ASEAN and India have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in food, agriculture and forestry, with a focus on food security, climate-resilient farming, digital innovation, sustainable development and resilient agricultural value chains.
The commitment was made at the Ninth ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (9th AIMMAF) held in New Delhi on September 9. The meeting was co-chaired by H.E. Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Secretary, Department of Agriculture, the Philippines, representing the Chair of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry, and Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, representing India.
The meeting emphasised that cooperation in agriculture and forestry is an important and mutually beneficial component of the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The two sides stressed the need to advance cooperation supporting food and nutrition security, farmers’ livelihoods, sustainable and low-emission development, agricultural innovation, research and development and rural prosperity, while strengthening the resilience of agricultural and forest systems.
Focus on climate change, supply chain resilience
The ministers discussed the impact of global uncertainties on food, agriculture and forestry, including climate change, extreme weather events, geopolitical and economic tensions, volatility in energy and agricultural input markets, trade and logistics disruptions, and plant and animal health threats.
The meeting underlined the importance of maintaining the flow of food and essential agricultural inputs such as fertilisers, seeds and pesticides.
ASEAN and India also stressed the need for stronger regional monitoring and early warning systems, diversification of supply sources and greater support for smallholder farmers and vulnerable communities.
The ministers agreed to deepen practical cooperation to develop resilient, sustainable and responsive food and agricultural systems.
AI, digital agriculture among key areas
The meeting highlighted progress made under the ASEAN-India Medium-Term Plan of Action for Cooperation in Agriculture and Forestry 2021-2025, which covered areas including climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable soil management, digitalisation, science and technology, human-resource development and farmer exchanges.
Cooperation during the period also included initiatives on smart farming, soil health, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and machine learning for precision agriculture.
The meeting stressed the need to strengthen links between research and innovation institutions, technology transfer, agricultural extension services, the private sector and farmers’ organisations so that technologies developed through research can be translated into practical solutions and scaled up on farms.
New 2026-2030 action plan
Building on the achievements of the previous cooperation period, ASEAN and India looked forward to the adoption and implementation of the ASEAN-India Medium-Term Plan of Action for Cooperation in Agriculture and Forestry 2026-2030.
The new plan will focus on four broad areas — policy dialogue and food security; trade, investment and resilient value chains; institutional networking and digital innovation; capacity building and joint research; and human-resource development and farmer exchanges.
The initiatives are expected to remain practical, scalable and farmer-centric.
Potential areas of cooperation include low-emission rice cultivation, water productivity, digital agriculture and forestry, AI and IoT applications, soil health, bio-inputs, climate-resilient and nutritious crops, food safety and post-harvest management.
The two sides will also explore measures to reduce food loss and waste, develop alternatives to open crop-residue burning and promote circular bioeconomy solutions.
In forestry, cooperation will cover sustainable forest management, forest and landscape restoration, agroforestry, forest monitoring and responsible forest-based value chains and community enterprises.
Focus on market access and value addition
The meeting also agreed to strengthen market connectivity and access and promote cooperation in value-added processing, preservation technologies and post-harvest management to improve the quality and value of agricultural products.
Greater connectivity in agricultural and forestry logistics will also be pursued to facilitate the movement and distribution of products across the region.
ASEAN and India encouraged participation from research and educational institutions, farmers’ organisations, cooperatives, micro, small and medium enterprises, the private sector, financial institutions and development partners.
The relevant senior officials and working mechanisms of ASEAN and India have been tasked with translating the new plan into a results-oriented rolling work programme, with clear priorities, lead agencies, expected outputs and timelines.
Progress will be regularly monitored to ensure timely implementation, measurable benefits and the scaling-up of successful initiatives.
The meeting also agreed to convene the 10th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry in 2028.
