AFSIS Secretariat had an opportunity to consult with Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAORAP) regarding a project for Supporting Agricultural Survey on Promoting Sustainable Agriculture in ASEAN Region (SAS-PSA) related to SDG indicator 2.4.1.
AFSIS Secretariat discussed with FAORAP about the progress of the SAS-PSA project implementation in Thailand and implementation plan of the SAS-PSA project related to SDG indicator 2.4.1 in Cambodia and Lao PDR. FAORAP informed that the Cambodian government collaborated with FAO and World Bank for implementing the Agricultural Integrated Survey (AGRIS) programme for the whole Cambodia and the questions related to the SDG indicator 2.4.1 were included in the AGRIS questionnaire survey. Thus, AFSIS Secretariat has to seek the other roles/activities for implementing the SAS-PSA project in Cambodia. While Lao PDR is now doing national agricultural census. FAORAP suggested that AFSIS Secretariat should wait for the sampling frame from agricultural census to identify agricultural household for the pilot survey of the SAS-PSA project.
Moreover, the FAORAP appreciated to the questionnaire of the SAS-PSA project related to SDG indicator 2.4.1 that is based on the FAO Survey Module with additional questions related to COVID-19 situation. Lastly, AFSIS Secretariat also consulted in the issue of the calculation of sub-indicator 10 (Food Insecurity Experience Scale: FIES) for SDG indicator 2.4.1 that FAORAP will conduct the methodological training and demonstrate how to calculate FIES afterwards.
The Meeting also noted the strong collaboration between FAORAP, AFSIS Secretariat and Thai Government to strengthen food security information in ASEAN region and develop capacity building in ASEAN member countries.
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.
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On 5–6 March 2026, the AFSIS Secretariat participated in the 14th Meeting of the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) Council via video conference, hosted by the Kingdom of Cambodia. The meeting brought together representatives from ASEAN Plus Three countries, the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN Food Security Reserve Board (AFSRB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the APTERR Secretariat, and the AFSIS Secretariat to discuss key issues related to regional food security and emergency rice reserves.
