APEC Secretariat Studying Member States' Food Policies

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 18 (Bernama) -- The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat is currently undertaking a study on food policies among its 21 member states as part of its efforts to tackle food security for the grouping, an official said. Director of Policy Support Unit Dr Denis Hew said the outcome of the study would be an important input for the grouping in preparation for a possibile food crisis in the future. "Before we can even start linking food security to supply chain connectivity or linking it to other things, the first thing you need to understand first, is what are the food security policies in each individual economy and how would you define it," he told reporters after APEC's roundtable talks on this year's outlook here on Wednesday. Hew said different economies define food security differently, for example Thailand, which does not see sufficient rice supply as part of its food security policy. The study, to be finalised later this year, will map out the definition of food security by all its member countries and the agencies involved as well as their existing plan on food security. "We hope to present the outcome of the study during the APEC summit in Russia this year," he said. Currently, he said, several different working groups are looking at different aspects of food security, and the secretariat would be looking at how they can exchange information and synergise an action plan. Meanwhile, the secretariat's Executive Director Datuk Muhamad Noor Yacob said among the concerns is how to address food wastage, from the post-harvest process to the consumer's table. "Addressing food wastage is important as it will eventually increase food availability in the marketplace aside from looking at developing new technologies to increase food production supply in more broad-based ways," he said. APEC and the World Bank will also work together on capacity building projects across the region to promote food safety and supply, he said. He said this year the grouping would also focus on supporting sustainable development of the agricultural sector, which includes implementing projects across the region that increase the transparency of food markets, such as monitoring and exchanging information on supply, demand and production of food. -- BERNAMA Malaysia