President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto emphasized the importance of strengthening regional food security as a collective ASEAN effort to address global challenges. President Prabowo delivered the statement during the plenary session of the 48th ASEAN Summit held at the Mactan Expo, Cebu, Philippines, on Friday, May 8, 2026.

“We must remember that our region is home to strategic trade routes that pass through our waters, and we must ensure that disruptions do not occur within our own region,” President Prabowo said.

President Prabowo warned of the threat posed by an extreme El Niño phenomenon, which has been highlighted by various international organizations and could significantly impact regional food security. In light of this situation, President Prabowo stressed that strengthening ASEAN’s food security has become increasingly urgent.

“We have been warned by international organizations about the risk of a very extreme El Niño looming ahead of us. In this regard, food security is becoming even more urgent,” he stated.

According to President Prabowo, food-related challenges cannot be addressed by individual countries alone and therefore require stronger cooperation and coordination at the regional level. President Prabowo also called for enhanced information sharing, food diversification, agricultural technology development, and the optimization of ASEAN’s regional food reserves.

“This is not a challenge that can be handled by any one country alone. ASEAN must act together. It also requires the streamlining of the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve mechanism. We must advance our Local Reserve-Based Food Reserve system,” President Prabowo said.

Furthermore, President Prabowo emphasized that food security requires strong leadership and active government intervention. The Indonesian Government, he added, is committed to taking full responsibility for safeguarding national food sovereignty in order to maintain public welfare and national stability.

“For us, this is a primary responsibility of the government, and the Government of Indonesia is determined to assume full responsibility and full sovereignty over this vital sector. Without food, there is essentially no society. Without food, there is no independence. Without food, there is no peace,” President Prabowo concluded.