The ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS) Project is an ASEAN and Japan initiative with participation open to China and Korea. The Project was approved by the Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry of the ASEAN member countries plus China, Japan and Korea in their meeting held in Lao PDR in October 2002. The Project has the period of five years, from 2003 to 2007. It is led and coordinated by Thailand, in particular, the Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE), Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. The Statistics and Information Department (SID), Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Japan is the donor through ASEAN Trust Funds.
The overall objectives of AFSIS are to facilitate food security planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation in ASEAN through the systematic collection, organization, management, analysis and dissemination of food security data and information. There are four specific objectives as follows:
(1) To improve the capacity of human resources to develop and operate the food security information system (AFSIS).
(2) To improve the systems and methods of collection of food security information, including information on the food production, imports and exports, market prices, consumption, stocks held by farmers and traders, and the crop growth situation in each country;
(3) To develop more reliable methodologies and techniques for estimating and forecasting the food supply-demand situation in the ASEAN region; and
(4) To develop an information network system to exchange and disseminate statistical data and information related to food security in the region on a timely basis.
The The Project aims to contribute to the improvement of institutional capacities of national agencies responsible for agricultural statistics and information. The Project firstly endeavors to upgrade the capacity of the statistical agencies rather than immediately look for food security information from the start. To the extent that the Project is successful in this endeavor, the improved statistical agencies will be capable of supplying the statistics and information required for the planning and implementation of food security policies. Consequently, the Project has two main activities, which are:
(1) Human resource development and
(2) Information network system development
Every member country has nominated a Focal Point for the Project. The Focal Points are responsible for managing and assisting in carrying out project activities, ensuring cooperation among national personnel/offices concerned, and promoting cooperation with other related projects. The Focal Point Meeting (FPM) is the decision-making mechanism of the Project. The FPM will be held at least once a year to discuss, review and decide on the following matters:
(1) Detailed work plans of the Project;
(2) Project activities at the regional and national levels; and
(3) Other important matters.
For smooth and efficient management, the ASEAN Food Security Information and Training Center ( AFSIT Center ) was established. It functions as a secretariat of FPM, as a center for regional training and as a hub of information on food security. The AFSIT Center is located in the premises of the OAE, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC), Thailand .
(1) Human resource development activities:
(a) Regional trainings
(b) Regional workshops
(c) National seminars
(2) Information network system development activities:
(a) Building physical regional and national networks
(b) Database development
(c) Data exchange and utilization through the networks
(d) Pilot testing of national networks
Implementation Plan
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