R

egional food security will be among the hot issues addressed on the first day of the two-day World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia. The summit will be held on June 12 and 13.

The food security issue will be raised a bar as under the original plan, the issue will be debated on TV.

In partnership with WEF, Germany’s Deutsche Welle TV is slated to hold a TV Debate on East Asian Solutions for Global Food Security at Shangri-La Hotel from 4:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The issue will be addressed given the revised global population growth of 10 billion by 2100, according to WEF on East Asia’s agenda.

The population growth raises a question as to how Asia should pursue long-term food security in an environmentally and politically sustainable manner.

The debate on regional food security will address dimensions, including assessment of demographic challenges, regional policies to control food price inflation, public-private collaboration and innovations in agriculture

The debate will feature Bambang Ismawan, chairman of the Board of Trustees of Indonesia’s Bina Swadaya; Frans W. H. Muller, social entrepreneur and member of the management board of Germany’s METRO GROUP; Paul Polman, CEO of United Kingdom’s Unilever and Mahendra Siregar, Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Trade.

Amrita Cheema, Anchor, Deutsche Welle TV, Germany, will act as moderator of the debate.

Meanwhile, BBC News will host a television debate on wealth on June 13. The debate will try to seek answers to questions as to who owns wealth and how new forms of prosperity should be sustained and shared in Asia.

The debate will address dimensions, like rising inequalities, the growing middle class, changing political expectations and shifts in generational norms.

Participants are required to arrive 15 minutes before the start of the session.

The door will be closed 10 minutes before the scheduled time. This session is on the record, open to the reporting media and broadcast on television.

The debate will feature Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III, President of the Philippines; Mari Elka Pangestu, Indonesia’s Minister of Trade; Global Agenda Council on Competitiveness and Abhisit Vejjajiva, Prime Minister of Thailand, with Mishal Husain, Anchor and Reporter of UK’s BBC World News as moderator. —JP