Kuala Lampur, April 21 -- In the wake of the ongoing war in the Middle East, food security has become an increasingly serious issue. The concern of fertiliser shortages and supply chain disruption means that citizens of Malaysia and much of the South-east Asian region are now bracing for the coming impact of skyrocketing prices and food shortages. As the region works to mitigate some of the immediate economic concerns, long term changes also need to be implemented to address food security vulnerabilities.

For South-east Asia, increasing its regional and international cooperation towards enhancing the agricultural sector has been an ongoing effort for the last few decades. Food security has been mainstreamed as an Asean priority since the...