In the face of climate change and the realization of how fragile our global food supply chains are, I think it is high time we took the first steps to ensure food security not just for our country but also for our neighbors in the ASEAN.
No doubt the agriculture sector is already a challenge. Some of the ASEAN countries are doing well in one crop, but have challenges in others; this is true for all our neighbors. That is why as I leave today for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, I have high hopes for the formation of what I foresee as an ASEAN Food Security Alliance.
Imagine if we were to reach such a level of agricultural productivity that we can trade with each other and still provide for our respective populations? This will benefit not just the agriculture industries of the ASEAN countries but also put us on a path toward developing cooperative relationships within the public and private sectors to ensure food security for the entire region – an ASEAN Food Security Alliance, if you will.
In both programs, we partner with what we call “big brothers” from the private sector to lend their resources, time and expertise to help mentor small and medium entrepreneurs. In KALAP, this has even extended to creating an environment in which farmers can break free from the cycle of living hand-to-mouth, using policy changes and cooperative systems to integrate into the value chain of the big companies.
The MOU signing in July was followed by a visit led by Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed in September and, after months of planning, we are finally here on the ground, fleshing out how we can put into action the ideals of this cooperation. With hope, this will be followed by similar trade visits to the rest of the countries that signed with us. I look forward to the potential collaborations we can form with the agriculture companies in Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Myanmar, Brunei, Laos and Thailand.
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