The third ASEAN Food Security Conference with the theme of food trade,investment and food security wrapped up in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Oct.5.

The three-day conference drew more than 100 delegates from membersof the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and othercountries, representatives from governmental and non-governmentalorganisations, regional and international organisations, and researchinstitutes and businesses operating in related field.

It was jointlyheld by the US Agency for International Development and the ASEANSecretariat prior to the 33rd meeting of the ASEAN Ministers ofAgriculture and Forestry slated for Oct. 6.

At the conference, theparticipants focused on four main topics of food security, intellectualproperty and agrifood trade, trade regulations and standards and foodtrade facilitation inside ASEAN.

Addressing the conference, ASEANSecretariat’s representative Suriyan Vichitlenkarn introduced actionprogrammes and initiatives to ensure food security for ASEAN.

Heemphasised the need to implement the ASEAN Plus 3 Emergency Rice ReserveProgramme to provide emergency aid relief to member countries affectedby disasters.

Ensuring food security is important for ASEAN on the path to build pillars of the ASEAN Economics Community by 2015, he said.

Suriyancalled on ASEAN member countries to promote the reform of relatedpolicies, encourage the private sector to involve in ensuring foodsecurity, facilitate cross-border food trade and build ASEAN common foodstandards.

The participants proposed launching a dialogue mechanismbetween the private sector and ASEAN governments on regional food trade.

Thefirst ASEAN Food Security Conference was held in June, 2010 inSingapore and the second in July 2010 in Manila, the Philippines./.