Minister Linkham Douangsavanh of the Lao PDR’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

Opening the 38th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC38), the Crown Prince of Brunei, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, called on countries to work together to strengthen resilience and food security across the region.

“We meet at an important time. Food systems across the region are under increasing pressure; climate change is already affecting how we grow and produce food, natural ecosystems have been strained, and supply chains remain vulnerable,” he said. “We cannot ignore the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, which continue to disrupt global trade and energy markets. Against this backdrop, food security must remain at the very centre of our collective efforts.”

The Crown Prince noted that while the challenges are significant, they can be overcome.

The conference comes at a critical juncture. Increased energy and fertiliser costs, reduced income from agricultural exports to Gulf countries, and ongoing uncertainty caused by the 2026 conflict in the Middle East are increasing volatility in agricultural commodity markets, tightening the link between geopolitical risk, food–energy systems and global inflationary pressures. This is in addition to longer-term pressures from intensifying climate impacts, including droughts, floods and extreme weather events, as well as land and water degradation.

“We must build resilience from within, because no external help will be sustainable without our own collective will,” FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said in remarks to the key ministerial meeting on Thursday. The Director-General noted that the region, home to more than half of the world’s population and food production, has made remarkable progress in agricultural productivity, trade and technological innovation, yet remains home to more food-insecure people than any other region.

“Public resources alone will not be enough,” he said, urging participants to engage with the theme of financing and investment in agrifood systems, which are at the centre of several roundtable dialogues at APRC38.

Qu pointed to “unprecedented opportunities” for the region through science and innovation, digitalisation, investment and partnerships. He noted that an increasing number of countries in the region are graduating from Least Developed Country status and, with a stronger food security base, are aiming to expand trade in agricultural surpluses and value-added products

Member countries participating in the conference will indicate priority regional and local themes and areas for FAO to consider while preparing the Programme of Work and Budget for the next biennium, aligning these with FAO’s Strategic Framework, Medium-Term Plan and country programming frameworks

During the Ministerial Roundtable on Fostering Innovation for Food Security, Minister Linkham Douangsavanh of the Lao PDR’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment highlighted his country’s specific needs and perspectives. Representing the Lao PDR, he said: “For the Lao PDR, innovation is not only about advanced technology. It is about practical, inclusive solutions that strengthen food security for smallholders, women, youth and remote communities.” He further emphasised that “innovation will contribute to food security only if national innovation systems are locally adapted, inclusive, and capable of scaling solutions.”

KPL