ASEAN Ministers renew commitment to advancing the right to food in the region

Pasay City, Philippines,1 October 2025 - The Forty-Seventh Meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) reaffirmed the region’s determination to build resilient, sustainable food systems that ensure food security and nutrition for all. 

Held in Pasay City, the annual gathering brought together ministers from ASEAN Member States to strengthen cooperation in the food, agriculture, and forestry sectors — key pillars for realizing the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and shaping the future ASEAN Vision 2045 of a resilient, innovative, and people-centred region. 

The Joint Statement of the meeting recognized that about 14 percent of Southeast Asia’s population continues to face food insecurity, while 228 million people — roughly one-third — cannot afford a healthy diet. These figures underscore the urgent need to accelerate progress towards the realization of the right to adequate food. 

The ministers endorsed the ASEAN Vision for Food, Agriculture and Forestry (FAF) Towards 2045, providing a long-term framework for regional cooperation, and adopted the FAF Sectoral Plan 2026–2030 to operationalize it. The Plan outlines six strategic priorities, including promoting sustainable and regenerative practices, enhancing climate resilience, strengthening food and nutrition security, improving market connectivity, fostering innovation and partnerships, and advancing sustainable forest management. 

The outcomes of the meeting send an encouraging signal: the right to food is increasingly recognized as a shared regional goal guiding action toward equitable and sustainable agri-food systems. 

FAO continues to support ASEAN and its Member States by providing technical expertise and promoting policies and programmes aimed at making this right a lived reality — ensuring that no one is left behind. 

The ministers concluded by agreeing that the 48th AMAF will be hosted by Singapore in 2026.