Jeong Hwang-geun Attends G20 Agriculture Ministers' Meeting... Joint Declaration on Food Crisis Disagreement 'Unsuccessful'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Kim Hyewon] Jeong Hwang-geun, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, attended the G20 Agriculture Ministers' Meeting held face-to-face for the first time in three years in Bali, Indonesia, on the 27th and 28th.

The theme of this meeting was "Balancing Food Production and Trade to Fulfil Food for All," with ministerial-level officials from G20 member countries and invited nations, as well as representatives from international organizations such as the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), all participating.

Due to differing opinions among some countries regarding the causes of the food crisis, a joint declaration was not adopted. However, there was consensus that practical and actionable efforts by each country are necessary to secure food security.

Before the main meeting, an international forum was held under the theme "Digital Agricultural Transformation to Strengthen the Entrepreneurship of Women and Young Farmers." The forum discussed policy considerations and support measures to enhance the participation and capabilities of women and youth in digital agriculture, alongside building consensus on common agricultural issues such as rural aging and labor shortages.

The G20 agriculture ministers addressed the instability of food supply chains caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and rising prices during the main meeting, which was composed of three sessions: ▲ resilience and sustainability of agri-food systems ▲ facilitation of trade ▲ promotion of digital innovation. They introduced their national policies aimed at sustainable agri-food systems and emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation not only at the G20 level but also with international organizations and the private sector.

Minister Jeong introduced policies to secure stable food security despite external shocks, promote a transition to environmentally sustainable agriculture, and create pleasant and attractive rural spaces during the morning session on "Resilience and Sustainability of Agri-food Systems."

In the afternoon session on "Promotion of Digital Innovation," he explained policies to ▲ advance and expand intelligent farms (Smart Farms) at the production stage ▲ activate smart agricultural product distribution facilities (APC·Agricultural Products Processing Complex) and online agri-food marketplaces at the distribution and consumption stages ▲ foster the food industry based on food technology (FoodTech).

Minister Jeong evaluated, "The G20 Agriculture Ministers' Meeting served as an opportunity to confirm the member countries' commitment to sustainable and resilient agri-food systems amid international challenges such as climate change and the global COVID-19 pandemic, and to explore related cooperation measures."

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