In a Joint Press Statement of the 42nd Meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF), the ministers stressed the importance of the sustained significant investment in rice research-for-development by One CGIAR and its partner donors in view of the significant challenges in nutrition, sustainability, livelihoods, and climate change resilience in the region.

The Joint Press Statement, released on October 21, 2020, includes AMAF's responses to COVID-19, food security and nutrition, food handling and product quality, sustainable natural resources management, and trade and joint promotion for agriculture and forest products.

The statement also cited the importance of rice as a backbone of food security in Southeast Asia and other regions of the world, saying that investing in rice research is crucial for the ASEAN Region not only for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal on Zero Hunger but also for ensuring that the rice sector will be part of the solution to micronutrient deficiencies, climate change, and poverty, among others. The Ministers also called on strengthening the rice-based agri-food systems in the region in light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

For more details, read the article on the IRRI website.