Kuala lumpur: In the wake of the ongoing war in the Middle East, food security has become an increasingly serious issue. The concern of fertiliser shortages and supply chain disruption means that citizens of Malaysia and much of the Southeast Asian region are now bracing for the coming impact of skyrocketing prices and food shortages. As the region works to mitigate some of the immediate economic concerns, long-term changes also need to be implemented to address food security vulnerabilities.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, increasing regional and international cooperation towards enhancing the agricultural sector has been an ongoing effort for Southeast Asia over the last few decades. Food security has been mainstreamed as an ASEAN priority since the 1970s with the signing of the ASEAN Food Security Reserve in 1979. During last year's 2025 ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, ASEAN member countries agreed to the '2045 ASEAN document' where food security (alongside poverty eradication) was highlighted as a major goal for the regional organisation.
Overall ASEAN member countries face varying degrees of vulnerabilities when it comes to food security. According to the Global Food Security Index published in 2022, however, most ASEAN member countries do not score well in the aspect of sustainability and adaptability. These weaknesses are becoming increasingly visible as the region endures a dry El Ni±o season and resource shortages linked to conflicts in the Middle East. Taking all this into consideration, the challenges faced today should become the catalyst to push forward more comprehensive structural reforms within the regional food system.
Insights from a Korea Foundation supported research grant with Universiti Malaya for a book project on ASEAN-South Korea food security cooperation discussed current cooperative frameworks and untapped opportunities for collaboration South Korea has with selected ASEAN member states. This includes case studies from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand. At the regional level, South Korea has long been an active partner in the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve. As recently as March 2026, South Korea donated some 3,000 tonnes of rice as assistance following the recent earthquake in Myanmar, on top of another 3,000 tonnes that was disbursed last year.
South Korea has also worked closely within the ASEAN framework to cover not only sector-specific issues but also a broader multidimensional partnership aimed at assisting with ASEAN-led food security initiatives. These include the Asian Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (AFACI) which supports agricultural research for increased productivity and sustainable farming. South Korea has also worked in support of the ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS) through the setup and training for ICT-based agricultural data management system known as the National Agri-food Information System (NAIS). This system provides countries with the means to utilise digital technologies and geospatial information for monitoring their agriculture.
Within their bilateral cooperation framework, technology upgrading and agrotech have been a key focus for South Korea and its ASEAN member countries partners. For more developed partner countries like Singapore, South Korea becomes an important trade partner for diversifying import sources for food while allowing for collaborative research and testing in agriculture innovation. This approach is also being explored with other ASEAN member countries.
Emphasis has been on improving farming technologies and systems covering a range of aspects from more resilient crops to smart agriculture centres. For example, with Thailand, there is cooperation to introduce low-emission rice cultivation techniques. In Indonesia, efforts are underway to build smart greenhouses and improve cold chain logistics to curtail the issue of food loss. Malaysia has not been left out in this movement either. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Malaysia has signed an MoU with its counterpart in South Korea to explore further research and development into enhancing Malaysia's agricultural sector. Among the initiatives pursued include improving Malaysia's livestock farming through better health monitoring technology, and research into crop varieties.
ASEAN and its member countries should continue building on the strong foundation that has already been established. Enhancing cooperation with partner countries like South Korea is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and it paves the way forward to ensure the region can weather future challenges to food security.