Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Attends G20 Agriculture Ministers' Meeting: "Cooperation Needed to Prevent COVID-19 from Becoming a Food Crisis"

"Emphasizing the Need for Joint Response to Prevent Epidemic Spread from Affecting Food Supply"

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyun-jung] On the 21st, Kim Hyun-soo, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, attended the G20 Special Agriculture Ministers' Meeting (video conference) and introduced South Korea's response policies in the agricultural and food sector against the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), and discussed cooperation measures among G20 member countries. This meeting followed the G20 Special Leaders' Summit held last month, where agriculture ministers of G20 countries discussed the impact of COVID-19 on global food security and joint countermeasures.

Earlier, Abdulrahman Al-Fadli, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia, the G20 chair country, requested member countries to jointly respond to disruptions in the global food system and concerns about food security caused by the spread of COVID-19. While member countries noted the G20 Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) assessment that the global food supply is currently adequate, they agreed on the possibility of issues arising in the global food system flow, such as labor shortages of seasonal workers, and shared the intention to proactively respond jointly at the G20 level.

Member countries agreed that ▲ international cooperation is crucial at this time as the global agri-food value chains are interconnected, and transparency, openness, and predictability in the production, distribution, and export processes of food must be maintained; ▲ since COVID-19 is not only a health issue but also a global food issue, joint responses are necessary to prevent the epidemic spread from affecting food supply and demand; ▲ mid- to long-term policies need to be established to enhance resilience and sustainability in the agri-food sector; and ▲ continuous humanitarian support is necessary for the poorest and most vulnerable groups.

Minister Kim Hyun-soo shared specific response policies, stating that "the number of new confirmed cases is decreasing as we consistently respond based on the three principles of openness, transparency, and democracy" regarding South Korea's COVID-19 situation. He introduced, "To solve the labor shortage during the farming season, we are temporarily relaxing visa requirements for foreign workers and providing labor brokerage services to utilize idle labor in nearby cities," and added, "We sell agricultural products through a 'drive-through' method so that consumers can purchase them without fear of infection, and support various types of eco-friendly agricultural product packages for people who have difficulty purchasing food ingredients due to self-quarantine."

He continued, "Individual countries' restrictions on agricultural product exports, which could threaten the lives of vulnerable groups in developing countries without secured food security, should be restrained," urging global cooperation to prevent the health crisis from spreading into a food crisis.

Meanwhile, member countries agreed on a statement emphasizing ▲ the importance of maintaining the function of the global food supply chain, ▲ the need to refrain from restrictive measures that could threaten food security, and ▲ the importance of international cooperation for global food security.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.