Advancing climate-responsive agricultural value chains in the ASEAN region

Context

The agriculture and food industry is crucial for most member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), driving regional cooperation. ASEAN aims to enhance the quality in agricultural production to boost both domestic and international trade. It aligns with the ASEAN Economic Community's (AEC's) vision of a seamless market for free-flowing goods and services. However, the agri-food industry faces complex challenges, including regulatory inconsistencies lack of harmonisation of standards and insufficient public-private coordination.

Effectively addressing these challenges requires aligning national laws, regulations, and guidelines with ASEAN agreements and ensuring their effective implementation. To achieve progress in complying with and improving standards also needs close cooperation and dialogue with private enterprise actors in the agricultural and food industry.

Objective

The ASEAN region has implemented harmonisation measures to comply with quality and climate standards in regional and global agricultural value chains.

Approach

The project advances climate-responsive agricultural trade in ASEAN through the following actions:

• Aligning and coordinating strategies among ASEAN Member States and regional actors to harmonise quality and environmental standards in agricultural trade.
• Driving market-based agricultural innovations focusing on decarbonisation, private industry participation, and digitalisation in Cambodia, the Lao PDR, and Viet Nam.
• Improving conditions for private engagement, including the adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices.
• Facilitating knowledge exchange on climate-sensitive cultivation, environmentally responsible farming, and food security among ASEAN Member States.
• Adopting a gender-sensitive approach to empower women and youth, addressing gender disparities, and influencing ASEAN policies related to agriculture, trade, and climate.

Last update: May 2024