Agriculture ministers of the Group of 20 (G20) member states met in Argentina on 27-28 July to reflect about the role of G20 countries in the global food system and tackle the issues on responsible soil management, food waste reduction and technology in agriculture. The latter one has a potential to make production more attractive for young people and bridge the generational gap in agricultural production. The ministers have also discussed the contribution of G20 towards enhancing global food security and improving nutrition by increasing agricultural productivity and incomes, while fostering the sustainable management of natural resources. The issue was considered in the context of increasing of global hunger, that now affects 815 million people worldwide. The ministers have proposed a collaborative approachto building sustainable food future.
The G20 countries account for 60% of the world’s farming land and almost 80% of global trade in food and agricultural commodities, therefore make significant impact on global food security and environmental sustainability. In the final declaration the agriculture ministers recognized the collective responsibility and committed to promoting sustainable agriculture and “the fight against climate change through collaborative partnerships, encouraging interdisciplinary approaches and involving farmers in the co-development and evaluation of sustainable agriculture systems, to accelerate the adoption of new technologies and management practices, and to revitalize sustainable traditional farming systems”.
The ministers recognized the importance of responsible investment, expressed the concern about growing protectionism in favor of global trade through the use of protectionist non-tariff measures, inconsistently with WTO rules.
