Manila, Philippines, October 1, 2025 – With global temperatures at risk of breaching the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold within the next five years, the ASEAN Climate Resilience Network (ASEAN-CRN) has mapped out a Five-Year Program Framework (2026–2030) to strengthen climate resilience in agriculture and food systems across ASEAN. The framework was presented to over 50 delegates representing ASEAN Member States (AMS) and development partners during a high-level dialogue on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Meeting of Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF). The side event was organized by Thailand’s Department of Agriculture (DOA) in its role as Chair of ASEAN-CRN, supported by the Mekong Institute (MI) serving as Interim Secretariat, and co-hosted by the Philippine Department of Agriculture, with from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Speaking at the dialogue, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ms. Narumol Sanguanvong, reaffirmed Thailand’s leadership and commitment to ASEAN-CRN, highlighting lessons from the Network’s first decade, as captured during its 10th anniversary celebration in Chiang Mai in January. “Thailand has always been among the strongest supporters of ASEAN-CRN — from being its proponent and current chair to hosting the Network’s Secretariat… Now we seek to take the Network even further by organizing our efforts into a framework that enables us to monitor progress and focus our energies on delivering achievable, inclusive, and meaningful results,” she said.
Philippine Agriculture Secretary, Honorable Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., commended ASEAN-CRN for transforming “science into action and ideas into policy” over the past decade, noting that initiatives like the network-backed ASEAN Negotiating Group for Agriculture (ANGA) have enabled the region to “speak with one voice on a global climate platform, influencing international agreements and championing land-use issues.” He stressed the urgency of accelerated action: “Let’s be clear—the next five years are very critical. We are racing toward the 2030 deadline for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the world is striving to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent to limit warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius. ASEAN-CRN must act faster, think smarter, and work harder to stay on course.”
A Roadmap and a Commitment
Initiating a round of statements of support for framework adoption and implementation, Philippine Agriculture Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, and Regulations, Atty. Asis G. Perez emphasized that “The science is clear, the timelines are non-negotiable, and the costs of inaction are rising. This framework offers a solid foundation for coordinated regional action… No nation can face the climate crisis alone. We call on our fellow ASEAN countries to stand with us as an active and united voice on the global stage.”
GIZ Project Director, Ms. Pouchamarn Wongsanga, stressed the organization’s continued support for ASEAN-CRN: “The ASEAN Vision on Food, Agriculture and Forestry and the ASEAN-CRN framework share the same ambition to transform agriculture into a driver of resilience, low emissions and sustainable growth. GIZ remains committed to support ASEAN Member States in this transformation by institutionalizing ASEAN-CRN, scaling up proven innovation, and mobilizing inclusive climate finance that leaves no farmer behind.”
Dr. Mallé Fofana, Asia Regional Director of GGGI, emphasized the need for circular economy solutions: “The choice is clear—we cannot continue without doing something. Crop residues are not waste; we must build a circular economy that generates revenue and opportunity for farmers and SMEs, strengthens resilience, and accelerates ASEAN’s transition to net-zero agriculture.”
FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, Mr. Alue Dohong, highlighted the framework’s strategic importance: “Through strong partnerships and collective commitment, real progress is possible… Together, we can build resilient and sustainable agri-food systems for Southeast Asia.” Building on this, FAO Natural Resources Officer Mr. Beau Damen said that the “FAO will continue to support the knowledge exchange activities of the network, help ASEAN-CRN and its agriculture focal points better engage in the development and monitoring of NDCs at the national level, work with public, private, and civil society stakeholders to scale innovations prioritized by countries to transform the agri-food system into one that is more resilient and low emission, support participating countries in finalizing implementation of the Southeast Asia GCF Readiness Program and their individual priority projects and investment plans.” Mr. Damen also discussed piloting new financial innovations to mobilize climate finance, including insurance, food security green bonds, and mechanisms that bring local financial institutions to the forefront of financing future activities on climate change and agriculture.
Mr. Suriyan said that the proposed framework is guided by and supportive of the ASEAN Vision 2045, the Food, Agriculture, and Forestry (FAF) Sectoral Plan 2026–2030 adopted during the 47th AMAF, and the ASEAN Member States’ commitment to achieving net-zero emissions in agriculture by 2050. The framework helps ensure that ASEAN-CRN continues to be a leader in climate action, not just within ASEAN, but on the international stage, while making a tangible contribution toward closing progress gaps in global development goals
