Food security on Apec radar

The 2018 APEC Food Security Week will be held during August with a focus on enhancing food security and sustainable agriculture through ICT in response to climate change,promoting women in agriculture
and fisheries, and sustainable fisheries management and development.
Papua New Guinea is now making preparations to host the Food Security Week (FSW), which will beheld during the Apec Senior Officials Meeting (SOM3) from Aug 4 – 10.
It is themed “Engaging in Productive and Sustainable Food Systems”.
The Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL), National Fisheries Authority (NFA) and Apec Business Advisory Council (ABAC) will jointly host the FSW.
DAL Secretary, Dr Vele Pat Ila’ava said food security had become an increasing concern among Apece conomies.
He said given the worsening impacts of climate change, Apec economies decided that FSW would beheld every year since 2016.
“The FSW in PNG will implement activities in line with the goal and objectives of the Apec Food Security Road Map 2020, which is the principal food security plan for Apec economies,”he said.
During the FSW, a Policy Partnership on Food Security (PPFS) Meeting,a High-Level Policy Dialogue on Agriculture Biotechnology (HLPDAB),Agricultural Technical Cooperation Working Group (ATCWG)Forum, and Ocean Fisheries Working Group (OFWG) Meeting will beheld.
The PPFS fora has confirmed to have a Dialogue on Women in Agriculture and Fisheries. ABAC will also organize a symposium during the FSW.
DAL has called on its stakeholders and partners and the private sector for their cooperation in organizing and hosting a successful FSW during Apec SOM3.
“We want the Apec delegates to come and see the potential we have and the opportunity of further development with the support and involvement of global investors.
“We have a greater opportunity this year as PNG gets ready to host Apec in welcoming investors who will be interested in our agriculture potential and they will be looking for investment opportunities.
“This is a challenge for us to grow the economy but with Apec, there will be more interest shown by investors so our agricultural industries,companies and farmers must be prepared and ready to deal with the situation.
“PNG is hosting the 2018 Apec for the first time and the Food Security Week is a significant event to promote and create awareness on the importance of food security and how the economies can work together to
deal with food security concerns and issues and all related factors such as climate change,” Ila’ava said.
“This is an opportunity for PNG to bring together some of the most successful and enterprising agricultural companies, industries, SMEs, and farming groups, to showcase their
products to the APEC delegates and the general public.
“The agriculture and food show will focus on the displays of food products for trade, new farming innovation and technologies and information.
“The show will provide an opportunity for value chain actors (farmers,fishers, marketers, buyers, entrepreneurs,etc) from Apec economies to display their products, technology,information, etc, and meet each other and establish contacts to do business in trade and marketing of food products in agriculture and fisheries and other related food services activities,” he said.
“I wish to encourage some of our active, sustainable and promising agriculture companies and industries and agriculture ventures and farmers to participate in the FSW and showcase to the world what we in PNG can also offer to them and in doing so we may attract investment,trade and marketing opportunities.
“We plan to organize a field visit to take the delegates to see some of the successful and promising agricultural business ventures in either
Morobe or East New Britain.”