Shared prosperity means no one is left behind

GO NEGOSYO PILIPINAS

- ANGAT LAHAT! JOEY CONCEPCION

The previous weeks have been a flurry of activity. I traveled to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the 46th ASEAN Summit and delivered a speech before the leaders of the ten ASEAN countries (plus Timor-Leste) during the 103rd ASEAN BAC Council Meeting Interface with ASEAN Leaders.

I took it as an opportunity to introduce the Philippines' planned legacy project, the ASEAN Food Security Alliance (AFSA), when the country assumes the chairmanship in 2026. Each country initiates a legacy project as it becomes chair for the year. In the last chairmanship of the Philippines, we chose the ASEAN Mentorship for Entrepreneurs Network as our legacy project, in line with our advocacy to promote MSMEs and mentorship as catalysts for growth and regional economic cooperation.

AFSA will serve as a platform for regional cooperation by way of agriculture and food systems. Through this alliance, we aim to combat poverty and enhance food resilience by harnessing the strengths of ASEAN's leading agriculture enterprises.

Food security is key to economic stability and social well-being. Securing food systems means securing livelihoods, especially in rural areas where there is a lot of agricultural activity. Making food security a business agenda aligns with ASEAN's broader goals of inclusive growth, poverty reduction and resilience, particularly against global shocks amid climate change and supply chain disruptions.

AFSA was created to meet this challenge head-on. As a regional platform, our mission is to strengthen regional cooperation and value chain development on ASEAN's food systems. With AFSA, we hope to drive scalable solutions, including in agri-tech and sustainable farming, by facilitating dialogue and partnership among agribusiness companies, relevant institutions, policymakers and other key stakeholders.