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| Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Chung Hwang-keun. Korea Times file |
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Chung Hwang-keun will attend the G20 agriculture ministers' meeting in Bali, Indonesia, Wednesday, the ministry said Monday. The G20 or Group of Twenty is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union (EU).
The ministers will promote resilient and sustainable agriculture and food systems. Also on the agenda items are ways to promote open, fair, predictable, transparent and non-discriminatory agricultural trade to ensure food availability and affordability for all. They will discuss innovative agripreneurship through digital agriculture to improve farmers' livelihood in rural areas.
The meeting was first held in 2011 under the leadership of France, then-chair of the G20. It has been held every year since 2016 to address the global food crisis.
Among those in attendance are G20 members and representatives from international organizations including the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Minister-level figures from Spain, the Netherlands, Singapore, Cambodia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Rwanda and Fiji will also attend the event.
This year's theme is "Balancing Food Production and Trade to Fulfill Food for All." The three sub-agenda items are the resilience and sustainability of the agrifood system, promoting stability in trade and digital innovation.
Chung will introduce Korea's agricultural policy directives and efforts to strengthen international cooperation to advance the traditional business into a high-tech growth driver.
"The government hopes this year's G20 agriculture ministers' meeting will serve as an opportunity to fortify member countries' capabilities and resolve to bolster sustainable and resilient agrifood systems, despite global geopolitical uncertainties, including climate change issues and the COVID-19 pandemic," he said. The minister will also promote Korea's bid to host World Expo 2030 in Busan.
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