JAKARTA, 6 March 2024 – The Workshop on Bolstering ASEAN Food Security through Partnership and Cooperation on Agricultural Biotechnology was convened from 4-6 March in Jakarta, Indonesia, by the Agriculture & Food Systems Institute with support from the ASEAN Secretariat and the United States Department of Agriculture and Department of State. 

The workshop brought together delegates from 10 ASEAN Member States (AMS) and Timor-Leste, as well as stakeholders from international organisations, research agencies and private sectors. The main objectives were to increase awareness of the potential benefits of agricultural biotechnology for food security and climate resiliency, share experiences and updates on the biotechnology and biosafety policy status among AMS, and explore collaboration to promote regulatory harmonisation, streamlined approval processes and adoption of effective and efficient regulatory approaches.

Experts from Canada, Australia, the African Union and the United States joined the workshop to provide insights into the global status of biotechnology and biotechnology products in international trade, as well as on efforts at bilateral and multilateral cooperation and harmonisation. The workshop also included a visit to Hikmah Farm, the pilot site for propagation of genetically engineered potato (Bio Granola seed) in Bandung, Indonesia, as well as to the Padjadjaran University. The workshop facilitated closed discussions among participants to consider opportunities for future collaboration and harmonisation in line with the key priorities of ASEAN, such as ensuring food security, sustainable agriculture and boosting innovation, research and development in food and agriculture sector.