Hanoi hosts 7th ASAE int’l conference on agriculture and food security

Under the theme “Meeting the challenges facing agriculture and agricultural economics towards a sustainable future”, the two-day conference aims to work out practical measures to ensure food security and sustainable agricultural growth.

Participants in the conference focused on drawing up plans and strategies for agricultural development as well as narrowing the widening gap between urban and rural areas.

They raised their concern over emerging issues, such as urbanization, investment and globalization and came up with ideas which are useful to Asian countries in similar circumstances.

The delegates also touched upon issues related to agricultural trade reform, the future of Asian agriculture, agribusiness, and new challenges facing Asian agriculture in the current globalization context.

In his opening speech, Dang Kim Son, Director of the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (Ipsard), emphasized the great significance of the conference, saying it would help Asian nations remove obstacles and overcome challenges posed by climate change, environmental degradation and the shortage of resources.

He said that the event takes place at a time when the ASAE is celebrating its 20^th anniversary and regional countries are bracing for national disasters that have caused negative impact on agriculture.

Mr Son affirmed that the agriculture sector plays a significant role in economic development. “However, we are facing numerous difficulties in the current process of global integration and modernization that require fast and sustainable development,” he said, adding that Vietnam is willing to share its experience in agricultural issues and earger to learn valuable lessons from other nations in Asia and the world.

ASAE President Choe Yangboo said that over the past two decades, ASEA member countries have made headway towards improving economic and social condtions for rural people while facing the shortage of resources.

Mr Choe stressed that Asian agriculture is still under pressure to meet an increasing demand for food in the region and in the world. “The ongoing conference is expected to evaluate and define the agriculture sector’s role in supporting the region in hurdling obstacles, archiving higher incomes, reducing poverty, and improving food security,” he stated.

According to Keijiro Otsuka, President of the International Association of Agricultural Economists, Asia has been emerging as a new economic force in the world. The agriculture sector is being confronted with problems, the key one is how to maitain its rates of growth or even to meet the growing demand for food from population expansion and rapid urbanization.

Joint efforts are needed to analyze the patterns of development and linkages that are now taking place in agriculture and the rural economy to better inform and guide future development paths towards the achievement of more sustainable growth.

Vietnam is currently one of the world’s largest exporters of farm produce, such as rice, coffee, pepper and cashew nuts. Local farmers are in need of investment capital to access advanced technology to increase productivity and ensure food hygiene and safety.

Major topics discussed at the event: ·         - Asian Agriculture in Development ·         - Climate Change and Sustainability of Asian Agriculture ·         - Strengthening Food security in Asia ·         - Development in Asian Agro-food Marketing ·         - Rural development and urbanization in Asia ·         - Agricultural Investment and Poverty Reduction in Developing Asia           - Vietnamese Agriculture and Rural Development, Problems and Strategies

                                                                                                                                             Tran Ngoc