Technology for a More Resilient Food Supply
APEC ministers and senior representatives from 21 economies met in Hangzhou for the 11th APEC Food Security Ministerial Meeting. They focused on using digital innovation, including artificial intelligence, throughout food production and rural development. Participants stressed that resilient supply chains support both regional well-being and economic growth during periods of increasing disruption.
Natural hazards and extreme weather already disrupt planting calendars, damage harvests and change soil conditions. The Asia-Pacific accounts for 47 percent of global disaster-related agricultural losses. Meanwhile, APEC produces nearly half of the world’s food, making regional cooperation essential for global food security.
Data, AI and Smarter Supply Chains
Ministers highlighted how data and AI can predict risks and support agricultural practices that adapt to changing conditions. These tools can also improve water, soil and forest management. As a result, farmers could produce more food while using fewer resources and generating lower emissions.
Across the supply chain, economies want trade-facilitating technologies in biosecurity, customs, cold-chain logistics and traceability systems. Such improvements could move nutritious food to consumers faster and more safely. Furthermore, public education, data monitoring and AI could reduce waste from production and post-harvest handling through retail and consumption.
Rural Communities at the Center of Modernization
The meeting placed farmers and rural communities at the center of agricultural modernization. Locally adapted technologies should raise farm incomes, create rural employment and improve the competitiveness of small-scale producers. However, these benefits depend on practical tools that reflect the different conditions facing communities across the region.
Stronger investment and wider access to financing will also be necessary. Ministers called for improvements in infrastructure, public services and digital resources so innovation reaches the people who depend on agriculture. They also recognized climate change, supply-chain disruption and other pressures as shared challenges for all APEC members.
Ultimately, the ministers called for closer cooperation among researchers, farmers, entrepreneurs and policymakers. Their objective is to apply science and technology across every stage of the food supply chain. This approach seeks to protect future supplies while supporting sustainable production, stronger rural economies and greater regional resilience.
References
Ministers Turn to Digital Technologies to Strengthen Food Systems and Rural Growth | APEC. (s. f.). APEC. https://www.apec.org/press/news-releases/2026/0826_FSMM