What Would be the Future of Agriculture

in Southeast Asia?

Jess C. Fernandez, PhD

SEAMEO BIOTROP
Photo credit: https://www.dai.com/our-work/projects/southeast-asia-mekong-adaptation-and-resilience-climate-change-arcc
Presentation Outline
The Current Situation in Our Region
Emerging Perspectives and Approaches in Agriculture
Role of the Youth to Advance Agriculture in Southeast Asia
 https://www.boell.de/en/2015/10/28/political-economy-asean- https://www.nbcnews.com/slideshow/worst-drought-decades-
www.emaze.com/@AQWTFZIZ/Southeast-asia regionalisation-process disrupts-life-southeast-asia

The Current Situations in Our Region

https://www.peacefuldumpling.com/dispatch-vegan-travel- https://ecommerceiq.asia/tag/asia-mobile- Retail News Asia

southeast-asia phone-adoption/
 Growing Population
SEA population is 648,635,108;
equivalent to 8.62% of the total
world population.

48.8 % of the population is

urban (315,797,197 people in
2017).

Average age is 29.1 years. Need to produce more food

Competition for available resources
Source: http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/south-eastern-
asia-population/ (August 2017)
Growing Economy
Country 2017 2018
Many people becoming middle
Brunei 1.0 2.5
class; have more buying power
Cambodia 7.1 7.1
Indonesia 5.1 5.3
Lao PDR 6.9 7.0 Changes in eating habits
Malaysia 4.7 4.6 Possible increase in food prices
Myanmar 7.7 8.0 More fast foods/restaurants
Philippines 6.5 6.7
Singapore 2.4 2.5
Thailand 3.5 3.6
Vietnam 6.5 6.7
Average 4.8 5.0 Source: Asian Development Outlook 2017
Changing Land Use
Conversion to residential
areas and industrial purposes
More big cities created often
at the expense of prime
farmland

Decreasing agricultural land

areas
Changing Consumer Needs & Behavior
Increasing awareness for food Will affect global
quality, health issues and the agribusiness supply chains
overall sustainability and food regulations
Eating more outside than at
home Governments are slowly
adopting strict food
labelling laws to ensure
quality
Changing Climate
Warmer climate
Rising sea levels
Greenhouse effect
Photo credit: http://www.dw.com/en/climate-change-to-severely-
impact-growth-in-south-asia/a-17867698

Frequent natural disasters

Yield losses
Degraded environment & ecosystem loss
Need for alternative source of renewable energy
Scientific Discoveries & Fast Changing
Technologies
Advances in digital technology,
genetic science and synthetics
will change the way food and
fibre products are made and
transported

Eco-Business.com
Disease Outbreaks
Human diseases
Animal diseases
Plant diseases

Need for more nutritious

food, healthy diet and
active lifestyle
Trade Liberalization
More exportation and
importation of agricultural
products and services

Need for quality and

consistent production to
meet market requirements Asia Pathways
 Emerging
Perspectives in
Agriculture for
Southeast Asia
Climate Smart Agriculture
An approach for developing
agricultural strategies to secure
sustainable food security under
climate change
3 Components
1. Increasing agricultural productivity
and incomes in sustainable way;
2. adapting and building resilience to
climate change; and
3. reducing and/or removing
greenhouse gas emissions, where
possible.
Precision Agriculture
A farming management
concept based on
observing, measuring and
responding to inter and
intra-field variability in
crops.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precision_agric
ulture)
Community farming and entrepreneurship
A system that connects the
producer and consumers
within the food system to
strengthen the sense of
community toward food
security through local markets

More inclusive
http://knowledge.agriculturemachinerybusiness.com/AgriculturalPolicy
News_61_11978_1.html
Food Processing: Adding More Value to
Agricultural Produce
Increasing Application of Agricultural
Biologics
These are products derived from naturally occurring
microorganisms, plant extracts, beneficial insects or other organic
matter aim to achieve balance between nature, agriculture, and
society such as:
1. Biostimulants or plant growth /productivity enhancement
products
2. Biopesticides or plant protection or biocontrol products
3. Biofertility products or plant nutrition products
The Role of the Youth in Advancing Agriculture
in Southeast Asia
Practice farming
Learn more about agriculture and
become a source of information
Research, innovate and
document best practices
Organize farming advocacy
groups or be a member of
existing young farmers groups
Promote the dignity of farming as
a profession
Parting Message

No farmer, no food
No food, no life!
(Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development, 2015)
References
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au
http://www.bmiresearch.com/articles/agriculture-megatrends-to-
2050-the-issue-of-food-security
http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/esa/Global_persepctives/Lo
ng_term_papers/JSPStransition.pdf
http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/south-eastern-asia-
population
Asian Development Outlook 2017
www.agricen.com
Thank you for your attention!
j.fernandez@biotrop.org