JAKARTA (Bernama-Antara): Indonesian Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo stated that the Asean-Australia cooperation was aimed at supporting Asean's efforts to strengthen food security and respond to various current global challenges.
"Asean has maintained a relationship with Australia for 50 years. The current important agendas are cross-regional security and strengthening cooperation and the second is the food issue due to a crisis," Limposaid in an official statement on Friday.
At the 3rd Asean-Australia Summit, the minister remarked that cooperation between the two regions is expected to strengthen the achievement of food security amid massive challenges, such as the issue of climate change, recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and ongoing political tensions.
The 3rd Asean-Australia Summit was part of the 43rd Asean Summit that took place in Jakarta on September 5-7, 2023. Some 19 state leaders, including those from friendly countries, as well as representatives of international organisations, attended the summit.
"We need this cooperation to handle challenges that also came from nature, such as unpredictable climate changes and other potential crises, which we have to resolve together," he remarked.
Limpo noted that Asean's cooperation with various countries in the food sector will discuss aspects of cultivation, including technology and innovation in the agricultural sector.
Moreover, the minister emphasised the need to address food problems in synergy.
"Food is a world challenge, and the Asean must be able to face it by working together, including by establishing cooperation, in terms of cultivation, or agricultural mechanisation and technology. Agricultural e-commerce must also be further developed in the future," he emphasised.
At the 35th Asean-Australia Forum on March 17, 2023, all Asean member countries and Australia agreed to Indonesia's proposal to prepare an Asean-Australia Joint Statement of Asean-Australia Leadership on Strengthening Food Security Cooperation in Times of Crisis.
In the joint statement, leaders from the Asean and Australia are committed to maintaining regional food security against possible future shocks by strengthening the regional health architecture, ensuring regional food security, accelerating an inclusive and equitable energy transition, and strengthening economic resilience and financial stability.
According to Limpo, the regions would also collaborate in preparing a rapid action strategy to ensure food security and nutrition during a crisis through trade and flow of food and essential agricultural inputs by facilitating smooth distribution of logistics and transportation as well as by limiting distortive actions in the trade of food and agricultural products.
The two regions ultimately agreed to make preparations for long-term food security by increasing resilience to climate change and natural disasters through facilitating sustainable agricultural investment, including early warning systems, agricultural insurance, and flood and drought risk mitigation. - Bernama-Antara
