Agriculture Trade Reform and Sustainable and Inclusive Food Security

Abstract

The food system in the Asia-Pacific needs to be viewed as a whole, from production to plate, in order not only to achieve food security in the region but also to contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth. To that end, there is a strong case for AsiaPacific economies to bring a renewed focus to structural reform in agriculture, including substantially reducing trade-distorting subsidies and liberalising market access barriers, alongside seeking to increase productivity, improve infrastructure and leverage digital technologies. The Covid-19 pandemic underscores the importance of open, undistorted markets, and will also stand economies in good stead in the longer term as adverse impacts from climate change add to production challenges and potential food insecurity.