Abstract

Southeast Asia’s food security challenges are multifaceted and complex, with an estimated 14 per cent of the population suffering undernourishment. The recent International Conference on Asian Food Security (ICAFS), held in Singapore in August 2011, addressed the challenge of feeding the region in the coming decades in the context of significant anticipated environmental, economic and demographic changes. This policy brief highlights three key issues that emerged from the ICAFS 2011 discussions, namely, the impact of volatile food prices, the challenges facing small-holder farmers and securing food for urban populations.