agriculture from across the region at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Policy Dialogue on Food Security video conference on October 27. After intensive discussion at the meeting, which focused on food security policies adopted by member economies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministers collectively issued a Virtual Ministerial Policy Dialogue on Food Security Statement, which highlights the importance of cooperation between APEC and international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Trade Organization (WTO), and World Health Organization (WHO). The statement also encourages information sharing among economies and relevant APEC fora, and calls on all member economies to maintain food security in the Asia-Pacific region by lowering barriers to food trade and utilizing digital technology and innovation.

Taiwan shares its food security measures to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic

This year, as countries around the world cope with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, labor shortages are affecting the food supply chain, including in agricultural production, processing, and international transport. These problems have focused additional attention on the issue of food security. At the virtual Ministerial Policy Dialogue on Food Security, COA Minister Chen introduced agriculture ministers and APEC member economy representatives to the food security policies and measures adopted by Taiwan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures include real-time monitoring of changes in international food production and trade to enable more prompt policy responses, as well as regular inventorying of reserves and production of agriproducts and related materials in Taiwan in order to better adjust market incentives and ensure sufficient domestic food supply. At the same time, the COA is also coordinating with bulk grain importers to complete advance grain purchases and reduce uncertainty in agriproduct imports.

APEC Virtual Ministerial Policy Dialogue on Food Security Statement

The COA indicates that this year’s APEC Virtual Ministerial Policy Dialogue on Food Security Statement stresses the need for member economies to work together to ensure food sustainability, and reiterates the importance of strengthening cooperation between APEC and international organizations including the FAO, WTO, and WHO. The statement also encourages economies and relevant APEC forums to engage in information sharing, calls on member economies to lower barriers to trade in food products, and emphasizes the importance of digital technology and innovation in improving food security. Sharing knowledge and experience among all member economies and adopting a cooperative strategy can help ensure food security in the Asia-Pacific region in the face of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.