Background
Food availability is an important dimension of a country’s food security and at the regional level, a balance between food production, exports and imports is important to ensure that there is stability in food security. The main sources of making food available in most Southeast countries are what [1]Teng (2013) has called the “food taps” and comprise the following – self production, imports via trade, contract farming, stocks and reserves, and food aid. Anecdotal information shows that countries stockpile food, particularly rice, in different modalities. To maintain a supply of rice stocks for the population, most countries in Southeast Asia adopt a mix of trade instruments such as government to government trade, local procurement, and procurement through the private sector. Rice is a good starting point to study food reserve management processes and policies in Southeast Asia.
Given the potential role that stocks and reserves can play to stabilize food availability at the individual country and regional level, it is important to research the policies, processes and technologies which allow this to be a viable strategy in Southeast Asia.
It is in this context that the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the members of the Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (University Consortium) have collaborated on a research project entitled “Food Reserves: A Comparative Study on Food Reserve Management and Policies in Southeast Asia.” This initiative is in line with SEARCA’s umbrella program on Food and Nutrition Security for Southeast Asia 2014-2019, which has also been adopted by the University Consortium since August 2014.
The project officially started in May 2015 and is expected to run until May 2017 with Dr. Paul Teng of the Center for Non-Traditional Security Studies of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University (RSIS/NTS) and SEARCA’s Senior Fellow on Food Security, being the Principal Researcher.
Objectives
This following proposal will focus initially on rice as the primary commodity and include details on other commodities to be decided by partner institutions. The specific project objectives are to:
- This following proposal will focus initially on rice as the primary commodity and include details on other commodities to be decided by partner institutions. The specific project objectives are to:
- Identify the commodities that countries stockpile and the modalities and mechanisms of food stockpiling that have been adopted, including physical, virtual, trade, national and regional mechanisms;
- Examine the implications of a changing regional trade regime on a country’s food stocks, as well as the impact of individual countries’ food reserves on a regional stockpiling mechanism such as APTERR; and
- Explore the feasibility of establishing other types of regional stockpiles beyond reserves.
Methodology
Activity 1: Survey and analysis of food reserve management and policies among SEA countries (R&D) The approaches to be used under this activity are as follows:
From the results of the study, identify policy implications and recommendations for the ASEAN region, including optimal stockpiling modalities; and examine challenges and possible ways of implementation (e.g. determining the appropriate level of food reserve, timing of storage and release of emergency stocks and financial sustainability).
To date, the project team has already developed the survey questionnaire and is now ready for pilot testing with agencies and institutions concerned with food reserves and stockpiling in the Philippines.
Activity 2: Regional workshop (Capacity building)
A regional workshop on food stocks, and the role of reserves or stockpiles will be organized to improve understanding on the role that these can play in national and regional food security. All countries in Southeast Asia are expected to be present. Additionally, the workshop will be used to identify implications of a changing regional trade regime (such as the AEC2015) on a country’s food stocks, as well as the impact of individual countries’ food reserves on regional stockpiling mechanism.
Activity 3. Publish policy brief (Knowledge Management)
Anticipated Outputs
Activity 1 – (i) Explication of the techniques, processes and responsible agencies for managing food stocks and reserves in all SE Asian countries; (ii) Collation of all relevant policies on food stocks, reserves and stockpiles in SE Asia; and (iii) Identification of regional or non-government food stocks and reserves
Activity 2 – One regional workshop open to all interested SE Asian countries and to multi-lateral organizations on food stocks and reserves in relation to food security. Results of Activity 1 will be shared at this workshop.
Activity 3 – One publication of findings from the project in hard copy and e-format.
[1] Teng, Paul P.S. 2013. Food Security: What it means for a Food-Importing Country. RSIS Commentaries. No. 222/2013 dated 4 December 2013
