China urged here on Friday the Group of 20 (G20) members to take practical measures to promote global food security and tackle malnutrition worldwide.
In Istanbul, agriculture ministers of G20 members have gathered in a meeting to discuss the topic of "Food Losses and Waste within the Scope of the Establishment of Sustainable Food Systems."
In a joint communique issued here on Friday, the ministers have pledged to try to feed nine billion population by 2050.
"We still face a challenging situation in ensuring food security and this has become a critical factor impeding the global economic development though the tension between global food supply and demand is mitigated," said Han Changfu, Chinese agriculture minister.
"I suggested that G20 work actively to take practical and effective measures to increase agricultural productivity, promote agricultural investment, improve trade environment and further reduce food losses, in accordance with principles defined in the Ministerial Communique, so as to promote sustainable global food systems, ensure world food security, and achieve MDGs (millennium development goals)," he added.
Also at the meeting, the officials agreed that they would take various steps to boost agricultural production through boosting investment, technology application, as well as sharing new knowledge and innovations around the world.
They also called on the international food organizations to establish a platform that will overcome food losses and waste. The platform is set to be built on the existing system and will facilitate sharing information and experiences in measuring and reducing food waste both in developed world and low-income developing countries.
The communique also highlighted the importance of infrastructure investments, innovation, education, recovery and re-distribution of otherwise lost or wasted food for the needy.
Turkish Food Agriculture and Livestock Minister Mehdi Eker said 1.3 billion tons of produced foods are annually wasted or lost because of various reasons and more than 800 million people have been struggling to survive due to hunger.
Ministers agreed that it would be possible to feed those many people who suffer from hunger, if half of the food waste quantity is recovered through the measures to be taken.
The food saving which will be achieved in the long term will serve to the protection of the natural resources efforts leaving a more sustainable environment for the upcoming generations, the participants added.
G20 Members represent 85 percent of the world's total economy, 70 percent of the global agricultural economy and the two thirds of the entire global population.
Turkey will hold the G20 Presidency in 2015 and will handover the presidency to China after the Leaders' summit in Antalya, Turkey later this year.
