Alifdalino Sulaiman, Nur Lailatul Rahmah, Nurul Huda
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) faces significant food security challenges, driven by a heavy reliance on wheat imports and the escalating effects of climate change. This dependency creates economic and geopolitical vulnerabilities that require strategic diversification of staple food sources. This review examines the potential of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) as a climate-resilient and technologically viable alternative to wheat in the ASEAN region. We analyze its agronomic, nutritional, and processing attributes and propose a strategic framework for its integration into the regional food system. Sorghum demonstrates exceptional agronomic resilience, particularly drought and heat tolerance, making it well-adapted to tropical agroecologies. Nutritionally, it is superior to wheat, containing higher levels of bioactive compounds and a low glycemic index. Advanced processing technologies, such as extrusion and fermentation, can transform sorghum into consumer-accepted products like noodles and gluten-free items. However, adoption is hindered by economic, consumer, and policy barriers, including strong cultural preferences for wheat and significant supply chain inertia. The strategic adoption of sorghum presents a sustainable pathway to reduce wheat dependency, enhance climate resilience, and improve nutritional outcomes in ASEAN. A comprehensive strategy involving policy support, targeted R&D, value chain development, and regional cooperation is essential to overcome existing barriers and unlock sorghum’s full potential for strengthening regional food security. © 2026 Elsevier B.V.
Department of Process and Food Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Serdang, 43400, Malaysia; Eco-friendly Alternatives Research Program, Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products (INTROP), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, UPM, Selangor, 43400, Malaysia; Department of Agro-industrial Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, East Java, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Postgraduate School, Universitas Brawijaya, East Java, Malang, 65145, Indonesia
