(Economic Observation) How to stabilize the food supply chain under the epidemic?

The Service Trade Fair focuses on global food security

　　China News Service, Beijing, September 7 (Reporter Chen Su) The new crown pneumonia epidemic has brought huge challenges to global food security.

Under the epidemic, building a more resilient food supply chain and ensuring food security have become common issues that all countries need to face.

From the 2nd to the 7th, the China International Service Trade Fair (referred to as the "Service Trade Fair") was held in Beijing. During the period, the 2021 Modern Food Supply Chain Development and Investment International Forum focused on food topics and made suggestions for stabilizing the global food supply chain.

　　Wang Ning, deputy director of the China International Economic and Technical Exchange Center, said that at present, the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic on the global economy is still continuing. Negative factors such as extreme weather and regional conflicts have obviously hindered the progress of reducing global hunger, and the global food security situation is continuously deteriorating. .

　　In July, the report "The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021" jointly issued by various United Nations agencies showed that affected by factors such as the new crown pneumonia epidemic and economic downturn, in 2020, there will be 720 million to 811 million people facing hunger in the world. Compared with the year-on-year increase of 161 million people, nearly 2.37 billion people will not be able to get enough food in 2020, and 320 million people will be added in just one year.

The deteriorating global food security situation means that achieving the goal of “zero hunger” in 2030 will be even more difficult.

　　"Although food is in sufficient supply globally, 800 million people still cannot get enough food every day. Affected by the epidemic, some countries have adopted a policy of'closure of the country', which limits the spread of the virus and also breaks the supply chain and disrupts the food market. Cannot give full play to its due role." Qu Sixi, the representative of the United Nations World Food Program in China, said that to solve the current global food insecurity at all levels, countries need to strengthen coordination and cooperation, jointly respond to challenges, and enhance the resilience of the food supply chain.

　　In order to enhance the security and stability of the global food supply chain, the participating experts put forward suggestions from the perspectives of strengthening the supply chain construction of the modern food industry chain, the application of digital technology, and the mechanization of agriculture.

　　Zhang Zhongjun, Charge d'affaires of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in China, stated that a more sustainable, fairer, and higher-quality food storage and food supply system must be established. At the same time, digital technology must be used to strengthen information sharing and exchanges and strengthen food security.

　　Anshuman, deputy director of the United Nations Center for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization, said that facing the dual challenges of the new crown pneumonia epidemic and climate change, sustainable agricultural mechanization can increase food production, reduce production costs, and reduce food losses. Play an important role in enhancing its resilience.

　　Cheng Guoqiang, a professor at Renmin University of China, said that building a modern grain supply chain is crucial to enhancing the ability to manage food security. He proposed five measures. One is to accelerate the construction of a modern grain production system and improve the grain production system’s ability to defend against natural disasters and climate change. Adaptability and sustainable development capabilities; the second is to strengthen the construction of a modern grain distribution system, build an integrated system of “production, purchase, storage, and sales” to enhance the ability of the food supply chain to resist the impact of risks; the third is to accelerate the high-quality development of the food industry and improve Grain industry value chain, improve the level of technological innovation in the food industry chain supply chain; fourth, improve the level of risk management in the food supply chain, build a monitoring and early warning system, improve reserve control capabilities, and improve emergency response control mechanisms; fifth, deep integration into international food supply Chain, build a global agri-food enterprise, give full play to the role of the “Belt and Road” as a platform for expanding international agricultural cooperation, and promote the construction of a fair, just and balanced international agricultural multilateral trading system.

　　Experts at the conference pointed out that China has already embarked on a path to food security, and its grain production capacity has continued to increase, providing useful experience for the international community.

　　During the meeting, Zhang Wufeng, director of the State Bureau of Grain and Material Reserves of China, stated that China will build a solid foundation for the resilience of the food supply chain, vigorously implement the national food security strategy, ensure that grains are basically self-sufficient, rations are absolutely safe, and that China will take the initiative in food security. , Firmly holding the jobs of 1.4 billion Chinese people in their own hands.

At the same time, it will deepen international cooperation on the resilience of the food supply chain, promote the facilitation of food trade, strengthen the coordination of upstream and downstream supply chains, strengthen information sharing, experience exchange, technical cooperation and policy coordination, and promote the healthy, stable and sustainable development of the international food supply chain. .

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