Is the ASEAN plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) the Answer Tt Southeast Asia’s Food Security Challenges?

The recently launched ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) aims to safeguard the region’s food security in times of calamity, disaster, supply shock or extreme price spike. The region had previously implemented two regional rice reserves, but these had struggled to meet the needs of countries experiencing food emergencies. To what extent has the APTERR addressed the shortcomings inherent in the earlier iterations, and is it likely to fare any better? This NTS Alert also notes that the APTERR continues to approach food security through a rice¬focused and state-centric lens, and asks whether this is optimal given the increasing complexity of food production and distribution systems.