China lays out plan for global action on food security
Speaking at the Seventh Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting (ASEP-7), in Vientiane, Laos, Zhang Xiaoshan, a member of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress, said that humanity was not lacking the material resources and technological means to achieve global food security.
“What is most important is that all countries show commitment and work actively and effectively to co-ordinate policies and actions in the larger interest of human survival and development," he said.
Call to action
Zhang suggested five action points for economies to adopt. The first was to see food shortages as a global challenge, not just isolated crises from region to region as they happen.
“What's particularly important is to raise the productivity of grain-producing countries, enhance the development of agro-technologies and boost international trade in agricultural produce," he said.
His second action point involved the adoption of a development-orientated food security strategy. “Only development can bring a fundamental solution to food crisis in developing countries,” he remarked.
The third was to create a “fair, reasonable, sustainable and stable international trading order and give emerging markets and developing countries a bigger say.”
This was followed by a call to develop a reasonable global food security governance mechanism to make the production, stockpiling and distribution system more equitable, balanced and sustainable.
Environmental link
His final point was to guide the development of the bio-fuel industry to ensure the sustainability of bio-fuel development and use. “Energy security must not come at the expense of food security,” he said.
Zhang also introduced efforts China has made to ensure adequate food security for its 1.3 billion people.
“China is a developing country, yet we have been doing what we can to help other developing countries through South-South cooperation. China is ready to share its agricultural development experience and carry out active and deep cooperation with other countries in an all-round way,” he said.
