[Title] Cha-am Hua Hin Statement on ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation on Food Security and Bio-Energy Development

We, the Heads of State/Government of the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the People's Republic of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, on the occasion of the 12th ASEAN Plus Three Summit in Cha-am Hua Hin, Thailand, on 24 October 2009;

Sharing common concerns over food security and the need to develop sustainable bio-energy in the light of ongoing volatility in food and energy prices which have affected the livelihood of our people and our economic growth;

Recognizing correlation between food and energy security which needs to be addressed in a comprehensive manner, and with a view to balancing food and fuel crop production so as to ensure the sustainable food security;

Reiterating our commitment to ensure food and energy security for our people and the need to promote sustainable development as a matter of high priority of the regional community-building process;

Recognizing that each country needs to maximize the use of its own potential resources and to achieve greater agricultural production in a sustainable manner;

Further recognizing that securing a reliable supply of energy while addressing social and environmental aspects is crucial to support economic and industrial activities and therefore the research and development of alternative energy sources should be promoted;

Recalling the 2nd Joint Statement on East Asia Cooperation and the ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation Work Plan (2007-2017) adopted at the 11th ASEAN Plus Three Summit in Singapore in November 2007 that called for wide- ranging areas of cooperation, including food and energy security;

Reaffirming our commitment to the Cebu Declaration on East Asian Energy Security on 15 January 2007 to improve energy efficiency and conservation, promote fuel diversification, and enhance cooperation on research and development for new and renewable energy sources and technologies, including bio-fuels;

Welcoming the adoption of the Rome Declaration on World Food Security and the World Food Summit Plan of Action at the World Food Summit in 1996 and the Declaration adopted at the FAO High-level Conference on World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bio-energy held in June 2008 and the Comprehensive Framework for Action for the High Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis;

DO HEREBY DECLARE TO:

1. Enhance food production capability for the well-being of our peoples as an integral part of the Millennium Development Goals;

2. Support ASEAN's efforts in implementing the ASEAN Integrated Food Security Framework and the Strategic Plan of Action on Food Security in the ASEAN region with active participation from all stakeholders;

3. Strengthen ASEAN Plus Three partnership in developing the ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS) to ensure long-term adequacy of staple food supply through the regional mechanism of the ASEAN Plus Three agricultural cooperation framework;

4. Support the continuation of the East Asia Emergency Rice Reserve (EAERR) pilot project and explore the possibility of establishing an ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) based on the experience of the EAERR, in close coordination with relevant international organizations, and taking into account each member country's commitment and consistency with international rules;

5. Task our Agriculture and Forestry Ministers in consultations with relevant Ministers and international institutions to develop a comprehensive strategy on sustainable and integrated food and bio-fuels production and consumption that will promote a better allocation of resources for the production of both food and bio-fuels, which will ensure the compatibility with food production, and report to the ASEAN Plus Three Summit in 2010;

6. Promote the sharing of best practices and exchanges of information on policies, experiences, and enhance capacity building and technical cooperation to promote the harmonization of food safety and bio-energy production standards in the region;

7. Encourage investment in forestry, agricultural infrastructure, and contract farming guided by environmental protection principles to mitigate the possible disadvantages of large scale contract farming activities to ensure sustainable and enhanced food supply, and the well-being of farmers and the farmer empowerment;

8. Enhance trade in agriculture in the manner that will reduce trade and market distortions and ensure food availability;

9. Promote bio-energy trade and technology innovation to ensure long- term viability of bio-energy, including exploring the possibility of formulating regional policies on bio-energy trade that addresses the issues of the environment, land utilization and food security;

10. Enhance the partnership with regional and international organizations to promote collaborative research and development, and technology

transfer in food security and bio-energy, especially second-generation bio-fuels, and the new technologies for the use of alternative energy;

11. Promote cooperation on addressing climate change related issues, such as droughts, floods, and epidemics with a view to enhancing food security;

Adopted in Cha-am Hua Hin, Thailand, on the Twenty Fourth Day of October in the Year Two Thousand and Nine.