ERIA and Partners Advance ASEAN Roadmap for Regenerative and Resilient Agriculture

Bali, 2-3 June 2026: ERIA co-organised the Second ASEAN Consultation Workshop and Capacity Building on Regenerative and Resilient Agriculture (RRA) Systems together with the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and the European Union.

The workshop brought together approximately 80 participants, including government officials from ASEAN Member States (AMS), the European Union, and Japan, as well as representatives from international organisations, development banks, the private sector, research institutions, and other ASEAN development partners.

The primary objective of the workshop was to finalise the draft ASEAN Implementation Plan for Regenerative and Resilient Agriculture Systems, one of the Priority Economic Deliverables (PEDs) under the Philippines' ASEAN Chairship in 2026. The meeting also sought to mobilise support from development partners through projects, investment, and technical contributions to advance regenerative agriculture across the region.

Participants further discussed the possible establishment of a dedicated partners' platform to strengthen co-ordination and facilitate more effective implementation of RRA-related programmes and investments.

In his opening remarks, Mr Masanori Kozono, Senior Policy Fellow at ERIA, highlighted the institute's ongoing support for ASEAN's sustainable agriculture agenda, including the development of the ASEAN Food, Agriculture and Forestry Sectoral Plan (FAF-SP) 2026-2030 and the ASEAN Implementation Plan for RRA Systems.

He emphasised that the workshop represented an important milestone towards the formal adoption of both the ASEAN Implementation Plan for RRA Systems and the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) Statement. He also underscored the need for stronger collaboration and co-ordination amongst development partners to support ASEAN's flagship RRA programmes.

Mr Kozono noted that the transition to regenerative agriculture has the potential to generate significant environmental and economic benefits over the medium to long term while enhancing the resilience of agri-food systems against external shocks, including disruptions to global fertiliser supply chains.

During the first day of the workshop, participants reviewed and discussed the draft ASEAN Implementation Plan for RRA Systems and the draft AMAF Ministerial Statement. Delegates expressed strong support for ASEAN's efforts to promote regenerative and resilient agriculture and provided recommendations to further strengthen the documents.

A subsequent session focused on partner support for implementation of the regional RRA agenda. Development partners presented ongoing and planned initiatives designed to support ASEAN's transition towards more sustainable and resilient agricultural systems.

As part of these discussions, Dr Phetkeo Poumanyvong, Energy and Agriculture Economist at ERIA, presented progress on the institute's biochar project, which supports ASEAN's RRA agenda. Drawing on preliminary findings from an Indonesia case study, he reported that biochar users had observed improvements in soil health, water retention, and crop yields, while also reducing fertiliser use.

Dr Poumanyvong noted that the principal challenge was not demand, but rather the need for greater training, demonstration activities, and awareness-raising to encourage wider adoption. He called for expanded capacity-building efforts and supportive policy measures to unlock biochar's full potential within ASEAN's regenerative agriculture agenda.

Other organisations presenting initiatives included the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), Food Industry Asia (FIA), GIZ, and the EU Technical Assistance Facility to the Green Team Europe Initiative (TAF-GTEI).

The workshop also featured a panel discussion involving representatives from partner organisations, the private sector, and the ASEAN Secretariat. Panellists, including experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), highlighted the importance of effective governance, stronger partnerships, enhanced information-sharing, increased investment, and technical assistance to support the transition towards regenerative agriculture.

The discussion also explored the potential establishment of an ASEAN RRA partners' platform to facilitate collaboration and strengthen implementation at the country level.

On the second day, participants focused on financing and investment opportunities to support the transition to regenerative and resilient agriculture systems across ASEAN. Discussions identified priority investment areas, potential financing mechanisms, and practical steps to support implementation of the regional action plan.

Participants were informed that a follow-up workshop focusing on investment in RRA systems is planned for November 2026. In response, MAFF Japan proposed co-organising a back-to-back workshop with the ASEAN Secretariat and ERIA to address technical aspects of regenerative agriculture and facilitate greater engagement with private-sector stakeholders.

The workshop concluded with a shared commitment amongst ASEAN Member States and development partners to strengthen regional collaboration, mobilise investment, and accelerate the implementation of regenerative and resilient agriculture systems across ASEAN.