9th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry
The Ninth ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (9th AIMMAF) was held on 9 September 2026 in New Delhi, India, co-chaired by H.E. Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture of The Philippines (representing ASEAN), and H.E. Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Minister of India's Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. The meeting reaffirmed the importance of ASEAN-India cooperation in food, agriculture, and forestry as a practical component of the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Both parties underscored their 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, along with 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.
Discussions addressed the implications of global uncertainties including climate change and extreme weather events, geopolitical and economic tensions, volatility in energy, fertilizer and agricultural input markets, disruptions to trade and logistics, and plant and animal health issues. The meeting emphasized the importance of maintaining food and essential agricultural input supply chains (fertilizers, seeds, and pesticides), strengthening regional monitoring and early warning systems, diversifying sources of supply, and supporting smallholders and vulnerable groups.
Notable achievements under the 2021-2025 cooperation period included 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 promoting 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 50 Master's fellowships over five years for students from ASEAN Member States. Progress was also noted in cooperative initiatives on smart farming, soil health, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, machine learning for precision agriculture, and farmer-to-farmer knowledge exchange.
The meeting adopted the ASEAN-India Medium-Term Plan of Action for Cooperation in Agriculture and Forestry 2026-2030, which 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.
Implementation priorities include practical, scalable and farmer-centred initiatives such as cooperation on low-emission rice and water productivity; digital agriculture and forestry applications including artificial intelligence and Internet of Things; 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; and sustainable forest management practices.
The meeting encouraged participation from research and education institutions, farmers' organizations, cooperatives, micro, small and medium enterprises, the private sector, financial institutions and relevant development partners. It agreed to strengthen market connectivity and access, promote cooperation in value-added processing and preservation technologies, and enhance connectivity in agricultural and forestry logistics to facilitate movement and distribution of products.
Senior officials were tasked with translating 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 effective mobilization 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 to ensure timely implementation and measurable benefits, with the Tenth ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry scheduled for 2028.