Regional Food Security and Trade Policy in Southeast Asia: The Role of ASEAN

The report argues that the 2007/08 food crisis exposed a lack of solidarity within ASEAN, as member states prioritised national food market protection and global exports over regional cooperation. It highlights the risk posed by the proposed Organization for Rice Exporting Countries (OREC) and calls for the alignment of national policies with regionalism, the expansion of existing mechanisms like the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS), and the implementation of social safety nets to mitigate the impacts of open trade.

• The 2007/08 food crisis revealed a conflict between ASEAN's goal of being an open economic grouping and the tendency of member states to protect their own food markets. During this period, some major rice-producing nations prioritised global supply needs over the food requirements of other ASEAN members, undermining regional solidarity.
• The proposed creation of the Organization for Rice Exporting Countries (OREC) by some rice-exporting nations was perceived as a political threat and a potential agricultural cartel, which could hinder regional cooperation.
• To address regional food insecurity, the document recommends aligning national policies with ASEAN regionalism and utilizing existing frameworks, including the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS), the Strategic Plan of Action for Food Security (SPA-FS), the ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS), and the East Asian Emergency Rice Reserve (EAERR).

APA

Lontoh,, A. C. C. A. (2010). Regional Food Security and Trade Policy in Southeast Asia: The Role of ASEAN. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/regional-food-security-and-trade-policy-southeast-asia-role-asean

Chicago

Lontoh,, Alexander C. Chandra,Lucky A. Regional Food Security and Trade Policy in Southeast Asia: The Role of ASEAN. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2010. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/regional-food-security-and-trade-policy-southeast-asia-role-asean.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lontoh, |first1=Alexander C. Chandra,Lucky A. |title=Regional Food Security and Trade Policy in Southeast Asia: The Role of ASEAN |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=25 June 2010 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/regional-food-security-and-trade-policy-southeast-asia-role-asean |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lontoh2010regional, author = {Lontoh,, Alexander C. Chandra,Lucky A.}, title = {{Regional Food Security and Trade Policy in Southeast Asia: The Role of ASEAN}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2010}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/regional-food-security-and-trade-policy-southeast-asia-role-asean}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }