Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF Japan) jointly organised the ‘ASEAN-Japan Symposium on Accelerating Digitalization in Agriculture and Food System to Promote Sustainable Agricultural Development in the ASEAN Region’ with The ASEAN Secretariat, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Viet Nam (MARD) and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA). The Symposium took place from 30 September to 1 October in Vung Tau City, Viet Nam.

About 50 participants including government officials from ASEAN Member States, Timor-Leste and Japan as well as representatives from businesses, academia and international organisations within and beyond the ASEAN region gathered to discuss the digitalisation of agriculture in ASEAN for promoting sustainable agriculture.

On the first day, following keynote speeches from resource persons from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSiS) and ERIA, MAFF Japan introduced ASEAN-Japan MIDORI Cooperation Plan, as well as strategies for promoting Smart Agriculture in Japan.

Panelists shared their experiences of business activities in application of digital tools. In the session of country presentation, each country representative reported their good practice and challenges in terms of digitalisation of agriculture, and also shared policy instrument to promote digitalisation of agriculture.

At the end of day one, participants found a common recognition that ASEAN needs to explore the development of regional action programme that complements various existing cooperation projects at the national and regional level. This initiative aims to unlock the full potential of applying digitalisation in promoting sustainable agricultural development in ASEAN.

On the second day, participants embarked on a field trip to study the integrated smart agriculture practices, including livestock and herb production and fisheries, in Vung Tau city. They also visited the fish port equipped with applications for recording shipping routes and times, as well as managing sustainable fisheries using GPS navigation system.

Panel Discussion Speakers:

Moderator: Prof. Paul Teng, Managing Director & Dean, RSiS, Singapore
Speakers: Representatives from
　　　　　NIE International Pte Ltd,
　　　　　Grow Asia,
　　　　　Olam Agri and At Source,
　　　　　Sagri Co., Ltd,
　　　　　JAICAF / ADCA(JAIF program for irrigation water management. More detail.),
　　　　　IPSARD
　　　　　TCS Agrotech Ltd.
　　　　　Niigata University
 
 
ASEAN-Japan MIDORI Cooperation Plan:
 
This plan was adopted at the 1^st ASEAN-Japan Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry Meeting (AJMAF) in 2023 and aims to foster cooperation projects between Japan and ASEAN countries by utilising Japanese technology and sharing experiences to build resilient and sustainable agriculture and food systems in the region, ultimately contributing to food security in the region. More detail.
 
ASEAN secretariat web site
https://asean.org/asean-japan-symposium-advances-digitalisation-for-sustainable-agriculture/