In their first meeting since 2009, agriculture ministers from the Group of Seven industrialized nations said they would “set up an international framework to smoothly share information on livestock epidemics, such as bird flu or foot-and-mouth disease,” reports the Kyodo news service. The statement, issued at the conclusion of the two-day meeting in Niigata, Japan, said G-7 nations also will exchange information about antibiotic-resistant bacteria and confirmed the need to attract more women and young people into agriculture. The results of the agriculture ministerial will be woven into the meeting of G-7 leaders on May 26-27, also in Japan.
World agricultural production needs to increase 60 percent by 2050 to feed a global population forecast for 9.2 billion, a 20-percent increase from today. “The aging farm labor population remains important to maintain stable food supply,” said Kyodo. “The [agriculture] ministers decided to hold a meeting in Tokyo in autumn with developing countries to discuss concrete steps to strengthen women and young people’s active participation in the farm industry.”
According to Kyodo, “concern remains that efforts to support farmers could be hampered by free-trade deals that Japan, the United States and other countries are looking to in an effort to boost their growth.” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, in a response to those worries, said at a news conference, “I would say that trade is one strategy for addressing opportunity and meeting the challenges of global food security.”