Thailand advocates for APEC to make food security more sustainable.

With food prices rising globally, countries in Asia and the Pacific aim to collaborate to ensure food security while also reducing the environmental impacts of food chains, according to one of Thailand’s senior officials at APEC.

Thailand is hosting APEC 2022, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, and the Kingdom is aiming to contribute to the group’s policymaking efforts, aside from facilitating the many conferences and summit of leaders during the year.

“Despite having various individual food systems, member economies are confronted with similar vulnerabilities, and this is why collaboration will be key in our efforts to strengthen food security in APEC,” said Chantanon Wannakejohn, Chair of the APEC Policy Partnership on Food Security.

Thailand is a major pillar supporting food security in the Asia-Pacific region. The Kingdom is the only net food exporting country in Asia and a world leader in exports of the staple grain rice. It also a major producer of sugar, corn and other essential food commodities.

The strategy has less to do with food production and more to do with distribution and availability. There is more than enough food to feed everyone on the planet. And so, it is essential that countries cooperate so that the food that is produced reaches those in need.

At the same time, farming and food production chains are significant producers of greenhouse gas emissions. Thailand is urging APEC to address this issue and take steps to make it possible for food producers to adjust their processes and methods to move closer to carbon neutrality for the sake of the planet.

Photo courtesy of https://www.apec.org/press/news-releases/2022/