From April 9 to 10, 2026, the “First ASEAN Consultation Workshop and Capacity Building: Development of Regenerative and Resilient Agriculture Systems Implementation Plan and Biochar Guidelines,” an event co-hosted by the ASEAN Secretariat and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), was held in Hanoi, Vietnam. The Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) participated in the workshop at the invitation of the ASEAN Secretariat.

This workshop was organized to develop an implementation plan for regenerative and resilient agriculture, as well as biochar guidelines, in response to complex challenges in the agriculture, forestry, and food sectors, including climate change, biodiversity loss, geopolitical tensions, and economic instability. Regenerative and resilient agriculture was positioned as a key measure at the 2025 ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) Meeting, and this workshop is part of efforts to translate that high-level commitment into actionable strategies. In addition, biochar is attracting attention within ASEAN as a promising technology to reduce the burning of crop residues, and there is a need to establish guidelines for its production and application.
　
From JIRCAS, Dr. FUNAKI Yasuro, Green Asia Project Leader, participated and spoke in a panel discussion on the formulation of the implementation plan for regenerative and resilient agriculture. As outcomes of the Green Asia project, he introduced the MiDi (Midseason Drainage followed by Intermittent Irrigation) guidelines (Green Asia Report No. 9), one of the intermittent irrigation techniques, and the use of regional biochar for sustainable agriculture in Asia (Report No. 4). He also presented a “simple and accurate method for estimating soil carbon sequestration using biochar based on proximate analysis,” which is listed in the “Technology Catalog Contributing to Production Potential and Sustainability in the Asia-Monsoon Region.” Furthermore, he explained long-term field experiments on soil carbon sequestration conducted jointly with Thailand’s Department of Agriculture under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, thereby contributing to discussions on technology adoption.

Through this participation, understanding of JIRCAS technologies and publications related to regenerative and resilient agriculture and biochar was further deepened among ASEAN member states and other participants, providing important input toward the second consultation workshop scheduled for June 2026.