Da Nang (VNA) – Solutions to boostsustainable development of agriculture in response to climate change are amongissues that delegates of APEC member economies have spent time discussing overthe last few days of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in Da Nang city.

At a dialogue with youth delegates as part of the APEC Voices of the Futureforum, Noeleen Heyzer, former Under-Secretary-General of the UN and formerExecutive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and thePacific, said climate change can directly affect future generations in suchissues as employment, startup opportunities and labour movement.

APEC member economies need to immediately take action to cope with climatechange and help younger generations in the region have a safer world, shenoted.

Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong saidVietnam is one of the five countries most vulnerable to climate change impacts.In 2016, natural disasters nationwide caused economic losses equivalent toabout 1 percent of total GDP.

Without short- and long-term response solutions, Vietnam as well as othermember economies will fail to ensure food security, reduce poverty, developsustainable agriculture or adapt to climate change, he noted.

APEC is the world’s leading region in terms of agricultural production and foodexport. It has a vast geographical area and combined population of about 2.8billion, or 40 percent of the global population. These are favourableconditions to form supply and value chains of agricultural products in theregion.

Cuong said amid complex developments in the world and unpredictable climatechange impacts, how to develop sustainable agriculture in response to climatechange is a big question for the world’s agricultural sector.

Hi-tech agriculture is strongly growing in the economies with developed scienceand technology. However, the differences in production capacity, resources andtechnology are hampering common development, requiring APEC economies enhancecooperation and seek the best solutions towards sustainable agriculture inresponse to climate change, the Vietnamese official added.

Hong-Sang Jung, Executive Director of the APEC Climate Centre, said to overcomethose barriers, member economies should focus on climate change-adapted smartagriculture, management of food losses, and application of high technology inagricultural production.

He added it is also necessary to have a good knowledge of the role of weatherand climate information in the global food system, weather and climate impactson agricultural production and consumption systems, and the use of weather andclimate information in building agricultural product systems.

Established in 1989, APEC comprises Australia,Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Japan, the Republicof Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, thePhilippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, the US, and Vietnam.

It represents 39 percent of the world population,57 percent of the world GDP and 47 percent of the total trade.-VNA