ASEAN responses to COVID-19 for assuring food security

The ASEAN comprises 10 member states and is a fast developing region in which agriculture has historically been important for food security and livelihoods. However, over the past decade, agriculture's contribution to national economies, as well as the labor force engaged in agriculture have been declining. Prior to the onset of the COVID pandemic, ASEAN countries already faced challenges to their food production capacity due to climate-related phenomena, declining arable land and freshwater resources and the ever-present pests and diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted lives and disrupted livelihoods in the ASEAN region, and this remains an important concern given recurring waves of infections as economies reopen. This chapter discusses the impact of COVID-19 on food security dimensions concerned with food production, the supply chain from “farm to table,” food affordability and nutrition among consumers, particularly the poor. It begins by providing a review of Southeast Asia's socio-economic landscape which influences food security and a discussion on distinctive features of its food systems which affect food security in the region, prior to COVID-19. It then discusses the impact of the pandemic on the region, and how ASEAN member states have responded, and describes what the “New Normal” is likely to be. It concludes with suggestions on how ASEAN is likely to move ahead post-pandemic.