Food regulation and policy through the association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

Abstract

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a supranational organization comprising of ten rather inhomogeneous countries striving to develop into a common single market with legal and social harmonization. Food security is a major concern of many of them, since the region is exposed to severe hazards to its environment and agriculture, caused by natural disasters as well as man-made threats. ASEAN with the help of other countries has managed to organize a food safety system ensuring the supply of rice, a staple food of predominant importance in the region. Food security is still not harmonized on an ASEAN level and remains within in the responsibility of each member states. All ASEAN member states, though, are members of the Codex Alimentarius, yet implementation of the codex standards differs widely among ASEAN member states.