Secretary Vilsack Chairs APEC Food Security Ministerial, Highlights Principles for Achieving Food Security Through Sustainable Agriculture
Secretary Vilsack Chairs APEC Food Security Ministerial, Highlights ... USDA.gov
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SEATTLE, Washington, August 3, 2023
As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) U.S. Host Year, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today chaired the Food Security Ministerial and highlighted the relationship between agri-food systems and climate change, food security, and sustainable productivity growth.
Building Sustainable, Equitable, and Resilient Agri-Food Systems
Building on USDA’s 2023 APEC agricultural sub-theme, “Together Achieving Sustainable, Equitable, and Resilient Agri-Food Systems,” Secretary Vilsack led engagement with APEC member economy leaders, delegates, and industry representatives on the importance of building a more resilient and interconnected region that advances broad-based economic prosperity through sustainable, resilient agri-food systems. He also emphasized the important role innovation plays in seeking solutions through climate change adaptation and mitigation, sustainable agricultural productivity growth and global food security.
“The time is now, and together we can achieve sustainable, equitable, and resilient agri-food systems. The APEC shares a commitment to addressing global food needs now so that we can build resilient systems that can absorb future shocks, like pandemics, conflict, severe weather, and climate change,” said Secretary Vilsack. “We must work to collaborate with other nations to share best practices and information as we all learn more about how to mitigate and adapt to a changing climate, and in order to produce more, while minimizing environmental impacts, we must leverage innovation and foster new ways of doing things.”
USDA’s Leadership on Climate Solutions in Agriculture
Secretary Vilsack shared with APEC member economies U.S. leadership on climate solutions in agriculture, including USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding opportunity, which is investing more than $3 billion to support 141 projects that will expand markets for climate-smart commodities, leverage greenhouse gas benefits, and provide direct, meaningful benefits to producers of all sizes in all 50 states. The United States will be sharing information, best practices, and resources with the international community through the International Climate Hub.
New Initiatives
Food Security Dashboard
USDA is standing up a new Food Security Dashboard to provide decision-makers with access to a wide range of indicators reflecting several facets of food and nutrition security, such as: indicators of food insecurity, trade disruption vulnerability, importance of imports to food security, daily caloric intake per person, and calorie content of a diet broken down by food groups. The dashboard provides policymakers with information on the role of trade in food security and gives a roadmap to which foods are needed and how to get countries those foods. It also provides policymakers with a greater grasp of the data by presenting it in an easy-to-understand and analyze format.
Interim Instructional Field Guides
USDA will publish approximately 17 highly concentrated interim field guides resulting from workshops, field trips, knowledge sharing initiatives, and best practices observed throughout the APEC U.S. Host Year. The interim field guides will be available as a full collection by the beginning of 2024 at USDA.gov/apec-guides, after the conclusion of the APEC U.S. host year. USDA has published the first of three guides: A Three-Tiered Approach to Increasing Sustainable Water and Food Security in the APEC Region (PDF, 741 KB) and Food Safety Cooperation Forum Public-Private Innovation Dialogue (PDF, 931 KB) and Approaches to Decreasing Agriculturally Generated Greenhouse Gas Emissions in APEC (PDF, 1014 KB).
Transforming America’s Food System
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.
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SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Article
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger
- SDG 13: Climate Action
- SDG 15: Life on Land
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 2.1: End hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular, the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food all year round.
- SDG 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality.
- SDG 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
- SDG 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought, and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world.
- SDG 17.6: Enhance North-South, South-South, and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology, and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Indicator: Indicators of food insecurity, trade disruption vulnerability, importance of imports to food security, daily caloric intake per person, and calorie content of a diet broken down by food groups.
- Indicator: Number of projects supporting climate-smart commodities and their greenhouse gas benefits.
- Indicator: Number of field guides published on topics related to sustainable water and food security, food safety, and greenhouse gas reduction.
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 2: Zero Hunger | 2.1 End hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular, the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food all year round. | – Indicators of food insecurity – Importance of imports to food security – Daily caloric intake per person – Calorie content of a diet broken down by food groups |
| SDG 2: Zero Hunger | 2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality. | – Number of projects supporting climate-smart commodities and their greenhouse gas benefits |
| SDG 13: Climate Action | 13.1 Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. | – Number of field guides published on topics related to sustainable water and food security, food safety, and greenhouse gas reduction |
| SDG 15: Life on Land | 15.3 By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought, and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world. | – Number of field guides published on topics related to sustainable water and food security, food safety, and greenhouse gas reduction |
| SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals | 17.6 Enhance North-South, South-South, and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology, and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms. | – Number of field guides published on topics related to sustainable water and food security, food safety, and greenhouse gas reduction |
Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.
Source: usda.gov
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