Africa’s youngest century: Turning a population surge into prosperity

The 9th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (AIMMAF) is set to take place on September 9, 2026, in New Delhi, following a series of preparatory meetings. This marks the continuation of a partnership that began in 1992, now spanning three decades. While the formal meetings are important, the real focus lies in translating this long-standing cooperation into tangible benefits for farmers' prosperity, livelihoods, and food systems across the region.

India and ASEAN are both regions with diverse and growing agricultural sectors. ASEAN's agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries support around 93 million jobs, while India's agriculture and allied sectors employ nearly 46% of its workforce. Both regions share many common agricultural challenges, such as small and fragmented farms, dependence on monsoons, and the prevalence of similar crops, ecosystems, pests, and post-harvest losses.

India's agricultural research and technology base provides a strong foundation for this partnership. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) oversees 114 research institutes, 80 agricultural universities, and 731 district-level extension centers. Over the past decade, India has released more than 3,800 crop varieties, many of which are designed for climate resilience and improved nutrition. Additionally, India's national gene bank conserves nearly 470,000 accessions of plant material.

While the partnership has made significant progress, there is still room for improvement in translating research and technology into on-the-ground benefits for farmers. The ASEAN-India partnership focuses on seven key areas: food and nutrition security, sustainable forestry and mangrove management, regenerative and climate-resilient agriculture, livestock, fisheries, post-harvest management, and digital agriculture.

By strengthening institutional follow-through, such as multi-location trials of stress-tolerant crop varieties, joint pest-surveillance protocols, and common methodologies for measuring post-harvest losses, the potential for greater impact exists.