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BY NORMAN D. CORDON
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Friday, November 17, 2017
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Special Correspondent for 2017 ASEAN Summit
MANILA – Association of Southeast Asian Nations Plus Three (ASEAN+3) leaders committed to work to ensure food security, food safety, better nutrition, and equitable distribution, as well as promote sustainable development in the region.
ASEAN+3 (dialogue partners China, Japan and South Korea) emphasized this in a document it adopted during its summit on Tuesday.
The leaders noted the ever-increasing demand for food due to the rapid increase in global population, and the need to safeguard regional food security with concrete and effective measures and cooperation.
They pledged support to ASEAN countries to actively and effectively coordinate their policies and actions, and implement the plans to improve comprehensive grain production capacity – including through the use of green technologies, research and development and resource management systems – to cope with uncertain challenges to food security in the region and the world at large.
They also vowed increase private sector participation in policy discussions, programs and project formulation, research and development, and provide incentives and foster an enabling environment for public-private partnerships toward enhancing productivity and quality.
ASEAN+3 leaders will also encourage countries in the region to further improve agricultural investment environment and enhance public-private partnerships for agricultural investment and infrastructure development to encourage the private sector to invest in agriculture sector.
They affirmed to enhance competitiveness and opportunities for farmers, small-scale producers and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and those engaged in agribusiness to learn and develop more efficient farming practices and management skills;
Provide skills training for small farmers; promote access to finance and the use of appropriate technologies that can improve sustainability and their production and living conditions;
Encourage youth participation in agriculture to mitigate the problem of lack of manpower; and promote the establishment of agricultural cooperatives, and enhance their status and role in higher value markets and modern food value chain.
The leaders said they will likewise encourage private and public sectors to participate in agricultural services, and foster the development of a wide range of services and a service network covering the needs before, during and after production to provide support for safeguarding national food security./PN
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