ASEAN cooperation for food security

A recent poll indicated that the Filipino public would like the Marcos Jr. Administration to assign the highest priority to food security, together with healthcare and infrastructure.

- BERNARDO M. VILLEGAS

Considering that a major reason for the high cost of food in the Philippines can be attributed to poor infrastructure such as farm-to-market roads, irrigation, and post-harvest facilities, one can conclude that addressing the shortage and poor state of physical infrastructures in the countryside can contribute directly to food security.

It is, therefore, worth celebrating that on May 26 to 27, the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN BAC), through its chairperson Joey Concepcion, presented to the 10 ASEAN leaders (plus Timor-Leste) a plan for stronger collaboration in food and agriculture. We should rejoice that while there are parts of the developed world that are repudiating closer economic ties among countries by raising very high tariffs, we in the ASEAN are ever looking for ways to foster closer economic ties.

Mr. Concepcion highlighted the importance of the ASEAN Food Security Alliance (AFSA), which will serve as a platform for regional cooperation in agriculture and food systems. The most important objective of this alliance is the combatting of mass poverty and the enhancement of food resilience by harnessing the strengths of the leading agribusiness enterprises of the ASEAN.

It is notable that through the efforts of private businesspeople and entrepreneurs like Joey Concepcion and other members of the ASEAN BAC, it is the private sector that is taking the lead in driving collaborative and scalable solutions that build resilience, reduce hunger, and promote inclusive growth across the ASEAN region. Especially in the field of agribusiness, it is desirable that the private business sector assume the role of the engine of growth, with the Government providing the indispensable public infrastructure and regulatory framework.