PECC International Seminar: Building Food Resilience and Strategic Autonomy Facing Multi-Dimensional Crises in the Pacific Region

From October 29, 2026 until October 30, 2026

At Vietnam, Hanoi

PECC International Seminar:

Building Food Resilience and Strategic Autonomy Facing Multi-Dimensional Crises in the Pacific Region

29 - 30 October 2026

Ha Noi, Vietnam

In an era of compounding crises - climate shocks, geopolitical conflicts, pandemic disruptions, and economic volatility - food systems across the Asia-Pacific face unprecedented threats to their stability, autonomy, and sovereignty. This seminar will explore food resilience and food sovereignty in PECC Member economies, examining how crises act as both accelerators of vulnerability and catalysts for transformation. It aims to discuss current and future challenges, analyze best practices to be disseminated, and identify strategies, partnerships, and enabling regulations to build crisis-proof, sovereign food systems at scale.

The ambition of the seminar is to analyze food sovereignty and resilience in PECC Member economies through the lens of crisis response, looking at the topic with:

A broader perspective than just access to food: a systemic lens analyzing how crises — from climate shocks to geopolitical disruptions - expose structural vulnerabilities in food systems, and how food sovereignty (full community control over production, distribution, and consumption) is the ultimate shield. The seminar will discuss innovative solutions, partnerships, and enabling regulations to maintain this sovereignty in ways that are culturally appropriate, ecologically sustainable, and economically relevant.
A multi-stakeholders’ approach: gathering policy makers, international and regional institutions, food entrepreneurs, business executives, scientists, experts, and NGOs — united by the urgency of crisis preparedness and food sovereignty.
A “just transition” perspective: analyzing the social and environmental dimensions of food crises and ensuring that crisis responses do not deepen existing inequalities.

Agenda

Thursday, 29th October 2026
08:30 - 09:30	Registration & Welcome
09:30 - 09:50	Welcome and Opening Remarks Dr Nguyen Hung Son; Chairman of VNCPEC and President of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) Ms. Zakiah Kassim; Representing Dr. Kaewkamol Pitakdumrongkit, Executive Director of the PECC International Secretariat
09:50 - 10:00	Introduction and Presentation of the Seminar Mr. David Menasce; Founder and Managing Director, Archipel&Co
10:00 - 10:15	Address by the Veolia Institute Mr. Nicolas Renard; Executive Director, Veolia Institute (FPTPECC)
10:15 - 10:45	Coffee Break & Group Photo
10:45 - 11:00	Keynote Speech Mr. Jean-Marc Roda; Director for the South-East Asia Island Economies (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Timor-Leste), CIRAD
11:00 - 12:00	Session 1 - Part 1: Key Challenges & Crisis Drivers Climate & environmental crisis . Geopolitical crisis & conflicts . Health crisis & pandemics . Economics crisis & Food Inflation Challenges to fostering food security and agri-food system resilience in turbulent times Mr. Brad Gilmour; Distinguished Fellow, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (CANCPEC) Reimagining the Flying Geese Framework: Driving Food Resilience and Strategic Autonomy Dr. Bank Ngamarunchot; Director, Science Technology and Innovation Policy Institute (STIPI), King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (TNCPEC) Panel Discussion and Q&A
12:00 - 13:30	Lunch
13:30 - 15:00	Session 1 - Part 2: Key Challenges & Crisis Drivers Climate & environmental crisis . Geopolitical crisis & conflicts . Health crisis & pandemics . Economic crises & food inflation The Factors Affecting Food Self-Sufficiency in the Mekong Sub-region Economies (2026-2035) Dr. Loc Thi Thuy; Viet Nam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) (TBA) Mr. Jean Marc Roda; Director for the South-East Asia Island Economies (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Timor-Leste), CIRAD Panel Discussion and Q&A
14:40 - 15:20	Coffee Break and Group Photo
15:20 - 15:30	Address: H.E. Didier Le Bret; Ambassador of France to Vietnam
15:30 - 17:20	Session 2: Innovative Responses to Build Food Sovereignty Research, Innovation & Smart agriculture . Sustainable production practices . Local value chains & market access . Food sovereignty Research, innovation & smart agriculture Dr. Vincent Lin; Director, Food and Fertilizer Technology Center for the Asian and Pacific Region (FFTC) ( CTPECC) Enhancing Food Resilience in the Mekong Delta: Integrating Climate Adaptation, Local Value Chains and Regional Cooperation Dr. Nguyen Thanh Tam; Can Tho University (CTU) (TBA) Dr. Ronnie S. Natawidjaja; Professor, Padjadjaran University (INCPEC) Low-carbon Rice Production in Viet Nam Dr. Nguyen Hoang Nam; National Economics University of Viet Nam (NEU) (TBA) Dr. Marcel Djama; Senior Researcher, CIRAD Panel discussion and Q&A
18:45 - 21:00	Welcome Dinner
Friday, 30th October 2026
08:30 - 09:00	Welcome Coffee
09:00 - 09:20	Opening Remarks Mr. Pascal Lamy; Chairman, French Committee of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (FPTPEC)
09:20 - 10:20	Sesssion 3 - Part 1: Scaling Impact: From Crisis Response to Sovereign Systems Innovative financing . Enabling policy frameworks . Partnerships & regional cooperation . Crisis governance & food diplomacy Mr. Brad Gilmour; Distinguished Fellow, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (CANCPEC) Mr. Jean-Marc Roda; Director for the South-East Asia Island Economies (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Timor-Leste), CIRAD Panel discussion and Q&A
10:50 - 11:50	Session 3 - Part 2: Scaling Impact: From Crises Response to Sovereign Systems Innovative financing . Enabling policy frameworks . Partnerships & regional cooperation . Crisis governance & food diplomacy Dr. Bank Ngamarunchot; Director, Science Technology and Innovation Policy Institute (STIPI), King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (TNCPEC) Dr. Nguyen Hoang Nam; National Economics University of Viet Nam (NEU) Panel discussion and Q&A
11:50 - 12:00	Closing Remarks Mr. Jean-Marc Roda; Director for the South-East Asia Island Economies (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Timor-Leste), CIRAD
12:00 - 13:30	Lunch
13:45 - 18:00	Site Visit