By Rupa Damodaran / New Straits Times / Tuesday April 27, 1999 / p.24
The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in New Zealand in September this year is expected to seek new measures towards achieving food security in the region.
Cargill Holdings (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd cuntr manager James N. Reimer said the "Open Food System" intitiative is expected to be the central trade issue during the summit.
Reimer, whose company is a member of the American Malaysian Chaber of Commerce, said countries like Malaysia could be a model for the Asean region.
"This is especially seen in the agriculture food policy here where its rice imports have been increased and balanced with the domestic production," he said in Petaling Jaya yesterday.
Malaysia has already liberalised its trade policies and balanced its increased imports with higher value exports and has also developed high quality port and transportation infrastructure.
Achieving food security through balanced trade and domestic production, he said, had broad benefits for all Apec members.
The Apec Business Advisory Council had called on economic leaders for action in the food sector to achieve sustainable growth and development.
Apec leaders have created a task force on food to study supply, demand and environmental parameters.
The countries should implement a food system to achieve the most efficient, co-operative, reliable, safe and sustainable supply to the Asia Pacific region.
Under an Apec open food system, emphasis is placed on infrastructure that promotes efficient processing of food between and within countries.
"There will be an alignment of food prices with world market values and free trade in food as well as regional co-operation to ensure technological advances in production and processing reach all economies.
Cargill is an international marketer, processor and distributor of agricultural, food, financial and industrial products in more than 1,000 locations in 65 countries.:
