ASEAN endorses vision for food, agriculture and forestry 2045

Affirming sectors of food, agriculture and forestry’s central role

AMAF 47, held on October 1 in Pasay City, the Philippines, adopted the ASEAN Vision for Food, Agriculture and Forestry 2045 and Ministers reaffirmed ASEAN’s strong commitment to enhancing cooperation in food, agriculture and forestry, seen as key drivers for realizing the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and its longer-term aspirations. The meeting acknowledged the rapidly changing regional and global context, particularly in relation to the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and the ASEAN Economic Community Strategic Plan 2026-2030.

The new ASEAN Vision for Food, Agriculture and Forestry 2045, along with its cooperation framework, is intended as a long-term orientation to strengthen regional food systems, ensure food security and nutrition, promote sustainable forest management, and improve climate resilience.

At the same time, ministers endorsed the 2026-2030 sector plan of action as a medium-term roadmap to operationalize the 2045 vision. It centers on six priorities: promoting sustainable and regenerative practices; decarbonization and climate adaptation in agriculture; strengthening food security and nutrition; enhancing trade connectivity and market access; expanding public-private partnerships and digital innovation; and scaling up sustainable forest management.

AMAF tasked the Senior Officials Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (SOM-AMAF) and its subsidiary bodies with integrating these priorities into their work programs, ensuring alignment with ASEAN’s broader strategic frameworks.

The ministers underscored regenerative agriculture as a pivotal strategy to improve soil health, restore ecosystems, boost biodiversity, and increase resilience to climate change. They called for greater sharing of best practices, expansion of pilot projects, and partnerships with academia, civil society, international organizations and the private sector.

The meeting welcomed the ASEAN One Billion Trees Initiative as a major contribution to forest conservation, climate adaptation and community empowerment, encouraging member states to develop national action plans and strengthen monitoring and reporting systems.

ASEAN ministers also reaffirmed commitments to addressing cross-cutting issues including climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, food safety and quality, and the promotion of circular economy models.

Progress was noted on several regional initiatives such as the development of sustainable aviation fuel from agricultural waste, the use of biological control agents to combat antimicrobial resistance in aquaculture and livestock, circular bioeconomy models in ASEAN, nature-based solutions (NbS) and ecosystem-based approaches (EbA), sustainable transformation of giant freshwater prawn and eel farming, and the issuance of ASEAN green bonds for sustainable agriculture.

The meeting acknowledged valuable support from ASEAN dialogue partners, international organizations, and the private sector. This included the FAO and IRRI on food security and standards; ERIA in evidence-based policy research; CGIAR in advancing science and innovation for climate-resilient agriculture; GIZ in land use sustainability, biodiversity and climate action; as well as USABC, ABAC and other business councils in promoting private sector engagement and investment.

Vietnam’s active and responsible participation

ASEAN ministers voiced strong support for the Philippines’ ASEAN chairmanship in 2026, which will prioritize regenerative agriculture and the ASEAN Adaptive Agriculture Systems Initiative. They also agreed to convene the 48th AMAF in Singapore in 2026.

Speaking at the session presenting recommendations from the Special SOM-AMAF to AMAF, Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Quoc Tri praised the comprehensive reports by the SOM-AMAF Chair and the ASEAN Secretariat on 2024-2025 cooperation progress, as well as key documents adopted at the meeting.

“This cooperation has contributed to sustainable agricultural development, ensuring food security and food safety in the ASEAN region. Vietnam has always participated actively and responsibly in this process”,  Deputy Minister Tri emphasized.

He noted that the meeting had endorsed three key documents: the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on the Vision for Food, Agriculture and Forestry to 2045; the ASEAN Cooperation Framework on Food, Agriculture and Forestry 2045; and the 2026-2030 sector plan of action. These, he said, provide clear direction and a foundation for deeper collaboration both within ASEAN and with international partners.

Vietnam reaffirmed its support for two flagship initiatives under the Philippines’ 2026 chairmanship: the ASEAN Framework on Regenerative and Adaptive Agriculture Systems, and the ASEAN One Billion Trees Program.

Against a backdrop of global and regional challenges, climate change, natural disasters, epidemics, and geopolitical uncertainties, Deputy Minister Tri called on ASEAN to step up technical cooperation, climate-smart agriculture, digital transformation, innovation, and sustainable agri-food value chains, while sharing experience and building adaptive capacity across the sector.

“Vietnam is committed to continuing active, proactive, and responsible participation, making practical contributions to the shared development of the ASEAN Economic Community for a sustainable, inclusive and prosperous future. I believe ASEAN cooperation will create new momentum and opportunities toward a sustainable, climate-resilient, low-emission agriculture that ensures food security for the entire region”, Deputy Minister Tri affirmed.

Vietnam also agreed on the endorsement of the reports and recommendations from the SOM-AMAF Chair to AMAF 47.