Brunei Hosts FAO Asia-Pacific Conference to Address Regional Food Security Challenges

Brunei Darussalam is hosting the 38th Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) from April 20 to 24, 2026, bringing together agriculture ministers and senior officials from 46 countries to tackle rising food insecurity across the region.

The conference, held in Bandar Seri Begawan, focuses on agrifood opportunities and pressing challenges, including the impact of Middle East conflicts on food security. According to the FAO, the Asia-Pacific region remains home to a majority of the world’s small-scale farmers and is highly exposed to shocks in global food, fuel, and fertilizer markets, as well as extreme vulnerability to climate change impacts.

Data from the Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2025 shows that while hunger has decreased by 25 million people since the last regional conference in 2024, the region still accounts for roughly four out of every ten hungry people globally. Conversely, adult obesity has risen steadily since 2000, reaching 9.1 percent in 2022. Affordability remains a critical issue, with 28.8 percent of the region’s population unable to purchase a healthy diet.

The region faces a “triple burden” of malnutrition, where undernutrition, micronutrient deficiency, and overweight/obesity coexist. Nearly one billion people in Asia-Pacific face food insecurity, while more than 1.2 billion cannot afford a healthy diet.

Senior officials at the conference emphasized that regional cooperation is essential to overcoming these challenges. Alue Dohong, Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, stated during the opening session that multiple crises demand urgent and coordinated action to build agrifood systems that are more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable. He highlighted the importance of strengthening partnerships, including South-South and Triangular Cooperation, and increasing investment support for smallholder and family farmers.

The Crown Prince of Brunei Darussalam, Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, has called for stronger regional cooperation to safeguard food security, stressing that food security remains both a national priority and a shared regional responsibility for Brunei Darussalam.

The conference comes at a critical time as the region grapples with geopolitical tensions disrupting global fertilizer and energy markets, intensifying climate impacts such as droughts and floods, land and water degradation, and increasing volatility in trade and supply chains. Countries across the region are advancing solutions to transform agrifood systems and build resilience through innovation and collaboration.