On 8 August 2024, AFSIS Secretariat participated in the Special Senior Officials Meeting of the 23rd Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry Plus Three (SSOM-23rdAMAF+3) hosted by Malaysia as a physical meeting. The representatives of the AFSIS Secretariat were Dr. Sumanya Ngandee, AFSIS Manager,
During the meeting, Dr. Sumanya reported the meeting of the progress of the AFSIS in the 2023-2024(Q2) and future work plan. Furthermore, the sustainability of AFSIS including the Joint Understanding of AFSIS which was adopted in the 22nd AFSIS Focal Point Meeting in June 2024 was presented in the aforesaid meetings.
The Meeting noted the AFSIS progress report for 2023-2024(Q2), which includes outcomes from the 22nd AFSIS Focal Point Meeting and activities from 2023-2024(Q2). In terms of administrative functions, Human resource development activities, food security information development, and cooperation projects with Plus Three countries and other relevant organizations on the importance of agricultural statistical data and information management in the ASEAN.
The Meeting also endorsed the Joint Understanding from the 22nd AFSIS Focal Point Meeting. This endorsement supports the sustainability of AFSIS by reinforcing its role, function, and long-term viability However, the Meeting requested that the AMS submit their feedback on the Joint Understanding to the AFSIS Secretariat by 20 August 2024.
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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.
