The Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF) will organise the ASEAN’s Food Security Nexus 2024 in Kuala Lumpur in October 2024. Supported by the Malaysia Australia Business Council (MABC), the forum will discuss food security issues and trends in the regional supply chain, agriculture technology and trade regulations and policies.

Details of the forum are as follows:

Date: October 2024

Time: 9:00 am to 5:30 pm

Venue: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tentative Programme:

08:00 am Registration
09:00 am Opening Session

·       Welcome Remarks by the Malaysia Global Business Forum (MGBF)

·       Keynote Address by a Malaysian Minister

·       Photo Opportunity: Investment MoU and Photo with selected VIPs

 

09:30 am Special Address: “ASEAN’s Centrality in the Indo-Pacific Region

ASEAN plays an integral role in the functions of the Indo-Pacific region’s economic framework. It sits geographically and historically at the centre of an area home to more than half of the world’s population. How will organisations foster trade and investment among the diverse nations? Bilateral and multilateral free-trade agreements should be seen as the first step in a process that will shape how businesses are executed now and in the future.

10:00 am Panel Session: “Innovative Agribusiness and Agritech from Boardroom to Communities”

Advanced technology, innovative farming practices and empowered communities coupled with increased levels of productivity and poverty eradication need to be seen as the dual goal of any discussion on food security. The need for improved efficiency throughout the supply chain will secure the resilient future required by all nations in ASEAN. Will regional collective development be the forerunner of success or will each country need to strengthen their respective food industries?

11:00 am Refreshments
11:15 am Special Address: “The DNA of Sustainability – Encoding Resilient Corporate Policies in the Global Supply Chain”

As consumers globally become more environmentally conscious, companies must adopt and inculcate sustainable business practices to survive. As ESG and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) continue to take root, the agriculture sector has considerable gaps that need addressing. Businesses that source materials from ASEAN or have a considerable regional manufacturing footprint must align with global purchasing trends and destination market requirements. Failure to address these concerns will have an impact on brand reputation, as well as customer and investor retention.

11:45 am Panel Session: “The Future of Specialty Foods in ASEAN”

The growth of the middle class in ASEAN has ensured the exponential growth of demand for higher-valued food throughout ASEAN. One key area often overlooked in macro-level trade figures is the higher-margin specialty food sector. Often produced by SMEs and family-based companies and cooperatives, these products are in high demand. Yet, many smaller organisations find it challenging to export to international markets. How will effective business linkages be made to ensure these products are plugged into regional supply chains and menus?

12:45 pm Lunch
02:00 pm Special Address: “Underlying Geopolitical Realities and Pragmatic Business Expansion in Asia”

Many businesses have the stated goal to expand internationally. The media headlines are a mix of multimillion-dollar trade deals or shifting geopolitical goalposts that wreak havoc on tariffs and trade conditions. On the interpersonal level, businesspeople are interested in establishing new markets and the next profit story. The strategies for business expansion need to be cognisant of the cultural realities of ASEAN as individuals, corporations and nations alike look for an inclusive model for future cooperation.

02:30 pm Panel Session: “The Business of Tomorrow’s Food – Demands of 2050

Growing more food will not solve the future demands of the various consumers throughout the diverse populations of ASEAN. Technology will be a key enabler at the nexus of the megatrends of population growth, demand growth, energy requirements and consumer experience. All this is within the context of food-based inflation and growing concerns about food insecurity in a region with a fair share of climate and political disruptions. How will businesses build a resilient future? Will they be homegrown heroes, or will ASEAN be caught in the negative cycle of being a net food importer?

03:30 pm Special Address: “Counterstrategies to Weaponised Supply Chains

Success breeds success, but it also lends itself to a new geopolitical tool – the weaponisation of supply chains. Defined as the removal (or threat of removal) of supply of a critical component to a country or an economy, on the flip side, attacks on successful competitive supply chains can be played out in the local and international media at a considerable cost to reputation and shareholders. While these attacks may be geopolitically motivated, they are often perpetrated on individual organisations through the media and social media. In recent years, the idea of friendshoring has emerged as a knee-jerk reaction to this trend but the wheels of global supply chains take time to turn and a social media attack campaign can be rolled out in the blink of an eye.

04:00 pm Panel Session: “Opportunities and Critical Gaps in Regional Supply Chains

The global economy of the future will be dominated by corporations that can provide innovative solutions to the lifestyle and subsistence requirements of large groups of people in a way that makes each feel unique and special. This has created a logistics problem, a data problem and a management problem that requires defining. How will an innovative approach to logistics and the movement of talent impact the way we look at supply chains in the region? How critical will regional logistics infrastructure projects be in driving efficiency in a region of over 660 million people?

05:00 pm Refreshments and Networking
05:30 pm Event Ends

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