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From May 20-21, 2024, the FAO-BIOTEC high-level meeting on "Advancing Bioeconomy for Sustainable Food and Agriculture in Southeast Asia" convened in Bangkok, Thailand, gathering key stakeholders from across the region. Hosted at the Press Conference Room in the Phra Jomklao Building, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation (MHESI), this hybrid event brought together experts from governments, the private sector, research institutions, academia, and civil society. The goals of this meeting were to enhance awareness and exchange of knowledge and experiences on bioeconomy in food and agriculture among in ASEAN countries, identify entry points and opportunities to advance bioeconomy, and gather ideas to better coordinate and collaborate on bioeconomy in Southeast Asia. The meeting aimed to foster knowledge exchange, identify entry points for advancing bioeconomy, and enhance regional collaboration, aligning with the FAO's Strategic Framework 2022-31 and its Programme Priority Area on Bioeconomy for Sustainable Food and Agriculture.

Day 1: Setting the Stage for Bioeconomy - Opening Ceremony and Keynote Speeches

The event commenced with opening remarks by Robert Simpson, Regional Programme Leader at FAO, followed by an introduction to the meeting's objectives by Illias Animon from FAO. Kanchana Wanichkorn, Director of Sectoral Development at ASEAN Secretariat, provided an overview of bioeconomy-related policies and strategies among ASEAN member states.

Thailand’s Bioeconomy Strategies

Junpen Meka-apiruk, Inspector General at Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, outlined Thailand's BCG (Bio-Circular-Green) Economy driving strategies. This was complemented by a presentation on bioinnovations by Sukit Limpijumnong, President of NSTDA.

Country Reports on Bioeconomy Policies

High-level representatives from various Southeast Asian countries presented the status of their bioeconomy policies, strategies, and actions. The session was chaired by Kanyawim Kirtikara, senior vice president of the King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Thailand, with interventions from:

• Indonesia: Atien Priyanti, Professor, National Research and Innovation Agency
• Lao PDR: Chanthakhone Boualaphanh, Director-General, National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI)
• Malaysia: Aidawati Misdar, Undersecretary, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation
• Philippines: Meliza Abeleda, Assistant Director, Socio-Economics Research Division, Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development, Department of Science and Technology (DOST)
• Singapore: Lerwen Liu, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore/Asian Development Bank
• Thailand: Sirinya Lim, Senior Division Director, Office of National Higher Education Science Research and Innovation Policy Council
• Vietnam: Vu Nguyen Thanh, Director, Food Industries Research Institute

Global Perspectives on Bioeconomy

In the afternoon, Lev Neretin from FAO Rome provided insights into global bioeconomy developments with a focus on agrifood systems. This was followed by Marta Gomez San Juan’s discussion on designing successful holistic national bioeconomy strategies.

Lessons Learned from Southeast Asia

Senior officers from the region shared lessons learned from bioeconomy initiatives, including interventions from:

• Lao PDR: Chanthakhone Boualaphanh, Director-General, National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI)
• Malaysia: Siti Zuhaini Abd Samah, Principal Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Malaysia
• Philippines: Meliza Abeleda, Assistant Director, Socio-Economics Research Division, Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research
• Singapore: Lerwen Liu, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore/Asian Development Bank
• Thailand: Vanida Khumnirdpetch, Director of Bureau of Foreign Agricultural Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives
• Thailand: Chirachai Punkrasin, Executive Director, ASEAN Center for Sustainable Development Studies & Dialogue
• Vietnam: Vu Nguyen Thanh, Director, Food Industries Research Institute
• ASEAN: Simon Wilkinson, Communications Manager, Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific
• ASEAN: Oliver Agoncillo, Mainstreaming Biodiversity Division Director, ASEAN Center for Biodiversity

Public-Private Partnerships

The final session of the day focused on public-private partnerships for advancing bioeconomy. Speakers included:

• William Sparks, Country Director, Winrock International
• Darunee Edwards, Secretariat, Thai Rice Foundation under the Royal Patronage
• Peeraporn Palapleevalya and Methinee Sriwatanakul, Association of Sustainable Production and Consumption
• Prad Kerdpairoj, Director of Sustainability, Asia, Thai Union Group
• Siwarutt Boonyarattanakalin, Assistant Innovation Director, Siam Modified Starch
• Passakorn Srisastra, Vice President, Business Strategy, Mitr Phol Group
• Vasimon Ruanglek, Senior Alliance Manager (Climate Impact & Circularity), SCG Chemicals
• Narumon Chokdamrongsuk, Acting Vice President (Climate Economy), PTT GC

