The Ninth ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (9th AIMMAF) brought India and ASEAN countries together in New Delhi to strengthen cooperation in food security, sustainable agriculture, forestry and rural development. The meeting reaffirmed the importance of agriculture and forestry as key areas of the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The meeting was co-chaired by Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Secretary, Department of Agriculture, the Philippines, representing the Chair of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry, and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, representing India.
Focus on Food Security and Resilient Agriculture
The meeting emphasised the need for stronger regional cooperation to address challenges affecting food and agricultural systems. These include climate change, extreme weather events, geopolitical and economic uncertainties, fluctuations in energy and fertiliser prices, disruptions to trade and logistics, and plant and animal health risks.
India and ASEAN agreed on the importance of maintaining reliable food and agricultural input supply chains, including fertilizers, seeds and pesticides. They also highlighted regional monitoring, early-warning mechanisms and diversification of supply sources as important measures for strengthening resilience, particularly for small and vulnerable farming communities.
The participants expressed their commitment to developing agricultural systems that are sustainable, responsive and capable of supporting farmers’ livelihoods while contributing to climate action and rural prosperity.
New Cooperation Plan for 2026-2030
The meeting welcomed the ASEAN 2045 vision and the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, along with the ASEAN Food, Agriculture and Forestry Sectoral Plan 2026-2030. These frameworks aim to promote a sustainable, inclusive and resilient food, agriculture and forestry sector.
Building on progress made under the ASEAN-India Medium-Term Plan of Action for Cooperation in Agriculture and Forestry 2021-2025, the meeting looked forward to implementing a new cooperation plan for 2026-2030.
The new plan will focus on four broad areas: policy dialogue and resilient value chains; institutional networking and digital innovation; capacity building, technology cooperation and joint research; and human-resource development, farmer exchanges and inclusive rural enterprises.
Technology and Innovation to Support Farmers
The meeting called for closer links between research institutions, technology developers, agricultural extension services, private companies and farmers’ organisations. The objective is to ensure that innovations move beyond laboratories and reach farms at scale.
Potential areas of cooperation include low-emission rice cultivation, improved water productivity, digital agriculture and forestry, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, soil health, bio-inputs and climate-resilient crops. Participants also identified food safety, post-harvest management, reduction of food losses and waste, and alternatives to open crop-residue burning as important areas for joint action.
Forestry cooperation is also expected to cover sustainable forest management, landscape restoration, agroforestry, forest monitoring and responsible forest-based value chains and community enterprises.
Building Stronger Agricultural Markets
India and ASEAN further agreed to improve market connectivity and access while promoting value-added processing, preservation technologies and better post-harvest practices. Stronger logistics and connectivity for agricultural and forestry products will also be pursued to facilitate their movement and distribution.
The meeting encouraged the participation of farmers’ organisations, cooperatives, MSMEs, research and educational institutions, private companies, financial institutions and development partners.
Senior officials and relevant ASEAN-India mechanisms were tasked with converting the new cooperation plan into a results-oriented work programme containing clear priorities, responsibilities, timelines and expected outcomes.
The meeting also agreed to regularly monitor progress and scale up successful initiatives. The Tenth ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry will be convened in 2028.
Author: Shivam
Shivam Dwivedi is a senior journalist with extensive experience in research-driven journalism, policy communication, and multi-platform storytelling. His areas of interest include international relations, defence, science & technology, education, urban development, agriculture, spirituality, and environmental sustainability. His work focuses on in-depth analysis, public discourse, and impactful narratives across governance and development sectors, with a strong commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Contact: [email protected]
