SINGAPORE (Bernama): Asean needs to strengthen cooperation in regional food supply chains to address geopolitical uncertainties and the threat of extreme weather, said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.
He said Asean member states should take collective action and responsibility and step up discussions to address challenges facing regional food supply chains.
"For example, when haze occurs, we hope Asean can take collective action through discussions and cooperation to ensure that food supply chains, including those for vegetables, rice and meat, are not disrupted.
"If one Asean country faces a problem, we will share the responsibility, as we are also expected to face a super El Nino phenomenon that could bring changes in weather patterns and potentially affect food production,” he told Bernama on Thursday.
Mohamad attended the 48th Meeting of the Asean Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF), chaired by Singapore on Thursday.
Singapore, which will chair Asean in 2027, officially took over the AMAF chairmanship from the Philippines.
Mohamad said Malaysia had also emphasised the need to strengthen cooperation in food technology to address challenges facing regional food supply chains.
"Therefore, we hope Asean member states will work together to help one another,” he said.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s Sustainability and the Environment Minister Grace Fu stressed the need for closer cooperation with external partners to address challenges that transcend national and regional boundaries.
In this regard, she said Singapore, as AMAF Chair, would table a concept note on the Food Security Resilience Pact 2045, a long-term framework aimed at strengthening regional resilience in food availability, climate adaptation, technology, supply chains, emergency preparedness and financing.
"Singapore is also exploring ways to strengthen support for smallholder farmers in Southeast Asia by galvanising partnerships across governments, industry and other stakeholders to accelerate the development and deployment of climate-resilient solutions across the region.
"Together, these initiatives reflect our shared commitment to build a more resilient, sustainable and food-secure Asean,” she said. -- BERNAMA
