ASEAN, India Strengthen Food Security & Farm Cooperation

• ASEAN and India reaffirmed cooperation on food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry.
• Both sides highlighted AI, digital agriculture and farmer-centric initiatives.
• Cooperation will focus on resilient supply chains, climate adaptation and sustainable farming.
• A new 2026–30 action plan will guide policy, research, technology and farmer exchanges.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 10th Sept: The 9th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (9th AIMMAF) was held in New Delhi on September 9, reaffirming the commitment of ASEAN and India to strengthen cooperation in food security, sustainable agriculture, forestry and resilient agricultural value chains.

The meeting was co-chaired by Philippine Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, representing the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry, and Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, representing India.

The meeting underscored the importance of ASEAN-India cooperation in supporting food security and nutrition, farmers’ livelihoods, sustainable and low-emission development, innovation, research and development, rural prosperity and resilient agricultural and forest systems.

The Ministers discussed challenges arising from climate change and extreme weather events, geopolitical and economic tensions, volatility in energy and agricultural input markets, trade and logistics disruptions, and plant and animal health threats.

They stressed the need to maintain the flow of food and essential agricultural inputs such as fertilisers, seeds and pesticides, while strengthening early-warning systems, diversifying supply sources and supporting smallholders and vulnerable communities.

The meeting reviewed progress under the ASEAN-India Medium-Term Plan of Action for Cooperation in Agriculture and Forestry 2021–2025. Cooperation during the period covered food security, climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable soil management, digitalisation, science and technology, conservation and exchanges among institutions and farmers.

Among the initiatives highlighted were the ASEAN-India Joint Leaders’ Statement on Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Response to Crises, ASEAN-India Millets Festivals held in Jakarta and New Delhi in 2023, and the ASEAN-India Fellowship for Higher Education in Agriculture and Allied Sciences, launched in 2024 with 50 Master’s fellowships over five years for students from ASEAN member states.

The meeting also noted cooperation in smart farming, soil health, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and machine learning for precision agriculture, along with farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchange.

The Ministers looked forward to adopting and implementing the ASEAN-India Medium-Term Plan of Action for Cooperation in Agriculture and Forestry 2026–2030. The plan will focus on policy dialogue; food security, trade, investment and resilient value chains; institutional networking and digital innovation; capacity building and joint research; and human-resource development, farmer exchanges and inclusive rural enterprises.

Priority areas will include low-emission rice and water productivity, digital agriculture and forestry, AI and IoT applications, soil health, bio-inputs, climate-resilient crops, food safety, post-harvest management and reduction of food waste.

The cooperation will also cover alternatives to open crop-residue burning, circular bioeconomy solutions, resilient agricultural supply chains, sustainable forest management, landscape restoration, agroforestry, forest monitoring and responsible forest-based value chains.

The meeting called for greater participation of research institutions, farmers’ organisations, cooperatives, MSMEs, private companies, financial institutions and development partners.

Both sides also agreed to strengthen market connectivity, value-added processing, preservation technologies and agricultural and forestry logistics to improve the movement, quality and value of farm products.

Senior officials and working mechanisms of ASEAN and India were tasked with translating the new plan into a results-oriented rolling work programme with clear priorities, lead agencies, expected outcomes, timelines and possible sources of support.

The 10th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry will be convened in 2028.