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ASIA PACIFIC FOOD INDUSTRY FORUM
Summary: What is AP-FIF?
Food security is a key component of a healthy and integrated regional Asia-Pacific economy: it underpins long-term economic growth, and allows human potential to be more fully realised. Both production and trade in food play an important role in sustainable food security.
The private sector makes a core contribution to food security. The Asia Pacific Food Industry Forum, or AP-FIF, provides a powerful voice for the private sector to influence the officials and Ministers who drive APEC’s food security agenda, helping to promote a business-friendly environment in the region as part of seeking to realise the goal of lasting food security.
Through regular regional meetings, participants debate and reach consensus on key policy issues of concern such as trade and investment, technology transfer, infrastructure investment, supply-chain efficiency and other initiatives that impact the food economy in the Asia-Pacific region. These views are conveyed to policy-makers during meetings of ABAC, the APEC Policy Partnership on Food Security (PPFS) and relevant Ministerial gatherings, and ultimately to APEC Economic Leaders.
AP-FIF is the brainchild of the APEC Business Advisory Council, or ABAC, APEC’s primary voice for business in the Asia-Pacific region. AP-FIF is chaired by a representative of the APEC Business Advisory Council, who also serves as the ABAC Co-Chair of the Policy Partnership on Food Security.
AP-FIF role
Private sector engagement is a core component of APEC’s mission to promote economic cooperation in the region. AP-FIF was created to provide a channel for robust, considered private sector views on food issues to reach key policy-makers more effectively. “Food security” encompasses a number of issues that are of critical interest to business, such as market access barriers, regulatory systems, food safety and food standards, and infrastructure development. Participation in AP-FIF enables companies, organisations and other stakeholders to ensure that their voices are heard on these key issues.
AP-FIF participation
Food sector companies both large and small, and private-sector organisations with an interest in the region’s food security, are welcome to participate in AP-FIF. For more information, please contact ABAC New Zealand, care of [email protected].
AP-FIF meetings
Since its formation in 2015, AP-FIF has convened meetings in Singapore and the United States. Further meetings are scheduled this year for Shenzhen on 1 August in association with an ABAC meeting, and Piura on 25 September, in association with a PPFS meeting (23-24 September), Food Security Ministerial meeting (26-27 September) and Executive Dialogue (26 September).
AP-FIF key messages
AP-FIF has developed a number of “key messages” to articulate participants’ priorities and concerns. It is intended that these key messages can be refined and updated through ongoing dialogue.
- Trade liberalisation matters. New protectionist or trade-restrictive measures are constantly being devised, while new instruments for opening markets, such as ambitious and high-quality FTAs, lag behind. The food industry needs to speak out against increasing protectionism and in support of new FTAs.
- Addressing non-tariff barriers (NTBs) is critical. NTBs are hard to identify and even harder to address effectively. Government NTBs and private standards, including around “ethical” issues, can impose significant burdens on business and disrupt trade flows. Reducing NTBs would deliver greater food security by ensuring supply reaches consumers at reasonable cost. ABAC has research work underway to identify most egregious NTBs and try to come up with practical solutions.
- Using new technologies needs to be part of the picture. New technologies and “smart” farming can be used to increase yields and prevent waste. Governments and industry need to be partners in improving the way new technologies can be invented and brought to market.
- Effective food regulatory systems can provide increased assurance for consumers and prevent unnecessary delays. APEC’s Food Safety Co-operation Forum (AFSCF) focuses on practical solutions to food safety. The concepts of “equivalence” and regulatory coherence are key. The adoption of global data standards can help make supply chains operate faster, cheaper and with greater integrity.
- Smart farming especially in developing countries provides a means of securing agricultural production in the face of increasing urbanisation. APEC members need to share best practices for rural development.
- Infrastructure investment is also key. Trade cannot flow smoothly without solid infrastructure.
- Addressing the sustainability of the food industry is an ongoing challenge. Consumers are demanding greater assurance. Standards including private standards on “sustainability” issues can be seen as one answer. How will industry meet this challenge?
- Food is mainstream business. Too often food is seen as a sectoral issue which is handled by specialist committees. Food needs to be considered along with other business issues with a direct link to sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
Background: APEC, ABAC and food security
According to the World Food Summit (1996) “food security exists when all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”. The primary goal of APEC is to support sustainable economic growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region. The 21 member economies of APEC[1] are united in the drive to build a dynamic and inclusive Asia-Pacific community, firstly by championing free and open trade and investment, promoting and accelerating regional economic integration, encouraging economic and technical co-operation, enhancing human security, and facilitating a favourable and sustainable business environment. Food security is a core underpinning of these goals.
APEC leaders established the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) in 1995 to present recommendations to APEC Leaders and to advise APEC officials on business sector priorities and concerns. It is made up of three ABAC members per APEC member economy, appointed by the Head of State or Government. ABAC has been engaged in promoting food security since 1999 when APEC Leaders endorsed a plan for a unified APEC Food System.
APEC Policy Partnership for Food Security
The APEC Policy Partnership for Food Security (PPFS) was established by APEC Ministers Responsible for Food Security in 2010/11, reflecting Ministers’ recognition that consultation with relevant private-sector stakeholders is critical to making sustained progress towards food security goals. PPFS is the key body in APEC to develop policy recommendations and establish mechanisms to deliver on food security goals. Its recommendations are forwarded to APEC Ministers and Leaders. ABAC has highlighted the importance of both policy and technical cooperation for achieving an integrated food system.
PPFS meetings are Chaired by a senior official from the APEC host economy (in 2016 this is Mr Cesar Sotomayor, Vice Minister of Agricultural Policies of Peru). ABAC provides the Co-Chair who acts as the Chief Private Sector Policy Advisor (in 2015 and 2016 this has been Tony Nowell, of ABAC New Zealand).
PPFS goals
The long term goal of the PPFS is i.e. durable food security) by 2020. A “Roadmap Towards 2020” has been adopted as an articulation of PPFS strategy and work programmes have been initiated in four working groups (work plan, sustainable development, investment and infrastructure, trade and markets).[2] AP-FIF has the opportunity to feed its priorities, concerns and ideas into this working group process as well as PPFS Plenary meetings, through a report-back by the ABAC Co-Chair.
[1] Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, The Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam.