Regional Alliance Calls for Climate Resiliency Acceleration in Driving ASEAN Food Security
With World Food Day being recognized globally, an alliance of regional associations is marking the occasion by announcing the launch of a regional series leading up to the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) and with a call for acceleration on food security and climate resiliency efforts in Southeast Asia. While the current food system feeds the majority of the world’s population and supports the livelihoods of over 1 billion people, there is still an estimated 691-783 million that face hunger, according to the United Nations (UN) 2023 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report. At the same time, the climate crisis is also putting increased pressure onto the food system.
In the lead-up to COP28 this year, the ASEAN Safe, Nutritious Food Alliance, comprised of CropLife Asia, Canada-ASEAN Business Council, EU-ASEAN Business Council and the US-ASEAN Business Council, will be convening a series of workshops in the capitals of Thailand, Philippines, and Vietnam this November to lead national dialogues with domestic stakeholders on the topic. The sessions, titled the ASEAN Food & Agriculture ‘Road to COP28’ Series, will specifically focus on the critical issue of climate change impact to food systems and livelihoods of millions of farmers residing in Asia as well as the technologies and tools that can help with mitigation and adaptation efforts.
“In response to the escalating impact of climate change on ASEAN, the Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) is devoted to cultivating a collaborative alliance between Canada and ASEAN regarding sustainable agriculture and food security, facilitated through trade and investment, sharing insights on sustainable practices and climate-resilient agtech, and spearheading joint research initiatives. The CABC is keen to collaborate with entities across the public and private sectors, alongside a diverse array of stakeholders, to champion the sustainable progression of ASEAN’s food system,” said Greg Eidsness, Chair of the Canada-ASEAN Business Council Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee
“Climate-related extremes such as flooding and heatwaves negatively impacts agricultural productivity and farmer livelihoods – but agriculture is not only severely impacted by climate change, it is also a contributor through water usage and greenhouse gas emissions,” said Dr. Siang Hee Tan, Executive Director of CropLife Asia. “To ensure food security resiliency in ASEAN and across Asia, now more than ever, we must collectively work together to harness the power of science and address these challenges.”
Improving productivity is key to secure food production in the face of extreme weather events. This means, producing more with fewer resources. Gene editing is one example of how plant breeders can develop seed varieties that can better adapt to the impacts of climate change. Continuing to provide farmers with access to plant science technologies such as crop protection products and biotech seeds will help them better adapt to the changing climate.
