The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada is pleased to release The Future of Food Security in the Asia Pacific report on behalf of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Canada. This report was endorsed by ABAC members on February 25, 2025 – during the first ABAC meeting of 2025 hosted in Brisbane, Australia – to enhance public-private partnerships and further APEC food security priorities.

Food Security and APEC

Food security, the consistent physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food, continues to be a salient global issue with increasing concerns around price volatility and food availability – now more than ever amidst ongoing geopolitical and environmental challenges. In 2023, it was estimated that between 713 and 757 million people globally were undernourished, many of whom reside in the Asia Pacific. 

As the largest economic forum in the region, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), accounting for almost half of all global trade, has played an important role in addressing regional food security. Since 2010, APEC ministers responsible for agriculture and food have provided policy direction for food security issues, and in 2011, the APEC Policy Partnership on Food Security (PPFS) was established to strengthen public-private co-operation across the regional food value chain. 

In 2024, ABAC Canada led the priority of securing food sustainability and responsible natural resource management within the ABAC Sustainability Working Group. To meaningfully contribute private sector perspectives to APEC food security policymaking, ABAC Canada, supported by APF Canada, delivered The Future of Food Security in the Asia Pacific report to the APEC PPFS during the first APEC Senior Officials and Related Meetings of 2025. 

APF Canada is grateful for the leadership and guidance of ABAC Canada Member Joseph Fung, who has served as the private sector Vice Chair of the APEC PPFS since 2022. APF Canada serves as the Canadian Secretariat for the APEC Business Advisory Council. 

Key Insights

Five key insights from interviews with private sector stakeholders active in the food industry in APEC include: 

• The use of new technologies and innovations during this time of global uncertainty is imperative
• Partnerships based on communication and transparency will become more salient
• Modern frameworks to navigate regulatory diversity are needed
• There is an important role for government financing and support in agri-food
• APEC must work towards building greater public awareness of its non-trade activities

Recommendations

Drawing from private sector insights on how APEC might contribute to positively impacting businesses active in the food industry, the report makes the following three recommendations for future APEC food security initiatives: 

1. 1. Foster sustainable and inclusive innovation to modernize the food value chain.
   1. Modernize regulatory regimes to ensure the efficient and timely adoption of new technologies, such as by developing sandboxes to enhance flexibility while maintaining consumer protections.
   2. Prioritize investment in food innovation and infrastructure to meet the growing regional demand for food.
   3. Ensure the integration and inclusion of groups with untapped economic potential in existing supply chains by capitalizing on innovative technologies.
       
2. 2. Create harmonized frameworks, standards, and principles to streamline trade.
   1. Lead global standards-setting for niche and innovative areas such as future or novel foods.
   2. Adequately consider the potential effects of trade-distorting subsidies, which may significantly impact competition.
   3. Continue advocacy for free trade agreements to reduce trade barriers and ensure food affordability and diversity throughout the region.
       
3. 3. Establish multi-stakeholder dialogues to align food security priorities.
   1. Create dialogues where stakeholders can openly and candidly exchange information to build stronger partnerships.
   2. Ensure meaningful co-operation by including less economically powerful actors, including consumers, MSMEs, and marginalized communities.
   3. Establish stronger frameworks to align food security policies, share best practices, and address challenges to help raise the visibility of APEC as a leader in global food security.
       

Food insecurity currently affects the day-to-day lives of more than 194 million people throughout the APEC region. Amidst increasing demand for sufficient, safe, and nutritious food, mitigating shared challenges to reach global zero-hunger goals requires a whole-of-region approach.