Preliminary Scoping Study on Building and Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems in ASEAN Countries Edited by

Abstract

The global population has reached nearly 8 billion in recent years, and this upward trend continues to accelerate. As such, increasing the food supply is essential for ensuring human prosperity. This will become even more important as the world strives for stable economic growth while simultaneously addressing the environmental impact and the broader aspects of social well-being. These considerations – underpinned by good governance, often referred to as sustainability – will play a critical role in the future. The ASEAN region has experienced both economic expansion and population growth. Agriculture remains one of the key sectors in terms of economic contribution and employment generation. Moreover, in the context of ongoing global volatility – such as climate change and geopolitical uncertainty – ensuring stable food production and food security is becoming an increasingly urgent priority for the region. To address these challenges, the ASEAN Regional Guidelines for Sustainable Agriculture in ASEAN: Developing Food Security and Food Productivity in ASEAN with Sustainable and Circular Agriculture was adopted by the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry during the 44th AMAF Meeting on 26 October 2022. These Guidelines aim to promote sustainable agriculture across the region while enhancing food security. As a follow-up to the adoption of the Guidelines, a practical action plan must be formulated. This plan should incorporate national priorities, urgency of action, and country-specific needs for transitioning to sustainable agricultural practices. As an initial step, a scoping study was conducted to identify priority areas for strengthening sustainable food systems within the ASEAN context and according to the national goals of each Member State. This report presents the findings and analysis from the study, which are primarily based on a questionnaire survey of 774 respondents from ten ASEAN countries. Chapter 2 of the report outlines the survey topics and consolidated results, while Chapters 3 to 12 provide country-specific summaries, highlighting recent policy developments related to the identified subjects. ..