Agriculture is vital for economic growth and competitiveness of the ASEAN area. Yet, to fully benefit from opportunities, ASEAN countries have to overcome few structural challenges.
As of today, ASEAN agriculture contributes to 14.2% of the area’s GDP and to 9% of global agriculture Value Added. Moreover, population growth and urbanization will drive demand for agriculture products, while investments in the sector are booming.
Yet, to fully benefit from these opportunities, ASEAN countries have to overcome few structural challenges including sub-optimal productivity levels, need for higher sustainability, and empowerment and inclusion of smallholders.
A major contribution to succeed in these tasks can be provided by the adoption of new technologies currently reshaping the sector’s DNA at global level. In this context, Italy, a major agriculture powerhouse in the EU, can partner with ASEAN Countries to share best practices, provide support for agribusiness value chain extension and back the distribution of ASEAN agriculture products in the EU.
This Position Paper addresses agribusiness sector, considering its relevance for the ASEAN area, the major challenges ahead and the role of technology to successfully face them, together with main opportunities for cooperation between Italy and ASEAN Countries in the extended agribusiness value chain and was presented during the first “High Level Dialogue on ASEAN Italy Economic Relations”, which took place in Jakarta on May 15 and 16, 2017.