9th ASEAN–India Ministerial Meeting Reaffirms Commitment to Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Resilient Value Chains

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare 9th ASEAN–India Ministerial Meeting Reaffirms Commitment to Food Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Resilient Value Chains ASEAN and India Advance Cooperation on Climate-Resilient Agriculture, Digital Innovation and Food Security ASEAN–India Agriculture Cooperation to Focus on AI, Digital Agriculture, Farmer-Centric Initiatives and Resilient Supply Chains

Posted On: 10 SEP 2026 12:56PM by PIB Delhi The Ninth ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (9th AIMMAF) was held on 9 September 2026 in New Delhi, India. 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 H.E. Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan,Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, India, representing the Republic of India.

The Meeting reaffirmed the importance of ASEAN-India cooperation in food, agriculture and forestry as a practical and mutually beneficial component of the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The Meeting underscored its commitment to advancing cooperation that supports food security and nutrition, farmers' livelihoods, sustainable and low emission development, innovation, research and development, rural prosperity and the resilience of agriculture and forest systems.

The Meeting welcomed ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future and the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 for a Resilient, Innovative, Dynamic and People-Centred ASEAN. The Meeting also welcomed the ASEAN Leaders' Declaration on the Vision for Food, Agriculture and Forestry Towards 2045 and the ASEAN Food, Agriculture and Forestry Sectoral Plan 2026-2030, which provide strategic direction for a sustainable, inclusive, resilient and secure sector that nurtures farmers' livelihoods, safeguards the environment, fosters innovation and contributes to climate change adaptation and mitigation.

The Meeting exchanged views on the implications of global uncertainties for food, agriculture and forestry, including climate change and extreme weather events, geopolitical and economic tensions, volatility in energy, fertiliser and agricultural input markets, disruptions to trade and logistics, and plant and animal health, transboundary plant pests and animal diseases. The Meeting emphasised the importance of maintaining and ensuring the flow of food and essential agricultural input supply chains (fertilizers, seeds, and pesticides), strengthening regional monitoring and early warning, diversifying sources of supply, and supporting smallholders and vulnerable groups. The Meeting agreed that ASEAN and India should deepen practical cooperation to build resilient, sustainable and responsive food and agricultural systems.

The Meeting commended the progress made in implementing the ASEAN-India Medium-Term Plan ofAction for Cooperation in Agriculture and Forestry 2021-2025. During this period, ASEAN and India sustained ministerial and senior-official policy dialogue and strengthened cooperation on food security, climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture, conservation and nature-positive approaches, sustainable soil management, human-resource development, digitalisation, science and technology, and exchanges among institutions and farmers.

The Meeting highlighted several notable achievements under the 2021-2025 cooperation period. These included the ASEAN-India Joint Leaders' Statement on Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Response to Crises; the ASEAN-India Millets Festivals held in Jakarta and New Delhi in 2023, which promoted dietary diversification, nutrition and climate-resilient crops; and the launch in 2024 of the ASEAN-India Fellowship for Higher Education in Agriculture and Allied Sciences, providing for 50 Master's fellowships over five years for students from ASEAN Member States. The Meeting also noted progress in advancing cooperative initiatives on smart farming and soil health, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and machine learning for precision agriculture, and farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchange.

The implementation of cooperation areas should strengthen linkages among research, innovation, technology transfer, advisory and agricultural extension services, the private sector, and farmers’ organizations, with a view to narrowing the gap between technology development and practical application and facilitating the scaling-up of technologies in agricultural production.

Building on these achievements and the new strategic direction of ASEAN, the Meeting looked forward to adoption and implementation of the ASEAN-India Medium-Term Plan of Action for Cooperation in Agriculture and Forestry 2026-2030. The new Plan will guide cooperation in four mutually reinforcing

areas: policy dialogue, food security, trade, investment and resilient value chains; institutional networking, information exchange and digital innovation; capacity building, technology cooperation and joint research and development; and human-resource development, farmer exchanges and inclusive rural enterprise.

The Meeting agreed that implementation of the new Plan should prioritise practical, scalable and farmer- centred initiatives. These may include cooperation on low-emission rice and water productivity; digital agriculture and forestry, including the application of artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and other emerging digital technologies; soil health and bio-inputs; climate-resilient and nutritious crops; food safety; postharvest management and reduction of food loss and waste; alternatives to open crop-residue burning and circular bioeconomy solutions; resilient food supply chains and agricultural inputs;

sustainable forest management, forest and landscape restoration, agroforestry, forest monitoring and responsible forest-based value chains and community enterprises.

The Meeting encouraged the participation of research and education institutions, farmers' organisations, cooperatives, micro, small and medium enterprises, the private sector, financial institutions and relevant development partners, as appropriate.

The Meeting agreed to strengthen market connectivity and access; promote cooperation in value-added processing, preservation technologies, and post-harvest management to enhance the quality and value addition of agricultural products; and enhance connectivity in agricultural and forestry logistics to facilitate the movement and distribution of agricultural and forestry products.

The Meeting tasked the relevant senior officials and working mechanisms of ASEAN and India to translate the Plan into a results-oriented rolling work programme with clear priorities, lead agencies, expected outputs, timelines and possible sources of support. The Meeting encouraged the effective mobilisation of available ASEAN-India funding mechanisms, voluntary national resources and other mutually agreed support, subject to applicable rules and procedures. Progress will be regularly monitored, with a view to ensuring timely implementation, measurable benefits and the scaling-up of successful initiatives.

The Meeting agreed to convene the Tenth ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestryin 2028.

The Meeting expressed its sincere appreciation to the Government of India for the warm hospitality and excellent arrangements made for the 9th AIMMAF Meeting. ***** RC/MS (Release ID: 2308621) Visitor Counter : 901

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