Innovation is central to APEC's efforts to strengthen food systems, improve productivity and help farmers adapt to changing conditions through digital technologies, artificial intelligence and agricultural biotechnology, he said. "The principles for strengthening food systems resilience through innovation and digitalization reflect our shared commitment to ensuring the technologies serve people and empowering food security," said Pedrosa.

　　However, ensuring that new technologies benefit farmers will require measures to close the digital divide among different economies in the region that are at different stages, Pedrosa said.

　　In the immediate future, APEC economies should also focus on facilitating food trade and reducing losses along supply chains, he added.

　　Carlos Vasquez, Peruvian ambassador to China, said that research and development, innovation and digitalization should be priority areas for agricultural cooperation in the region.

　　He said that the intensive application of digital technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, could help economies mitigate uncertainty from extreme weather events such as the potentially strongest-ever El Nino later this year.

　　"We should increase our mutual cooperation in the forum regarding the very important need of applying new digital technologies to improve the resilience of our food systems," Vasquez said.

　　Meanwhile, smallholder farmers, who are the backbone of the agricultural system in Peru, need greater access to digital training, finance and infrastructure. "It's going to be a combination of the intensive application of digital technologies plus the development of key infrastructure for them to be connected to markets," the ambassador said.