Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto reminded ASEAN countries of the\nthreats from climate change and the potential for extreme El Ni\u00f1o events\nthat could disrupt regional food production. In his speech at the\nplenary session of the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, Philippines, on Friday\n(8 May 2026), Prabowo assessed food resilience as an urgent issue amid\nrising global uncertainties.<\/p>\n
The President urged ASEAN countries to strengthen regional\ncooperation in the food sector. This includes developing agricultural\ntechnology, food diversification, and bolstering the regional food\nreserve system through the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve\n(APTERR).<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have been warned by international organisations about the risk of\nextreme El Ni\u00f1o looming ahead. In this situation, food resilience\nbecomes increasingly urgent,\u201d said Prabowo, quoted on Sunday (10 May\n2026).<\/p>\n
According to the Indonesian President, the threat of a food crisis\ncannot be handled by one country alone. He views that ASEAN needs to\nbuild stronger synergy to maintain regional food supply stability amid\nclimate threats and potential production disruptions.<\/p>\n
Prabowo assessed that strengthening local food reserves is an\nimportant step to enhance ASEAN countries\u2019 preparedness in facing\nvarious future food crisis threats.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not a challenge that can be handled by one country alone.\nASEAN must act together,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
In the forum, Prabowo affirmed that food is the main foundation for a\nnation\u2019s sustainability. According to him, the agricultural and food\nsector cannot be seen merely as an economic matter because it directly\nrelates to stability, independence, and peace.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government, said Prabowo, is committed to\nstrengthening national food sovereignty through support for the\nagricultural sector and favouring farmers. He emphasised that the state\nmust be strongly present in safeguarding the food sector.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout food, essentially there is no society. Without food, there\nis no independence. Without food, there is no peace,\u201d he remarked.<\/p>\n
Prabowo also affirmed that the government has a central role in\nensuring food resilience remains maintained. According to him, the\nagricultural sector cannot be fully handed over to market\nmechanisms.<\/p>\n
\u201cFood resilience is about government leadership and government\nintervention. Indonesia does not believe that agriculture should only be\nhanded over to the private sector,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n
In line with President Prabowo\u2019s directive, the Ministry of\nAgriculture continues to accelerate various strategic steps to\nstrengthen national food resilience. These steps are carried out through\nincreasing production, optimising land, improving irrigation,\nmodernising agriculture, and strengthening government food reserves.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/president-urges-asean-to-strengthen-food-resilience-against-el-nino-1778403145", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }