The ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS) in cooperation with theRemote Sensing Technology Center of Japan (RESTEC) and Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) organized the Japan Asia Youth Exchange Program in Science or “Sakura Science Program 2021”. The program objective is to improve human capacity, especially for young generation officers who will play a critical role in the field of science and technology in the future, for agriculture knowledge and its utilization through Japanese science and technology.
This time the program is designed in two stages with 15 participants from almost ASEAN Member countries, namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The first stage is introduction of the program through online training on January 28, 2021 and February 4, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the second stage is actual visit in Japan in the second half of 2021.
In the open ceremony, the program was honored by Mr. Kaname IKEDA, President of RESTEC, and Dr. Waraporn Saelee, AFSIS Manager, to open the remarks. They highlighted the great cooperation and success in past several years in commitment to continue implementing the Sakura Science Program in conducting the training on the utilization of remote sensing technology for agricultural statistics and experiences in Japanese culture and technology.
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.
