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China will promote wider and more equitable access to technological innovation to help strengthen food security across the Asia-Pacific region, according to the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration.
Liu Huanxin, head of the administration, made the pledge while outlining proposals on food security at an APEC high-level public-private dialogue on food security held Thursday in Dalian, northeast China’s Liaoning Province.
Liu said China would promote the large-scale application of innovation across the food supply chain and expand the use of artificial intelligence, digital technologies and smart processing to improve efficiency and resilience in the sector.
He stressed the importance of ensuring that the benefits of innovation are shared more widely among Asia-Pacific economies and their people, rather than being concentrated in a limited number of countries or industries.
Liu also called for closer cooperation among government agencies, businesses, research institutions and international organisations to promote open and mutually beneficial partnerships in food security.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period from 2021 to 2025, China maintained broad stability in its domestic grain market while expanding international cooperation in the food sector, contributing to food security in the Asia-Pacific and beyond, Liu said.
Over the next five years, China will continue to strengthen its overall food production capacity and improve its ability to safeguard national food security, he added.
The dialogue brought together nearly 150 representatives from government agencies, business associations, research institutions and international organisations from APEC economies.
The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation and sharing technological advances to address common food-security challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region.