Venezuelan elections, tariffs and food discussed at G20

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"No" to protectionism: that’s the word from the Group of 20 (G20) ministers in Argentina. The group member countries foreign ministers and central bank governors on Monday rejected US tariffs on steel and aluminum.

They also condemned the presidential election in Venezuela.

But CGTN’s Joel Richards reports that the group is also discussing a challenge that affects everyone: food.

Argentina's Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie speaks alongside his counterparts of Germany Heiko Maas and of Japan's Taro Kono during a news conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 21, 2018. / Reuters Photo

Among the topics to be discussed are employment, infrastructure and sustainable food.

Argentina produces enough food for an estimated 400 million people, according to the country’s foreign minister, who said it aims to increase that amount by 50 percent in the coming years.

Argentina is the world’s third largest soybean producer. But a prolonged drought, followed by heavy rains, has affected the harvest.

(L to R) Ministers of Foreign Affairs from Japan, Taro Kono, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson of Great Britain, Argentina Jorge Faurie, Germany Heiko Maas, pose for a group photo at the Palacio San Martin during the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 21, 2018. / VCG Photo

Yet some sectors, including fruit, are expanding. Last year, Argentina reached an agreement with China to export blueberries.

The company, Extraberries, has been around for two decades. Sales manager Matias Notti said Argentina needs to improve infrastructure to meet a growing global demand.

“Technology and robotics have allowed us to dominate our market, by allowing us to exercise much greater control over our products,” he said. “We can reject goods the market doesn’t want. But it’s important to have investment plans for the short, medium and long term, in addition to government support. When we do, technology helps ensure that we have a healthy product.”

This picture shows a general view of the plenary session, during the G20 foreign ministers' meeting at Palacio San Martin in Buenos Aires, May 21, 2018. / VCG Photo

This week’s meeting of the G20 foreign ministers is a chance for nations to discuss and work toward multilateral agreements on these issues.

As hosts of the G20 Leaders’ Summit scheduled later this year in Buenos Aires, Argentina has outlined three priorities: food security, infrastructure and jobs. But when the foreign ministers gathered on Monday, regional politics dominated the headlines. Six nations at the ministerial meeting rejected the presidential election results in Venezuela.

Leaders from the G20 countries and invited nations will meet in Argentina in late November.

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