G-7 Ministers Agree to Expand Possibilities of Agriculture

Niigata, April 24 (Jiji Press)--Agriculture ministers of the Group of Seven major economies ended their two-day meeting by agreeing to expand possibilities of agriculture in order to ensure food security. Adopting the Niigata declaration, the representatives of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States plus the European Union also agreed to make joint efforts to resolve challenges that the agricultural sector faces. The declaration called for holding international talks to encourage women and young people to play bigger roles in the agricultural sector. In the declaration, the ministers expressed solidarity with victims of natural disasters, including the recent earthquakes mainly in the southwestern Japan prefecture of Kumamoto. "We've reached a common view through comprehensive discussions on agricultural policies," Japanese agriculture minister Hiroshi Moriyama told a joint news conference. "The G-7 will be able to contribute to global food security by working together to resolve problems," said Moriyama, who chaired the Niigata meeting. The outcome of the ministerial talks will be reflected in the G-7 Ise-Shima summit in central Japan in late May and a meeting of the Group of 20 agriculture ministers in China in June, according to Moriyama. The declaration named an aging of farmers, growth in demand for a diverse range of foods and abnormal weather caused by climate change as challenges in the field of agriculture. The G-7 will play a major role in revitalizing agricultural communities, shoring up income of farmers, advancing innovation to improve agricultural productivity and helping realize sustainable agriculture, forestry and fisheries, according to the joint document. The G-7 countries agreed to set up a framework to share information among relevant authorities on drug resistance in farm animals and avian influenza and other infectious diseases that quickly spread beyond national borders. Also agreed on was the establishment of a forum to support developing countries in order to promote responsible investments in agriculture. The G-7 will strengthen cooperation to reduce food waste and deal with climate change, while stepping up fight against illegal deforestation and fishing to help realize sustainable agriculture, forestry and fisheries, according to the declaration. END