Nathan provided technical assistance to strengthen food security in ASEAN’s member states through the Maximizing Agricultural Revenue through Knowledge, Enterprise Development, and Trade (MARKET) project, the fifth under the ADVANCE program.

MARKET had three objectives:

  • Strengthen the ASEAN institutional platform for regional food security
  • Improve the enabling environment for food and agriculture trade
  • Involve the private sector and civil society in agriculture policy dialogue.

The project supported ASEAN’s Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework and Strategic Plan of Action for Food Security (SPA-FS) in promoting food markets and trade and worked with the ASEAN Secretariat on dialogue with the private sector and civil society on food security policy and regional food solutions. Nathan:

  • Assessed the enabling environment for regional trade in food and agricultural products-comparing member states’ trade policies and practices and exploring how certain regulatory improvement and harmonization can advance food security and developing reform recommendations
  • Identified barriers to cross-border trade and investment in aquaculture, a key food value chain in the region
  • Facilitated public-private dialogue on sustainable fisheries
  • Organized workshops to improve and broaden public-private dialogue on food security issues facing the private sector

In 2012, we conducted extensive assessments of agricultural trade in seven ASEAN member states. Learn more about the Regional Agricultural Trade Environment series and download reports.

 All Projects