Australia and New Zealand key to ensuring Asean’s food security

During a recent Asean-Australia post-ministerial conference in Vientiane, Laos, Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi highlighted the critical role partners such as Australia must play in easing the region’s food insecurity.

Boosting domestic agricultural production seems like the obvious answer. Yet the severity of challenges that countries face, such as land and water constraints, cannot be solved overnight. Instead, a regional approach is needed.

Some steps have already been taken. Notably, the Asean Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve with China, Japan, and South Korea provides a collective rice reserve for use in emergencies or natural disasters. However, the current environment shows that stronger measures which draw on leading food-producing partners such as Australia are needed.

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Food demands in the region will continue rising amid growing populations, expanding middle classes and higher incomes. This will further strain current food production and trade. Yet increasing demands are unlikely to be met by Asian agricultural producers and exporters alone. Australia and New Zealand are well-placed to help. Participating in the proposed Asean mechanism could turn them into the region’s much-needed “food bowl”, boosting exports and intraregional trade.

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On the diplomatic front, the ban strained Australia-Indonesia relations. Indonesian officials condemned the decision, viewing it as interference in their domestic affairs and economic interests. The live export dispute between Australia and Indonesia was later resolved through negotiations and commitments to improve animal welfare standards.

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