Monitoring Key Indicators Across Countries for
Food Security in Asia – Experience of the ASEAN
Food Security Information System (AFSIS)
By
Suriyan Vichitlekarn
Asst. Director/Head, Agriculture Industries and Natural Resources Division
ASEAN Secretariat
Technical Workshop & Conference: Knowledge, Tools and Lessons for
Informing the Design and Implementation of Food Security Strategies in Asia
14-16 November 2011, Kathmandu, Nepal
One Vision, One Identity, One Community

Background & Introduction
 Food security – a long standing agenda both
in ASEAN Community building and external
ASEAN relations (ASEAN Plus)
 Food security – a dynamic and cross-sectoral
issue of which the context evolves through
time.
 Population growth and change of food
consumption patterns
 Food-Fuel-Financial crises
 2007/08 & 2010/11 soaring food prices
 Impacts of climate change, including extreme
climate events i.e. floods and droughts, natural
disasters, large-scale pest outbreaks
 Irregular volatility of food commodity prices
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AIFS Framework and SPA-FS
 “Food security” exists when all people, at all times,
have physical and economic access to sufficient,
safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary
needs and food preferences for an active and
healthy life. (World Food Summit, 1996)

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AIFS Framework and SPA-FS
Goal: To ensure long-term food security and to improve the livelihoods
of farmers in the ASEAN region.
ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS)
Component 1: Food Security
Emergency/Shortage Relief
Strategic Thrust 1: Strengthen Food
Security Arrangements
Component 3: Integrated Food
Security Information System
Strategic Thrust 3: Strengthen
Integrated Food Security Information
Systems
Component 4: Agri-Innovation
Strategic Thrusts 4: Promote Sustainable
Food Production
Strategic Thrusts 5: Encourage Greater
Investment in Food and Agro-based Industry
Strategic Thrusts 6: Identify and Address
Emerging Issues (i.e. Bio-energy, impacts of
Climate Change) Related to Food Security
Component 2: Sustainable Food Trade
Development
Strategic Thrust 2: Promote Conducive Food
Market and Trade

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Expectations from AFSIS
 A regional mechanism/platform for:
 A regional self-sustained food security
information system
 Enhancing national agricultural statistics and
information systems as a basis for regional
cooperation through capacity building
 Integration of food security related information
i.e. climate change, bio-energy
 Addressing specific information gaps for
improvement of food security in the region

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Expectations from AFSIS
 A timely monitoring & planning tool for:
 Leaders and Ministers
 Support national/ regional policy planning and
intervention
 Informed decisions of national food stock/
reserve managers and traders
 5 Main Commodities and beyond (e.g.
including livestocks and fisheries) with better
analysis and reporting
 Other food security related information

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Expectations from AFSIS
 A timely monitoring & planning tool for:
 Support effective implementation of the regional
emergency rice reserve (APTERR)
 Conducive market and trade of key food
commodities
 Support sustainable food production, R&D, etc.
 Promoting investment in agriculture
 Support development of other food security
projects/initiatives

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Historical Development of AFSIS
 Before 2003
 Regional cooperation project as part of strengthening national
agricultural statistical systems
 Focusing on adopting and implementing international standards and
methodologies
 No clear focus on food security
 No clear follow-up implementation at the national level due to lack of
clear national policy and plan

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Historical Development of AFSIS
 AFSIS  a flag ship project – a ground breaking for long-
term food security information system!
 Phase I: 2003-2007, Phase II: 2008-2012
 Objectives: HRD and regional FS information networking
 Key coverage: information network system (hard & soft), capacity
development (human and institutional), database on key stable food
commodities, website, EWI & ACO reports
 Funding & technical support from Japan, FAO and ADB

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Strategy:
Capacity Building for ASEAN Member Countries
Human Resource
Development
- Trainings for Officials in
Member Country
- Mutual Technical
Cooperation
Information Network
Development
- Database System
- Early Warning Information
- Agricultural Commodity Outlook
- Network equipment
AFSIT Center
China, Korea
Statistics and Information Capacity in ASEAN
Member Countries is raised
Country Statistical Institution can provide:
> Information required for policy planning
> Accurate and reliable information
> Timely information
Food Security in ASEAN + 3 Region is Strengthened
Concerned
intitutions/initiatives, e.g.
APTERR, ASEAN Rice Trade
Forum
Management
Information
Advisory support
Trainings
ASEAN Secretariat
Overall Concept of AFSIS Project
Japan
Technical

Challenges & Opportunities
 AFSIS  a self sustained regional networking
mechanism
 From project to strategic partnership
 Resource mobilisation
 Coordination: levels, themes, agencies
 Accuracy and timeliness and expansion of coverage
and linkages with other FS related initiatives
 Inter sub-regional exchange and cooperation on FS
information and beyond: countries-countries, AFSIS
Sec-SAFSIS Sec, ASEAN Sec-SAARC Sec.
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Lessons Learnt
 National FS information systems serve primarily
national purposes & requirements.
 However, working towards regional cooperation
framework
 Regionally comparable data/information system not
standardization of methodology
 FS information, an integral part of FS strategies. FS
information system needs investment, plan well
(short & long-terms).
 Be modest at start, expand through time and
increased capacity and resources
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Lessons Learnt
 Not only tools but means of communication. It
needs user interface and sharing platform
 Make sense of what you have and due
consideration on information packaging,
presentation and delivery
 Capacity building: linkages and synergies of human
& institutional capacity building
 Be clear about routine & non-routine, must have &
nice to have
 Policy makers need to be educated as well. But
beware, they don’t want to be preached.
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Lessons Learnt
 Project can help and is needed but sustainability
should be thought through at the drawing board.
 Occasional dialogues between producers and users
are needed.
 Inter-agency coordination requires innovative ideas.
 Often times, data/information is available but may
not be accessible or in the form ready to be used.
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Thank you
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Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic
access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and
food preferences for an active and healthy life.
(World Food Summit, 1996 and adopted by AIFS Framework, 2009)