On 19-20 September 2023, the AFSIS Secretariat attended the Satellite Applications for Societal Benefit Working Group (SAWG) which was a working group session of APRSAF-29 that was jointly organized by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) of Indonesia, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The APRSAF-29 was held in Jakarta, Indonesia this year.
2 representatives from the AFSIS Secretariat which were Dr. Sumanya Ngandee, AFSIS Manager, and Ms. Prodpran Lomthong, Project Coordinator, attended the SAWG physically and virtually respectively.
The SAWG session had the following objectives: to promote and facilitate the utilization of space-based systems, including Earth observation satellites and navigation satellites, in conjunction with ground-based information to contribute to global agendas. This contribution aims to address a wide array of common social issues in the region while also establishing and strengthening a sustainable cooperative framework between space agencies and stakeholders, including end-users and development aid agencies.
During the SAWG session, Dr. Sumanya had the honor of presenting the AFSIS project and its implementation of Rice Growing Outlook (RGO) activity, including the collaboration with relevant organizations such as JAXA, MAFF, ISRO, RESTEC, GISTDA, and VNSC regarding the utilization of satellite-derived agricultural information through the human resource development activities. Furthermore, AFSIS’ suggestion to keep continuous dialog with the space community to improve the efficiency of the RGO report and for the capacity-building activity for ASEAN member countries was acknowledged.
In this regard, the Meeting discussed the way forward to extend the good results of RGO activity in collaboration with AFSIS to other countries and regions to other programs and initiatives i.e., ISRO’s Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) or United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP).
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On 13–15 January 2026, the Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE), Thailand, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Japan, and the AFSIS Secretariat, conducted the 1st Meeting of Japan–Thailand Expert Dialogue on Agricultural Statistics. The meeting was held at the Office of Agricultural Economics and field survey activities in Chonburi Province.
On 3–4 December 2025, the ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS) Secretariat participated in the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) Table Top Exercise (TTX) held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam.
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AFSIS and Development of Human Resources" in Cambodia On 27 November 2025, Mr. Charapon Chantorn, Deputy AFSIS Manager, participated in the Completion and Handover Ceremony of the project “Establishing the Real-Time ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS) and Development of Human Resources, Phase 3 – Pilot Project on Strategic Crop Forecasting System for Food Security in Cambodia.” The ceremony was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and jointly hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) of the Republic of Korea, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Cambodia, and the Korea Rural Community Corporation (KRC).
AFSIS Participated in APRSAF-31 to Strengthen Space Technology Cooperation for Regional Food Security On 18–19 November 2025, in Cebu City, the Republic of the Philippines, the ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS) Secretariat, represented by Mr. Charapon Chantorn, Deputy AFSIS Manager, participated in the 31st Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF-31). The Forum, a key platform for promoting regional cooperation in space technology across the Asia-Pacific region, was co-organized by the Philippines Space Agency (PhilSA), the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
