Build It and They Will Come: Commitment to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' rice policy mechanisms
This article outlines two of ASEAN's existing policy mechanisms that, while stopping short of liberalizing the rice trade, can contribute to more effective rice policies region-wide.
The article argues that, rather than creating a new policy apparatus, ASEAN members should strengthen their commitment to these agreed-upon areas of cooperation in order to achieve the best short-term results for food security in the rice sector
Rice is the most politicized agricultural commodity in Southeast Asia. States throughout the region view maintaining security in rice supplies as a strategic imperative, while political actors within these states see opportunities to galvanize support by promising consistently available and affordable rice. An increasingly binding characteristic of rice management systems throughout the region is a focus on domestic policies and trepidation about being overly vulnerable to external events and decisions. These trends have become more pronounced since the rice price volatilities of 2007-2008, which, despite leading to calls for more open rice trading approaches, have driven countries towards more insular rice policy strategies.
There is thus an opportunity to expand and fortify multilateral engagement in Southeast Asia's rice sector, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) appears as the logical venue for such a pursuit. This article outlines two of ASEAN's existing policy mechanisms that, while stopping short of liberalizing the rice trade, can contribute to more effective rice policies region-wide. The article argues that, rather than creating a new policy apparatus, ASEAN members should strengthen their commitment to these agreed-upon areas of cooperation in order to achieve the best short-term results for food security in the rice sector.
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