During the 2017 APEC Food Security Week in Can Tho City Vietnam from August 18 to 25, an APEC High-Level Policy Dialogue on Enhancing Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture in Response to Climate Change was held. The APEC Ministers and high-level representatives drafted an official document, namely The Can Tho Statement in which they acknowledge the challenges to food security, recognize linkages among them, and call for APEC working groups to address key issues. It is highlighted that Food Loss and Waste (FLW) remains a challenge that demands further actions, collaboration and coordination of regional initiatives. Furthermore, in the context of FLW reduction, the high-level ministers and representatives encourage public-private partnerships on awareness raising, capacity building, and investment, and call upon APEC economies to consider further collaboration on relevant APEC action plans.

The Ministers and high-level Representatives annexed two action plans to the Can Tho Statement: the Food Security and Climate Change Multi-Year Action Plan (MYAP) 2018 – 2020 and the Action Plan on Rural – Urban Development to Strengthen Food Security and Quality Growth.  In the MYAP 2018-2020, FLW reduction is part of the key actions aligned to the four workstreams which are policies, best practices, technology and knowledge, and capacities workstream. In the Rural–Urban development plan, the consolidation and dissemination of knowledge to reduce FLW is also highlighted as a potential key activity for Urban-Rural Development among APEC economies.