Singapore, 29 October 2026: ERIA President Tetsuya Watanabe led the Institute’s delegation to the 48th Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF), highlighting progress in ASEAN–ERIA co-operation to strengthen the region’s agriculture, food, and forestry sectors.

President Watanabe outlined three areas of ERIA’s work: regenerative and resilient agriculture, agricultural digitalisation, and fertiliser supply chain resilience.

On regenerative and resilient agriculture, he highlighted ERIA’s contributions to the development of two regional frameworks addressing regenerative and resilient agricultural systems and biochar production and application. On agricultural digitalisation, he shared preliminary findings from ERIA’s ongoing study on the application of artificial intelligence in agriculture. These findings underscore the importance of reliable data, adequate infrastructure, practical skills, and effective partnerships in enabling successful adoption.

He also presented preliminary findings from ERIA’s study on fertiliser supply chain resilience. The study recommends diversifying supply sources and building buffer stocks in the short term, while promoting wider adoption of regenerative agricultural practices to help reduce reliance on imported chemical fertilisers over time.

President Watanabe reaffirmed ERIA’s commitment to helping ASEAN translate research and policy recommendations into practical action. Through policy advice, capacity building, and continued co-operation, ERIA will support the region’s efforts to develop sustainable, resilient, and innovative agri-food systems.