 

Day 2: Opportunities and Collaboration

Sectoral Entry Points and Opportunities

The second day began with a recap by Warinthorn Songkasiri from BIOTEC. Senior officers from Southeast Asia identified sectoral entry points and opportunities in bioeconomy, moderated by Warinthorn Songkasiri. Speakers included:

• Cambodia: Ong Socheath, Plant Protection Sanitary and Phytosanitary Department
• Indonesia: Wahida Maghraby, Policy Analyst, Ministry of Agriculture
• Indonesia: Krisdianto Sugiyanto, Director of the Forest Products Processing and Marketing, Ministry of Environment and Forestry
• Lao PDR: Chanthakhone Boualaphanh, Director-General, National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI)
• Philippines: Rosario Segundina P. Gaerlan, BFAR
• Philippines: Geronima P. Eusebio, OIC, Biotechnology Office
• Thailand: Vanida Khumnirdpetch, Director of Bureau of Foreign Agricultural Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives
• Thailand: Preecha Ongprasert, Director of Office of Forestry Foreign Affairs, Royal Forest Department
• Vietnam: Nguyen Thi Bang Tam, Official of Aquaculture Division, Department of Fisheries

Coordination and Collaboration Mechanisms

This session, moderated by Seetala Jamrerkjang and Warinthorn Songkasiri, explored mechanisms for better coordination and collaboration in advancing bioeconomy. Contributors included:

• Tanit Changthavorn, Deputy Director-General, Biodiversity-Based Economy Development Office, Thailand
• Pranpreya Sriwannawit Lundberg, Director of International Policy Partnership Division, NXPO, Thailand
• Kallaya Sritunyalucksana-Dangtip, Research Fellow, BIOTEC (ASEAN Network to reduce economic risks of disease outbreak in shrimp farming industry)
• Suwanee Chunhametha, ASEAN Centre on Microbial Utilization
• Vu Nguyen Thanh, Director, Food Industries Research Institute, Vietnam
• Oliver Agoncillo, Mainstreaming Biodiversity Division Director, ASEAN Center for Biodiversity
• Peera Jaru-Ampornpan, Team Leader, Virology and Cell Technology Team, BIOTEC
• Verawat Champreda, Director, Research Group (biorefinery), BIOTEC

Programmatic Approach and Resource Mobilization

The afternoon session focused on developing a programmatic approach and mobilizing resources, featuring interventions from:

• Pongpan Kaewtatip, Vice President, TSRI
• William Sparks, Country Director, Winrock International
• Himlal Baral, Senior Scientist, CIFOR
• Yukio Kemmochi, Manager, e-ASIA JRP, Japan Science & Technology Agency
• Yi-Ann Chen, Associate Economic Affairs Officer, UN-ESCAP
• Mushtaq Memon, Regional Coordinator for Chemicals & Pollution Action, UNEP
• Yvonne Lokko, Team Lead (Agro Innovation and Bioeconomy), UNIDO
• Lev Neretin, Lead, Bioeconomy Programme Priority Area, FAO, Rome
• Francis X Johnson, Senior Research Fellow & Climate/Policy Lead, SEI
• Jihyun Kim, Investment Analyst, Global Green Growth Institute
• Jonaliza Siangliew, Senior Researcher, BIOTEC
• Pham Duc Chien, Director of the Project & Program Division, AFOCO

The event concluded with reflections from Kanchana Wanichkorn and other senior officers, followed by a plenary discussion on ways forward, including networking, event planning, knowledge products, and convergence documents. Illias Animon wrapped up the meeting with a summary of the next steps.

The high-level meeting on "Advancing Bioeconomy for Sustainable Food and Agriculture in Southeast Asia" successfully fostered knowledge exchange, identified collaboration opportunities, and set the groundwork for future initiatives in the region. The event highlighted the critical role of bioeconomy in achieving sustainable agrifood systems and underscored the importance of continued collaboration and innovation. With a shared vision and a commitment to collaboration cemented through dedicated networking meetings, this event has laid the foundation for a thriving bioeconomy in Southeast Asia. These meetings will unlock opportunities for knowledge exchange, partnership building, and joint initiatives, propelling the region towards a more sustainable and prosperous future.