SOUTHEAST Asia's fast-growing population and increasing food demand, coupled with escalating adverse weather and supply chain disruption, highlighted the region's future food security challenges that could be a hindrance to the development of its sustainable growth ambitions.

This was revealed at a recent event, organized by SAP, titled 'A growing Asean, a hungry population: Building resilient and sustainable food supply chains.' It brought together business leaders across the region's food ecosystem, spanning agriculture, manufacturing, distribution and logistics. It included Dole Asia Holdings, a worldwide leader and innovator in the production and marketing of high-quality packaged fruit and healthy snacks, and the Loc Troi Group, a leading manufacturer and supplier of products and services in the field of agriculture with a sustainable value chain from research, production and sales of seed products, and plant protection drugs to bio-organic products, rice and coffee.