The ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS) in cooperation with the National Information Society Agency (NIA) of the Republic of Korea hosted the capacity building workshop on “ASEAN+3 Rice Trade Outlook and IT-based Agricultural Development” during 29 May to 1 June 2018 in Seoul, Republic of Korea. The objective is to enhance capacity of high-level officials related to ASEAN+3 Rice Trade (Supply and Demand) Forecast Model using EXCEL and agricultural data collection using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools and techniques (e.g. Geographic Information System: GIS, Satellite, and Drone).
There are 20 participants fromalmost all ASEAN member states. The delegates learned about the concept of ASEAN+3 Rice Trade (Forecast) Model using EXCEL, Korea’s experience for agricultural and rural development, 4th industrial revolution and agricultural R&D in Korea, Korean Smart Farm Policy and Technology, Korean experience for transforming society via ICT, and the application of ICT for agricultural data collection. They also shared and discussed how each country collects and manages agricultural information, especially rice-related data through the rice value chain using information systems. Moreover, the participants had filed trip to visit the Rural Development Administration (RDA) in Wansan-gu district, North Jeolla province and see Korea’s best practices farm (a tomato and paprika smart farm) in Buyeo county, South Chungcheong province.
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On 23 April 2026, the AFSIS Secretariat participated in the Ad-Hoc Senior Officials Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (SOM-AMAF), held via a virtual platform, to discuss the implications of recent developments in the Middle East on regional food security and to identify coordinated measures to enhance ASEAN’s food resilience, in preparation for the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) Meeting.
The agricultural sector plays a vital role in supporting food security and livelihoods across ASEAN, where diverse production capacities shape the availability of major agricultural commodities such as rice, maize, sugarcane, soybean, and cassava. This report examines the SSR patterns across ASEAN to emphasize regional strengths, structural imbalances, and the implications for food security and agricultural policy in the region.
The self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) is a key indicator of food security. It shows how well Southeast Asian countries can meet rice demand through domestic production, with the region overall remaining increasingly self-sufficient despite ongoing challenges.
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On 19 March 2026, the AFSIS Secretariat participated in the Asia and the Pacific Food Systems Forum 2026 under the theme “Feeding the Future, Sustaining the Planet” in Manila, the Philippines, organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) . The forum aimed to promote food security policies, review ADB’s related initiatives, and support long-term food systems transformation.
