ERIA Engages with the Philippines' National Food Authority to Strengthen Food Security and Reserves

Manila, 5 December 2024: The Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) is conducting a study titled Preliminary Study for Exploring a Local Resource-Based Food Reserve (LRBFR) Mechanism in ASEAN Member States to conceptualise a new food reserve mechanism. This initiative follows the ASEAN Leaders' Declaration on Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Response to Crises, adopted at the ASEAN Summit under Indonesia's ASEAN Chairmanship in 2023. In this declaration, ASEAN leaders committed to exploring the establishment of an LRBFR for ASEAN Member States.

As part of this initiative, ERIA's study team, comprising Masanori Kozono, Senior Policy Fellow; Siti Mustaqimatud Diyanah, Research Associate; and Prof. Achmad Suryana, Senior Researcher at the Indonesian Agriculture Researchers Alliance and Lead Consultant for the study, visited the National Food Authority (NFA) of the Philippines on 5 December. The visit aimed to discuss the roles and mechanisms of regional and national food reserves in ensuring food security.

During the discussions, the ERIA team presented the study's background, objectives, team composition, and expected outcomes, emphasising the importance of the Philippines' engagement. The Philippines plays a critical role as an active participant in regional reserve mechanisms like the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR).

Dr Larry Del Rosario Lacson, Administrator of the NFA, shared insights on national food security policies and the government's food reserve mechanisms. He highlighted the NFA's mission to maintain a rice buffer stock to ensure domestic supply during calamities and emergencies. Additionally, he provided practical insights on the LRBFR mechanism, drawing from the experiences of operating both government food reserves and APTERR.

The ERIA team also met with Dr Roehlano M. Briones, a leading expert on food reserve mechanisms, at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies. Dr Briones provided valuable information on recent discussions and developments in food reserves at global, regional, and national levels.

These productive engagements represent significant progress in ERIA's study. By incorporating country-specific insights and case studies, ERIA aims to develop a comprehensive assessment of the feasibility of an ASEAN LRBFR mechanism to enhance regional food security. A concept note on the LRBFR, to be developed as part of the study, is expected to be presented to the relevant ASEAN Sectoral Working Group for further deliberation.