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 serves as a key platform for promoting regional cooperation in space technology throughout the Asia-Pacific region. It 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).
The APRSAF-31 aimed to strengthen international collaboration on the utilization of space technologies to enhance economic and social benefits, as well as to highlight the role of space applications as an essential driver of sustainable development.
During the Meeting, Mr. Charapon joined the Satellite Applications for Societal Benefit Working Group (SAWG) and delivered a presentation on “Satellite Data and AI Technology for Crop Area Estimation and Growth Condition Monitoring under the AFSIS" the presentation highlighted on the application of satellite data and remote sensing technology in producing the Rice Growing Outlook (RGO) and Maize Growing Outlook (MGO), as well as the use of the INAHOR system for estimating rice planted areas, is an essential tool for monitoring agricultural production across Southeast Asia.
He also emphasized AFSIS’s efforts in capacity building through training programs on the use of the JASMAI and INAHOR systems, aimed at enhancing the ability of ASEAN member state officers to utilize satellite data for agricultural planning and decision-making.
In addition, Mr. Charapon presented updates on AFSIS’s new initiative supported by MAFF of Japan, the Project for ASEAN Food Security Information System – Geospatial Informatization Support (AFSIS-GIS Project), which will be implemented over the next three years (2025-2028) to strengthen further geospatial applications within ASEAN’s food security information systems.
The APRSAF-31 underscored the importance of regional cooperation, knowledge exchange, and joint capacity enhancement to advance sustainable food security across ASEAN member states.
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).
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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.
