The AFSIS Secretariat participated in the 10th International Conference on Agricultural Statistics (ICAS X), held from 8 to 10 July 2026 at the ICE Krakow Congress Centre in Krakow, Poland. Jointly organized by Statistics Poland, Eurostat, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the World Bank Group, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). ICAS X serves as a global platform for sharing best practices, research, and innovative approaches to address the evolving needs of agricultural statistics. The conference brought together producers and users of agricultural data from around the world to exchange experiences and explore the latest methodological developments in agricultural statistics.
On this occasion, Dr. Sumanya Ngandee, AFSIS Manager, was invited to deliver a presentation entitled "Overview of the ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS): Two Decades of Regional Cooperation and the Integration of Satellite Technology" under the session "Enhancing Regional Cooperation: The Case of Rice Statistics Development in Southeast Asia through AFSIS and Satellite Technology". During the presentation, Dr. Sumanya highlighted the vital role of the AFSIS Secretariat as a regional mechanism for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating food security information across ASEAN. She also showcased more than two decades of successful collaboration between the AFSIS Secretariat and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan in strengthening agricultural statistics and food security information systems throughout the region.
The presentation further emphasized the introduction of satellite technology and the INAHOR system for estimating rice cultivation areas and enhancing agricultural monitoring. These initiatives have strengthened the capacity of ASEAN Member States to utilize geospatial technologies, contributing to the development ofan efficient and reliable agricultural information system that supports food security across the ASEAN region. The session also featured the presentation on A Satellite-Based Rice Planted Area Estimation Tool Using Synthetic Aperture Radar from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, INAHOR activities in Lao PDR and Vietnam, and the future vision of MAFF Japan for ASEAN food security cooperation with AFSIS Secretariat.
The conference concluded successfully, reaffirming the importance of international collaboration in advancing agricultural statistics and strengthening food security through innovation and knowledge sharing. AFSIS' participation reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening regional cooperation and promoting the use of advanced technologies to support sustainable agricultural development and food security in the ASEAN region.
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On 24–25 June 2026, AFSIS Secretariat participated in the 46th Meeting of the ASEAN Food Security Reserve Board (AFSRB) via a virtual conference. The Meeting was jointly organized by the AFSRB Secretariat and the Department of Agriculture (DOA), Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MOALI) of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, and was hosted in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.
On 17–18 June 2026, the 24th AFSIS Focal Point Meeting was successfully convened via video conference, hosted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in collaboration with the ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS) Secretariat.
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The ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS) Secretariat, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) Japan, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Remote Sensing Technology Center of Japan (RESTEC), and Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), conducted the 2nd Hands-on Training Courses for Agricultural Statisticians, the Final Workshop, and the 2nd Seminar for Executive Officials under the JAIF Project entitled “Improvement of Rice Paddy Area Statistics and Damage Assessment using Earth Observation Satellites for ASEAN” in Sriracha, Chonburi Province, and Bangkok, Thailand.
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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.
