On 27 August 2024, the AFSIS Secretariat participated in the inaugural meeting of the preliminary study exploring a 'Local Resource-based Food Reserve' mechanism in the ASEAN Member States. Hosted virtually by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Indonesia, and the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) Secretariat, the meeting aimed to clarify the study's objectives, expected outcomes, scope, and timeline.
Dr. Pham Quang Minh, Assistant Director and Head of Food, Agriculture and Forestry at the ASEAN Secretariat, delivered remarks at the meeting, setting the tone for the discussions.
The meeting brought together representatives from ERIA, the ASEAN Secretariat, Indonesia's Ministry of Agriculture, the APTERR Secretariat, the AFSIS Secretariat, and various ASEAN member countries. The meeting concluded successfully, with the AFSIS Secretariat expressing optimism that the study's findings would enhance cooperation and contribute effectively to regional food security efforts.
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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.
