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.
The Meeting was attended by AFSIS Focal Points and delegates from ASEAN Plus Three countries. Representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) Secretariat, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Remote Sensing Technology Center of Japan (RESTEC), and the AFSIS Secretariat also participated in the Meeting.
The main objectives of the Meeting were to review the progress and achievements of AFSIS activities during 2025–2026 (Q2), discuss future work plans, and exchange views on strategic directions for strengthening regional food security information systems and human resource development. The Meeting also served as a platform for ASEAN Plus Three member countries to provide recommendations on the future development and sustainability of AFSIS.
On this occasion, the Welcome Address was delivered by Dr. Sumanya Ngandee, AFSIS Manager. The Opening Remarks were delivered by Dr. Benjamin Arsenio Y. Navarro, Director of the International Cooperation Unit of the Office of the National Statistician (ONS-ICU), PSA.
During the Meeting, the AFSIS Secretariat reported the successful completion of major activities under the Project for Strengthening ASEAN Food Security Information System Function for Emergency (SAFER) and presented the progress of the Project for AFSIS Geospatial Informatization Support (AFSIS-GIS), which aims to enhance the application of geospatial technologies and Earth observation data in agricultural statistics and food security monitoring across the ASEAN region. The Meeting also received updates from representatives of APTERR, JAXA, RESTEC, the Republic of Korea, the People’s Republic of China, MAFF of Japan, and ADB on ongoing and future areas of cooperation related to food security, satellite technology, agricultural statistics, and disaster impact assessment.
In addition, the Meeting discussed the implementation of activities under the ASEAN Food, Agriculture, and Forestry Sectoral Plan (FAF-SP) 2026–2030 and exchanged views on strengthening regional monitoring mechanisms to enhance food security resilience in response to emerging challenges, including climate variability, geopolitical uncertainties, disruptions in agricultural input supply chains, and market volatility.
A key agenda item of the Meeting was the discussion on the long-term sustainability of AFSIS under the framework of the Joint Understanding of the 22nd AFSIS Focal Point Meeting for
the Sustainability of AFSIS, which was endorsed by ASEAN Plus Three Member Countries and acknowledged at the 24th AMAF+3 Meeting in 2024. The Meeting reaffirmed the important role of AFSIS in supporting regional food security through information sharing, data analysis, and capacity building, and expressed continued support for strengthening AFSIS as a sustainable regional mechanism.
The Meeting also exchanged views on possible approaches to enhance the long-term sustainability of AFSIS, including the review of the Joint Understanding and the development of future operational and contribution frameworks. The AFSIS Secretariat will further prepare relevant guidelines and supporting documents for future consideration by Member Countries and relevant ASEAN mechanisms.
The 24th AFSIS Focal Point Meeting concluded successfully with active participation and constructive discussions from all delegates, reflecting the shared commitment of ASEAN Plus Three countries toward strengthening regional food security and advancing the sustainability of AFSIS.
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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.
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.
