Media Release
24 April 2025
The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry jointly with Indonesia’s Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS) and Ministry of Agriculture co-hosted a workshop on Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems under the framework of the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) in Jakarta on 23-24 April.
The workshop built on our region’s commitment to advancing sustainable agriculture and food systems to contribute to future prosperity, stability and resilience.
Government officials, industry representatives, farm leaders and research institutes from across the region came together to explore ways to achieve sustainable agriculture and food systems while minimising adverse trade impacts from sustainability measures.
Australian Special Representative for Agriculture, Ms Su McClusky said, “Sustainable agriculture and food systems play a crucial role in safeguarding the environment and natural resource base, while still meeting the food and nutrition needs of the world’s growing population.”
The workshop highlighted the common challenges for all countries of our region as we seek to increase agricultural productivity, while also managing and adapting to the impacts of climate change and other environmental pressures.
Ms McClusky highlighted that while the challenges may be common, there is no single ‘silver bullet’ approach to responding to these critically important but challenging issues. Solutions need to be based on evidence, and reflect the climate, environmental and production systems in each country.
The workshop successfully encouraged greater cooperation across AANZFTA members on this important and emerging issue.
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