Bali, 24 July 2024: The ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) organised the 'Second Joint Event on Fostering Parliamentary Action and Collaboration for Effective Implementation of the ASEAN Guidelines on Promoting Responsible Investment in Food, Agriculture, and Forestry' from 23 to 26 July 2024 in Bali, Indonesia. The event gathered AIPA Member Parliaments together with policymakers and representatives from the private sector, civil society, and academia to foster collaboration on promoting responsible investment in food, agriculture, and forestry.

During the plenary session, Dr Kentaro Yamada, an ERIA Policy Fellow, was invited as a speaker to encourage the promotion of innovative technologies for food, agriculture, and forestry systems. Dr Yamada presented the key findings of the ERIA project on Building and Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems in ASEAN countries. He highlighted that digital agriculture and carbon measurement remain underdeveloped initiatives within the region. Additionally, Dr Yamada pointed out the significant gap between CLMV and non-CLMV countries in implementing these initiatives. In light of these challenges, he stressed the importance of formulating supportive policies and actions tailored to the specific needs of CLMV countries.

Dr Yamada highlighted several potential factors for installing and diffusing new technologies, including the adoption process of transferable technology, financial support, and policy initiatives. He emphasised that supporting activities, such as knowledge-sharing workshops, pilot projects, research studies, human resource development, and platform development, are necessary to enhance the adoption process. The collaboration of public–private partnerships is crucial for the successful implementation of these activities. Dr Yamada also introduced the ERIA Digital Innovation and Sustainable Economy Centre (E-DISC) and its potential support for the adoption process of new technology in agri-food systems. He also stated that financial support is necessary for almost every activity.

In the final part of the ERIA presentation, Dr Yamada explained ASEAN’s commitment to advancing innovative technology through strategic policy development, such as the ASEAN Guidelines. As the initiatives vary amongst the countries, taking into account the ASEAN Regional Initiatives would be advantageous. Through the guidelines, the ASEAN Member States could share best practices for the technology that has been applied in their countries.

During the following discussion, the moderator inquired about ERIA's support to promote digital technologies. Dr Yamada proposed leveraging ERIA’s initiatives, including E-DISC and its human resource development programme, as key methods to advance digital technology adoption. ERIA is working closely with the ASEAN Secretariat to promote agricultural sustainability in the ASEAN region through research and knowledge dissemination.