On 24-25 October 2024, the AFSIS Secretariat, in collaboration with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) the Remote Sensing Technology Center of Japan (RESTEC) and Digital Transformation and Agricultural Statistics (DTS), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), conducted a workshop Promote rice planted area and production estimation using space-based technologies in Vietnam at B5 Building, 2nd floor, DTS, MARD, No2. Ngoc Ha Street, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi
The opening session was conducted by Dr. Dang Ding Hien Deputy Director of DTS, MARD of Vietnam, Dr. Shinichi Sobue, Co-Chair of the SAFE Executive Board Space Applications for Societal Benefit Working Group, Mr. Masahiro Hosaka, Deputy Director of the Statistics Department at Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Mr. Miyake Yasuhiro, AFSIS Expert
This workshop aims to strengthen the capabilities of officials from the DTS and Regional office in utilizing remote sensing data to assess rice cultivation areas and estimate rice production using ALOS-2 and Sentinel-2 satellites. This initiative is integral to improving agricultural monitoring through the INAHOR system.
This workshop was completed with the cooperation of all participants. and its results will enhance the capacity of officials to improve the accuracy of statistical data collection. Additionally, it will support in-country activities under the SAFER project. AFSIS plans to organize more training workshops related to INAHOR activities next year.
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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.
