​The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, attended the sixth Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting on Food Security today (August 19) via video conferencing to discuss and exchange views thoroughly with leaders of other economies on how to safeguard food security and speed up the post-pandemic economic recovery through innovation and digitalisation initiatives and deepening inter-economy co-operation.
The APEC meetings of 2021 are held in New Zealand this year. In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all meetings are taking place virtually. The main discussion topics of the Ministerial Meeting on Food Security this year include how APEC takes forward innovation and digitalisation initiatives to ensure food security during recovery from COVID-19, and how regional co-operation can contribute to member economies' achieving their food system objectives.
During the discussion among ministers, Professor Chan appealed, "All in the region work together on the innovation and digitalisation front, to share practices, exchange views and strengthen solidarity to foster the development of the food and agricultural sectors.
"Hong Kong, China is keen on joining forces with others in the region to make the best use of innovation and digitalisation for food security. Notwithstanding the limited scale of production in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been actively supporting the local agricultural and fisheries sectors to raise productivity, to enhance the quality and to boost the sale of their local produce through the use of new technologies," Professor Chan said.
"The synergy of APEC is key to advancements in food security in the region. Hong Kong, China is committed to collaborating with other APEC member states to make our food system stronger and more robust in preparation for any future challenges," Professor Chan said.
Before the end of the meeting, Professor Chan and food security ministers of other economies jointly adopted a statement to support implementation of the APEC Food Security Roadmap Towards 2030.
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