various countries worldwide as reported in Haiti, Bangladesh, Africa, the Philippines and Indonesia (Van Auken 2008).
Political-Economic Impact of Food Crisis in Southeast Asia
The crisis over the rising cost of food has prompted various responses with myriad objectives serving different interests. The rice crisis situation was thought to present a good opportunity for Thailand, and other rice exporting countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia. These countries produce more than enough rice to feed its millions and have a surplus of many food items for export.
The public announcement by Thailand's Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej on the 30th April 2008 to form the Organization of Rice Exporting Countries (OREC) was seen as a political threat to the region (Romero, 2008). The proposed OREC could have challenged the spirits of ASEAN. The proposal to form a rice exporting cartel in the midst of the critical period of rice crisis was received negatively, particularly by major rice importing countries such as the Philippines. The region was reminded of the agreed provision for ASEAN Food Security Reserves with rice stocks. Among others, it was "to realise effective cross-supply arrangements of food, especially rice, from food surplus countries, or other member countries to food deficit countries during normal conditions and in times of emergencies".
The project which was prompted by Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar was suspected to only "worsen food security" and contradicted the objectives of ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA). For Cambodia, on the other hand, the food crisis provided an opportunity for the country to transform itself into one of the world’s rice bowls. Rice has since been