Build It and They Will Come: Commitment to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' rice policy mechanisms

Rice is the most politicized agricultural commodity in Southeast Asia. States throughout the region view maintaining security in rice supplies as a strategic imperative, while political actors within these states see opportunities to galvanize support by promising consistently available and affordable rice. Given the varied political and agricultural systems of Southeast Asia, these dynamics play out in multiple and differentiated ways. However, an increasingly binding characteristic of rice management systems throughout the region is a focus on domestic policies and trepidation about being overly vulnerable to external events and decisions. These trends have become more pronounced since the rice price volatilities of 2007–2008, which, despite leading to calls for more open rice trading approaches, have driven countries towards more insular rice policy strategies.