Overview of challenges and opportunities for improving food security in Southeast Asia

The past 20 years have witnessed unprecedented changes in the economies and the agricultural and fisheries sectors of the countries that comprise the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).1 Robust gross domestic product (GDP) growth, rising agricultural productivity and output, and strong growth in agricultural incomes have all contributed to significant improvements in the region’s food security. The agricultural sector has undergone considerable structural adjustment, shedding a substantial amount of labour across all ASEAN member countries between the early 1990s and early 2010s, while simultaneously increasing production (World Bank, 2016). Despite these changes, the production mix of ASEAN as a whole has remained relatively stable, with rice continuing to represent the single largest production activity in value terms.