November-December. 2025 | @ AGROBiz
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Food security roadmap
• The declaration sets out a collective goal to build a sustainable, inclusive, resilient and secure food and agriculture system, ensuring both food security and environmental protection for future generations.
• To ensure implementation, the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry( AMAF) have been tasked with coordinating actions and aligning policies to turn the shared 2045 vision into measurable progress.
• During the Malaysia – Australia Annual Leaders’ Meeting( ALM) held alongside the ASEAN Summit, both leaders agreed to strengthen investment and knowledge-sharing in farming and irrigation.
ASEAN leaders have endorsed a landmark declaration that charts the region’ s long-term vision for the food, agriculture and forestry sectors, setting a clear course toward sustainability, resilience and innovation by 2045.
Adopted during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on the Vision for Food, Agriculture and Forestry Towards 2045 reaffirms the region’ s shared commitment to food security, sustainable livelihoods and inclusive growth across its diverse economies.
The vision aspires to create a“ sustainable, inclusive, resilient and secure” food and agriculture system that nurtures farmer livelihoods, safeguards the environment, and positions ASEAN as a leading global partner in sustainable trade and production.
It reflects the bloc’ s broader
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aspiration under the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, which envisions a resilient, innovative and peoplecentred region.
Recognising the region’ s exposure to climate change, biodiversity loss and urbanisation pressures, leaders pledged to strengthen policies that promote regenerative agriculture, sustainable forestry and circular economies.
The declaration also highlights the transformative potential of digitalisation, calling for greater access to precision agriculture tools, data-driven farming, and innovation hubs that connect agritech start-ups with farmers and researchers.
Among the key action areas are efforts to reduce carbon emissions, encourage low-carbon farming, and integrate renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass into agricultural operations. Leaders also underscored the importance of climate adaptation and disaster preparedness, ensuring that rural
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TOWARD A RESILIENT HARVEST: The ASEAN Vision 2045 aims to ensure food security while protecting rural livelihoods and the environment across the region. |
communities are equipped to cope with future shocks while maintaining food production.
The declaration further calls for closer collaboration through existing sub-regional frameworks, such as the Brunei Darussalam – Indonesia – Malaysia – Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area( BIMP-EAGA) and the Indonesia – Malaysia – Thailand Growth Triangle( IMT-GT), to strengthen trade, research, and market integration.
ASEAN also aims to attract
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responsible, sustainable investments through public-private partnerships, green financing, and capacity-building initiatives to modernise food production and strengthen value chains.
To put these commitments into action, the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry( AMAF) have been tasked with coordinating cross-sectoral efforts to pave the way for a more food-secure, climate-resilient, and sustainable ASEAN by 2045.
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Partners in growth
MALAYSIA and Australia have renewed their shared commitment to strengthening cooperation across key sectors, including trade, education, agriculture, cybersecurity, and regional stability.
The pledge was made during the Malaysia-Australia Annual Leaders’ Meeting( ALM), held on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Kuala Lumpur, which took place from Oct 26 to 28.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim described his meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as open and constructive, underscoring the strong ties between both nations.
He said discussions focused on enhancing trade, investment and joint ventures, reflecting a mutual desire to advance long-term collaboration— particularly in areas that benefit the agricultural economy.
He highlighted Australia’ s continued role as an important
partner in Malaysia’ s agricultural advancement, citing successful collaboration in halal operations, food production, and irrigation development. Anwar noted that Malaysia values Australia’ s expertise in modern farming practices and sees opportunities to expand cooperation in agri-technology and sustainable food systems.
“ Agriculture has been extremely successful, and we continue to depend on Australia to share its expertise and allow our teams to improve not only production but also irrigation,” he said.
Both leaders also discussed emerging areas of collaboration, including energy transition, youth engagement and digitalisation, which could support rural innovation and economic resilience.
Anwar commended Australia’ s strong educational presence in Malaysia, particularly Monash University’ s investment at Tun Razak
BUILDING ON COMMON GROUND: Both leaders reaffirmed agriculture as a cornerstone of Malaysia – Australia cooperation, highlighting shared goals in food innovation, sustainability and trade expansion.
Exchange( TRX), and expressed appreciation for Canberra’ s humanitarian stance on the Gaza conflict.
Albanese, meanwhile, described Southeast Asia as central to Australia’ s economic future, highlighting the Invested: Australia’ s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 as a key framework for expanding two-way agricultural trade and investment.
He also reaffirmed the enduring people-to-people ties between the two nations, noting that more than 500,000 Malaysians have studied in Australia, strengthening mutual understanding and cooperation across generations.- @ AGROBiz