Berlin, Jan. 20 – The Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Conference was held on January 18, 2020, in Berlin, Germany. Agricultural ministers representing nations and regions around the world adopted a communique that calls for actions to promote trade, strengthen agricultural production system, and support small-scale farmers to ensure global food security. The global leaders also confirmed to proactively introduce information-communication technology (ICT) and innovations in the agricultural sector and share information for controlling animal diseases such as African swine fever (ASF).
The annual agricultural summit meetings have been held in Germany since 2009. Agricultural ministers and high government officials from 71 nations and regions, including Taku Eto from Japan, and representatives from 12 international organizations assembled in Berlin to take part in this year’s conference with a key theme, “food for all.”
Japan’s Farm Minister Eto called for the needs to strengthen agricultural production base and boost farmers’ incomes to eradicate hunger while the world’ population is growing fast.
Eto also exchanged views on risk management for farmers, for example, about how the countries should handle natural disasters and livestock diseases. He explained the aid offered to Japanese farmers who were hit by devastating typhoons in 2019, and called for international cooperation in taking measures against ASF.
[Key objectives agreed in Communique]
-Promoting effective production system for global food security, while fostering international trade
-Supporting diversification, use of ICT, and promoting agricultural innovations
-Strengthening production base, supporting smallholders and female farmers, and promoting sustainable agriculture
-Reconfirmed the roles of WTO to strengthen fair rules in agricultural trade