Cheam Yeap, first vice-president of Cambodia's National Assembly, on Tuesday, 25 August called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to urgently strengthen agricultural resilience against climate threats, warning that food security across the bloc's fast-growing population is at serious risk. He was speaking at the opening of a parliamentary multi-stakeholder dialogue on responsible investment for food and climate security in ASEAN, held in Phnom Penh.

The Climate Crisis Framing

Yeap did not mince words, describing the current situation as something far beyond gradual change. 'Our Southeast Asian region is not immune from these risks. Indeed, it is no longer merely climate change but an acute climate crisis our global community needs to address together,' he said. He identified the convergence of the climate crisis and food insecurity as twin threats demanding coordinated regional action.

Agricultural Systems Under Pressure

Farmers across Southeast Asia are facing severe vulnerabilities from volatile weather patterns, including intensified droughts and devastating floods, according to Yeap. Climate unpredictability, extreme weather events, and environmental degradation are directly disrupting regional agricultural production and straining food systems, he said. The lawmaker stressed that climate resilience is fundamental to food security and demands a 'holistic and coherent legal, policy, and societal response.'

Call for Strategic Investment Shift

Yeap urged a strategic reorientation of regional funding priorities. 'It is necessary to invest more in developing climate-resilient agriculture, climate adaptation, water resource management, and smart early warning systems,' he said. He argued that strengthening agricultural and food systems is 'the only way we can ensure a stable food supply for our fast-growing populations, protect the livelihoods of our communities, and sustain our long-term economic and social development.'

ASEAN RAI Guidelines as a Foundation

The senior legislator pointed to the ASEAN Guidelines on Promoting Responsible Investment in Food, Agriculture, and Forestry (ASEAN RAI), adopted in 2018, as a 'visionary framework' already in place. He noted that the guidelines identify food security and climate change mitigation and adaptation as central pillars of responsible investment, directing capital flows into the region's food, agriculture, and forestry sectors. Crucially, Yeap emphasised that legislation alone is insufficient — he urged parliamentarians across the region to actively monitor executive branches and relevant agencies to ensure that national agricultural strategies and investment promotion policies actually deliver on food and climate security commitments.

What Comes Next

The dialogue represents a broader push within ASEAN to translate policy frameworks into enforceable, investment-backed action. With the bloc's population continuing to grow and climate pressures intensifying, regional observers will be watching whether Tuesday's parliamentary calls translate into concrete funding commitments and legislative follow-through at the national level.