Dr. Kanchana Kwanmuang, Deputy Secretary-General of the OAE, stated that the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives’ policy—centered on the approach of “market-led production, market-led research, and high-value, safe agricultural products”—aligns with the “Agricultural Innovation for the Sustainability of Thai Farmers” policy championed by Suriya Juangroongruangkit, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives. This strategy aims to elevate Thailand’s agricultural sector through technology and innovation, thereby reducing costs, increasing the value of agricultural products, and boosting farmers' incomes. It also promotes the use of digital technology, artificial intelligence, and agricultural data systems to enhance production planning, risk management, and policy formulation. Furthermore, it focuses on developing food systems that ensure public access to safe, nutritious, and affordably priced food. Thailand also prioritizes strengthening smallholder farmers and farming families by facilitating access to knowledge, technology, and innovation, as well as fostering cooperatives and market linkages to improve production efficiency and income. Additionally, the role of agricultural housewives' groups in developing skills for production and processing—thereby adding value to agricultural goods—was highlighted. This underscores Thailand’s commitment to empowering women and expanding their opportunities within the agricultural sector, in anticipation of the International Year of Women Farmers in 2026.

Regarding the implementation of CFS Policy Products, the OAE Deputy Secretary-General proposed promoting the dissemination of these policy recommendations to relevant agencies, enabling member countries to adapt and apply them according to their own specific contexts and needs. Thailand supports the designation of a national-level focal point for the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and the development of a monitoring and evaluation system, which will allow lessons learned to be used to enhance the effectiveness of food security initiatives.

The Deputy Secretary-General of the Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE) was invited to participate in an international panel discussion, representing the Asia-Pacific region alongside representatives from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Near East, civil society, and the private sector. Thailand proposed three approaches to accelerate progress toward SDG 2: (1) increasing production efficiency and reducing costs by enabling smallholder farmers to access technology and agricultural services, thereby improving public access to nutritious food at affordable prices; (2) moving beyond simple data collection toward the integration of data on production, markets, and climate conditions to better support food security planning and management; and (3) expanding international cooperation—through the sharing of knowledge, technology, and best practices—to address food security challenges within the region.

In his opening address, UN Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres highlighted the pressures currently facing global food systems—including conflict, climate change, and rising food costs—which directly impact people's access to food. He urged the global community to ensure the continuity of food and fertilizer supply chains, support smallholder farmers and women, and utilize data to assess risks and guide investment strategies. Translating Global Commitments into Tangible Results

Speaking on behalf of the FAO Director-General, M?ximo Torero, FAO Chief Economist, noted that while the global hunger situation is showing signs of improvement, approximately 645 million people still face hunger, and 2.7 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet. It is projected that by 2030, 510–520 million people will still be suffering from hunger. Consequently, he emphasized the importance of implementing the policy products developed by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) at the national level, alongside robust monitoring and evaluation, to achieve concrete progress in food security. Meanwhile, Professor Anas A. Al-Nabulsi, Chair of the CFS, pointed out that food security depends not only on production volume but also on the distribution of food and public access to it. He highlighted the role of the CFS in fostering collaboration across all sectors to shape policy guidelines grounded in scientific evidence.

The 2026 edition of *The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World* (SOFI) report indicates that while the hunger situation in Asia is improving, approximately 292 million people—or 6 percent of the region’s population—still face hunger. Furthermore, nearly 3 out of every 10 people in the region cannot afford a healthy diet; the high cost of items such as fruits is partly due to limitations in post-harvest management and supply chain operations. The report therefore recommends that Asia accelerate efforts to enhance production efficiency. Reduce post-harvest losses and bridge the gap between rural and urban areas to lower costs, improve access to nutritious food, accelerate progress in reducing hunger, and drive the Asian region toward achieving SDG 2 by 2030.

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