The 35th session of the Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC 35), organized by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of United Nations concluded successfully at Bhutan. The conference aimed at regional priorities and pressing issues such as Covid-19, the state of agriculture, natural resources management, food security and nutrition, said a press release issued here.
Representing Pakistan at the Ministerial Session of the Regional Conference, Federal Minister for National Food Security & Research, Syed Fakhar Imam said, “During these difficult times of Covid-19 and locust invasion, we are trying to sustain particularly those people living below the poverty line.” With the efforts of the current government, he said there have been transformations in policies like upgrade and digitalize agro-technology and carried out the best practices as being followed in the advanced countries. The minister suggested that increase in agricultural productivity could happen when policies are framed, which will benefit the farming community. “We want to bring a better balance between different sectors of the economy manufacturing agriculture and the service sectors,” said Mr. Fakhar Imam. The FAO 35th Regional Conference has provided a valuable virtual platform for Members to exchange their views, knowledge and experience in addressing food security and nutrition challenges amidst COVID19 pandemic, to identify Regional priorities, new ways of working and collective actions to accelerate progress towards the eradication of poverty (SDG1) and hunger and all forms of malnutrition (SDG 2).
