On June 19, 2014, the APEC Conference on Enhancing Global Value Chains in Asia-Pacific was held in Tokyo, sponsored by Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery (MAFF). The focus of the conference was on how to sustain local farmers and the agricultural industry by adding market value through inputs both from private and public sectors. U.S. Embassy, Tokyo’s Senior Agricultural Attaché Elizabeth Autry, Agricultural Specialist Suguru Sato, and visiting USDA/APHIS’s International Trade Specialist Andrea Zizack attended the meeting. MAFF Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi gave a closing address, emphasizing the importance of the multilateral trading system and global food value chains. He also commented on Japan’s agricultural policy reform, which includes strengthening production, reforming agricultural subsidies, and increasing the demand for Japanese food (including exports from Japan).
APEC Conference on Enhancing Global Value Chains in Asia-Pacific Held in Tokyo