Build It and They Will Come: Commitment to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ rice policy mechanisms

This research paper examines the politicization of rice in Southeast Asia and argues that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should strengthen existing information-sharing and reserve mechanisms to improve regional food security and market stability, rather than attempting full trade liberalization.

• Rice is highly politicized in Southeast Asia, with governments prioritizing domestic supply security and price stability over the health of the broader international rice economy. This has led to a trend of more insular rice policy strategies, particularly following the price volatilities of 2007–2008.
• The global rice market is characterized by low trade volume, with only 7 per cent of the world's rice crossing borders. This thin trade, combined with protectionist policies and a lack of transparent data, contributes to significant price volatility.
• The 2007–2008 food price crisis was triggered by India banning rice exports following wheat crop failures, which led to panic-buying and hoarding by other exporters and importers, despite there being no actual shortage of rice in the world market.
• The 2009 ASEAN Integrated Food Security Framework (AIFS) aims to improve information availability through the ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS). However, AFSIS data is often untimely and suffers from a lack of full reporting by member countries and insufficient data analysis.
• The ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve is a collaborative effort to build trust and stability in the rice sector. China, Japan, and South Korea have pledged 300,000, 250,000, and 150,000 tonnes respectively, while ASEAN member countries combined will contribute 87,000 tonnes.
• Some stakeholders have proposed an international rice futures market based in Singapore to improve transparency. However, the author warns that such a market would require stringent regulation to prevent outside speculators from driving price increases and volatility.

APA

Trethewie, S., & Ewing, J. J. (2012). Build It and They Will Come: Commitment to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ rice policy mechanisms. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd_tkn_perspectives_may_2012.pdf

Chicago

Trethewie, Sally, and J. Jackson Ewing. Build It and They Will Come: Commitment to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ rice policy mechanisms. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2012. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd_tkn_perspectives_may_2012.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Trethewie |first1=Sally |last2=Ewing |first2=J. Jackson |title=Build It and They Will Come: Commitment to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ rice policy mechanisms |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=May 2012 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd_tkn_perspectives_may_2012.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{trethewie2012build, author = {Trethewie, Sally and Ewing, J. Jackson}, title = {{Build It and They Will Come: Commitment to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ rice policy mechanisms}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2012}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/iisd_tkn_perspectives_may_2012.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }