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Ocean Cooperation Center on Resilience and Coastal Livelihoods
Issued by the APEC Ocean and Fisheries Working GroupOceans policy across the region is increasingly being treated as an economic resilience issue, as officials overseeing ocean and fisheries policy move to align marine protection, fisheries management and coastal livelihoods with longer-term growth and climate adaptation goals.
The shift reflects the growing role of ocean-based industries in food supply, employment and trade and the rising economic costs of climate-related shocks to fisheries and coastal communities.
“We are at an important juncture where high-level commitments must be translated into concrete actions and technical progress that strengthen the resilience of marine ecosystems and coastal communities,” said Jinhee Seo, Lead Shepherd of the APEC Ocean and Fisheries Working Group.
“Our priority this year is to move from consensus to delivery, particularly on ocean resilience and the sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture,” she added.
A key focus this year is advancing work toward the Ocean Resilience Enhancement Roadmap, mandated by the ministerial meeting in Busan last year, and intended to serve as a region-wide framework to help economies respond to environmental shocks while safeguarding fisheries productivity and coastal livelihoods. The roadmap is expected to bring together cooperation on fisheries and aquaculture, marine disaster response, data sharing and training on the use of ocean and climate information.
Discussions centered on translating existing commitments into concrete action, particularly in small-scale fisheries, aquaculture and coastal communities that remain highly exposed to climate and market volatility.
Under the thematic discussions, economies put forward a pipeline of practical projects aimed at delivering near-term results. These include workshops on restoring coastal and marine ecosystems to reduce vulnerability to environmental and climate stress, initiatives to support community-based conservation and sustainable fisheries, and programs to improve food security through climate-resilient aquaculture and seaweed production.
Officials also highlighted efforts to deploy digital tools for marine monitoring and prediction, as well as strengthen early warning systems for ocean-related disasters. Several initiatives focus on helping small-scale fishers and aquaculture producers adapt to environmental change, modernize practices and better integrate into regional markets.
“As the host of APEC 2026, we suggest that future work should better bridge regional priorities with the global marine agenda,” said Wang Antao, Deputy Director-General at China’s Ministry of Natural Resources, in opening remarks in Guangzhou.
“This includes giving greater attention to the real needs of people in the region, such as marine ecosystem conservation and restoration, sustainable economic activity related to the ocean, marine disaster prevention and mitigation, and stronger ocean and coastal resilience,” Wang added.
He further encouraged all economies to actively support and contribute to strengthening the group’s initiatives, including the APEC Marine Sustainable Development Report, as a means of translating shared priorities into concrete and pragmatic actions.
Economies also discussed ocean literacy as an emerging area of focus, highlighting its potential role in strengthening public understanding of the ocean’s contribution to economic development, climate stability and food systems, while encouraging broader participation in marine conservation and sustainable use.
Taken together, the initiatives reflect a broader shift in ocean governance across the Asia-Pacific; from managing sector-specific risks to embedding oceans policy within broader economic considerations, climate adaptation and sustainable growth strategies that directly affect communities and future generations.
Administrator Liu: Innovation-Led Cooperation Crucial to Reinforce Food Security
Issued by the APEC Policy Partnership on Food Security
Closing the gap between policy commitments and real-world food system resilience is emerging as a priority for APEC economies, officials said earlier this week as the Policy Partnership on Food Security convened its 2026 plenary meeting in Guangzhou.
“To build a resilient Asia-Pacific food system, we should take a systematic approach and promote cooperation across the entire grain chain, from farm to table,” said Liu Huanxin, Administrator of China’s National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration in his opening remarks at the meeting.“This requires coordinated action across production, procurement, storage, processing and marketing.”
“APEC economies should work together to address climate change, safeguard grain production capacity, improve market circulation and deepen grain trade cooperation,” Liu added. “At the same time, we must advance food conservation, reduce food loss and waste, and promote nutritious and healthy diets.”
Highlighting innovation and digitalization as a second pillar, Liu said rapid advances in digital technology and artificial intelligence are reshaping food systems and creating new opportunities for resilience.
“A new round of technological revolution is accelerating,” he said. “Asia-Pacific economies should strengthen technical exchanges and harness digital and intelligent technologies to build new competitiveness and new momentum for food security.”
Liu also underscored the importance of win-win cooperation and public-private partnerships to translate policy into real-world outcomes.
“Food system transformation requires collective responses from governments, businesses and all sectors of society,” he said. “China stands ready to work with APEC economies to build institutional platforms for policy dialogue, information sharing and project cooperation, and to support experience sharing among scientific, technical and management professionals.”
China’s approach, Liu said, has delivered sustained gains despite resource constraints. With less than 10 percent of the world’s arable land and 6 percent of its freshwater resources, China feeds nearly one-fifth of the global population. National grain output has remained above 650 million tons for nine consecutive years and exceeded 700 million tons in both 2024 and 2025, with per-capita grain availability reaching around 500 kilograms.
The meeting brought together officials, experts and business representatives from APEC economies to advance implementation of the Food Security Roadmap 2030, including economies’ progress report and discussions on digitalization, innovation and food system resilience.
“We are generating strong ideas to advance our goals, but moving ideas from theory to practice remains the real challenge,” said Han Jizhi, Chair of the APEC Policy Partnership on Food Security.
“We are making substantial progress in consolidating food supply chains, but food security and nutrition issues will not be solved with a single commitment,” Han added. “This work requires sustained effort. Working together, even small steps can make a meaningful difference and deliver real, lasting change.”
Food Security Takes a Practical Turn
Issued by the APEC Policy Partnership on Food Security
Food security policy across the Asia-Pacific is shifting from high-level commitments toward actions, as APEC economies advance concrete measures to reduce food loss and waste, strengthen supply chains and scale digital innovation in agriculture.
At their meeting in Guangzhou, food security and agricultural officials reviewed progress and examined a range of projects and initiatives aimed at improving resilience across food systems.
“The food security challenges we face are particularly complex, including social, economic and environmental factors,” said Han Jizhi, Chair of the APEC Policy Partnership on Food Security. “Food insecurity is a global threat that must be addressed with urgency.”
A central focus of the meeting was the implementation progress of the Food Security Roadmap Towards 2030, which is guiding APEC economies toward more open, productive, sustainable and resilient food systems.
Economies assessed progress across key action areas, including smallholder resilience, disaster preparedness and recovery efficiency, while identifying gaps requiring accelerated policy attention. A dynamic conclusion table was presented to track economy-level actions and improve comparability of progress.
Delegates also reviewed updates to the Trujillo Principles for Preventing and Reducing Food Loss and Waste, alongside a revised implementation plan aimed at translating voluntary commitments into measurable reductions across supply chains.
Innovation featured prominently in discussions, reflecting its growing role as structural enablers of food security and economic resilience.
“We are at a time of profound global transformation, where science, technology and innovation could deliver breakthroughs to a better and more sustainable future for all,” Han said. “Innovation isn’t just about how it changes our life, it’s about how we make a living.”
Since 2012, the group has supported a number of projects on science, technology and innovation, including initiatives on reducing food loss and waste, smart agriculture and strengthening the resilience of food supply chains.
Nutrition and health outcomes were also a key priority, with economies reaffirming commitments to ensure that food systems deliver not only sufficient supply, but safe, affordable and nutritious food that supports healthy and active lives.
“Our 2030 roadmap highlights that APEC food systems should ensure people always have access to sufficient, safe, affordable and nutritious food to meet dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life,” Han said. “A well-functioning food system is critical to our people’s health and well-being and to the success of our economies.”
Han noted that while economies are making progress in strengthening food supply chains and reviewing the implementation of the Roadmap Towards 2030, addressing food security and nutrition challenges will require sustained effort.
“We know that we will not solve all food security and nutrition issues with one statement or one commitment,” he concluded. “By working together and through constant efforts, we can make real and meaningful change.”
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This news release can also be viewed on the APEC website: https://www.apec.org/press/
