To advance regenerative and resilient agriculture in the region, ASEAN member states must not only draw up sound policies, but also overcome implementation hurdles. By fostering cross-sector collaboration, mobilising capital and scaling up innovation, they can build more sustainable and productive agrifood systems.
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu made this call on Friday (30 October), in her capacity as chair of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry meeting, at the inaugural ASEAN Agrifood Investment and Partnership Forum, held during the 48th ministerial meeting.
She noted that global food systems are facing unprecedented challenges. Climate change is bringing more frequent extreme weather events, including floods, droughts and heatwaves, directly affecting agricultural productivity. Geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions have heightened uncertainty over the supply and prices of food and agricultural inputs.
“At the same time, growing populations, changing consumption patterns, and resource constraints are placing additional pressure on our agrifood systems. These challenges have reinforced a simple but urgent reality: food security cannot be taken for granted.”
Fu stressed that these challenges are particularly significant for ASEAN, where agriculture remains central to the region’s economies, livelihoods and rural communities. Millions of farmers and agrifood businesses depend heavily on resilient and productive agrifood systems. Strengthening agricultural resilience is therefore not just about safeguarding food supplies, but also about protecting livelihoods, supporting economic development and securing a sustainable future for the region.
However, she said plainly: “However, good policies alone are not enough. The real challenge before us is implementation.”
She said ASEAN is advancing regenerative and resilient agriculture through related implementation plans to improve productivity, sustainability, resilience and competitiveness across the agrifood sector. The forum brought together ASEAN member states, development and financial partners, agricultural technology providers and research institutions to identify priority investment needs and explore practical financing and partnership arrangements.
To turn this vision into tangible results, she called on all parties to mobilise capital, strengthen partnerships and scale up innovation, connecting farmers and agricultural enterprises with the technology, markets and resources they need.
“We must also look towards investable projects that can attract both public and private capital. This requires governments, development partners, financial institutions, investors, businesses and researchers to work together.”
Fu reiterated that Singapore, as chair of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry meeting, is committed to supporting collective efforts to strengthen regional food security and resilience.
“We believe that one of ASEAN’s greatest strengths is its diversity. By pooling our knowledge, resources and capabilities, we can build agrifood systems that are not only more resilient to future shocks but also more sustainable, productive and inclusive.”
Speaking at the forum, Philippine Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., who had just stepped down as chair of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry meeting, said policy commitments alone could not transform agriculture; only investment could do so.
He noted that new opportunities are emerging in ASEAN in areas such as climate smart rice production, agricultural waste valorisation and soil restoration. However, making these opportunities “bankable” remains a challenge. Overcoming this, he said, “requires credible business models, stronger market linkages, appropriate financing and risk-sharing arrangements, and agricultural enterprises capable of participating in investment partnerships.”
ASEAN Deputy Secretary General Satvinder Singh said the transition to regenerative and resilient agriculture must be inclusive, and smallholders should not have to bear its costs and risks alone. He also called on public and private sector stakeholders to work together to make sustainable agricultural practices economically viable and commercially attractive.
The 48th ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry meeting issued a joint statement calling for the early and coordinated implementation of the regenerative and resilient agriculture programme, supported through measures such as green procurement, inclusive finance, research and education.
The 26th Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry Plus Three, involving China, Japan and South Korea and also held on Friday, issued a joint statement identifying “decarbonisation and climate resilience” as one of the central areas for practical cooperation. It encouraged wider adoption of emissions-reducing technologies such as alternate wetting and drying in rice production, the use of biomass and agricultural-residue, and water-efficient production methods.
