ASEAN, India agree to make concerted efforts to increase cooperation in food security, nutrition, food trade supply chain, cultivation of millets

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and India have agreed to make concerted efforts to increase cooperation in food security, nutrition, food trade supply chain, cultivation of millets, and financing for climate-friendly technologies. This was agreed upon in the ASEAN-India Joint Leaders’ statement on strengthening food security and nutrition in response to crises. The 20th ASEAN-India Summit was held on 7th Sep 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Member countries of ASEAN and India have expressed their commitment to exchange information on national policy frameworks particularly for rice and other priority crop commodities to enhance food security and nutrition. Acknowledging the nutritional richness, climate resilience, health benefits and ecological sustainability of millets, they also supported efforts for the cultivation and harvesting of millets for ensuring global food security.

ASEAN and India have also agreed to ensure unrestricted trade and flow of foodstuffs and other essential agricultural inputs including fertilisers, and pesticides.

They also agreed to explore exports of food grains from public stocks on a government-to-government basis for humanitarian purposes in times of crises. ASEAN and India also supported the efforts to promote the use of digital technologies in agriculture, including exploring interoperability of relevant digital public infrastructure.