Japan has experienced record-breaking hot weather this summer, with the impact on agricultural production becoming impossible to be ignored. We have also increasingly come across news reports of heavy rains and other extremely weather events in ASEAN member states that appear to be linked to climate change. At the same time, the global situation, including political developments, is becoming increasingly unstable. As the global population continues to grow, competition for food is increasing, and this is starting to threaten food security. While we recognize that there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution to these risks that can be applied globally, I am confident that ASEAN and Japan, which share similar environments and agricultural conditions, have many areas in which we can work together. With this in mind, at the first Meeting of ASEAN-Japan Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry in 2023, we adopted the “ASEAN-Japan MIDORI Cooperation Plan” and have since implemented various projects that make use of technologies developed by Japan. Two years have passed since its adoption. This year, ASEAN has formulated ASEAN Food, Agriculture and Forestry Sectoral Plan (FAF-SP) 2026-2030, and Japan has also incorporated the framework of this “ASEAN-Japan MIDORI Cooperation Plan” into Japan’s new “Basic Act on Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas”. In light of these developments, the ASEAN-Japan MIDORI Cooperation Plan was revised following discussions at the Second Meeting of the ASEAN-Japan Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry on October 2, with the agreement of ASEAN member states. Furthermore, in addition to the ASEAN-Japan MIDORI Cooperation Plan, MAFF formulated Initiative for Net-zero compatible with Food security through INternational expantion of Innovative TechnologY (MIDORI∞INFINITY) to globally deploy Japanese innovative GHG emission reduction technologies that contribute to food security in this May. This initiative showcases innovative technologies such as AWD, biochar and cashew nut shell liquid for feed additive. The revised ASEAN-Japan MIDORI Cooperation Plan features projects utilizing these technologies. ASEAN-Japan MIDORI Cooperation Plan includes many other projects. Through these initiatives, we aim to contribute to building a resilient and sustainable agriculture and food system across the ASEAN region.
Hideki Hagiwara (Sat,) studied this question.