2024 Agricultural Policy Trends Based on FFTC-AP Platform Publications
Mr. Lee Kyong Won, Agricultural Economist, FFTC
2024.12.17
In 2024, FFTC-AP platform received a total of 45 manuscripts from 13 contracted partners in 10 countries. FFTC analyzed the content of these articles using ChatGPT to identify key agricultural policy trends for 2024.
Below is a word cloud of the results of analyzing key phrases (phrases combining 2-3 words) of 45 manuscripts using ChatGPT. The key areas of agricultural policy in 2024 were climate change, food security, and sustainable rural development, and specific policy tools to pursue these were discussed, such as smart agriculture, sustainable resource use, and market system development.
This report briefly summarizes, based on articles from the FFTC-AP platform published in 2024, how each country is responding to these key issues.
1. Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability
- Low-Carbon Agriculture: Several countries, including Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Japan, have introduced low-carbon farming initiatives. This includes the promotion of eco-friendly farming practices, adoption of sustainable energy sources, and investment in research for low-carbon technologies in agriculture. Technologies such as low-carbon farming practices (agroforestry, plant factory, biochar), carbon sinks (soil carbon sequestration, reforestation, blue carbon), and emission controls (rice paddy water management, methane-reducing livestock feed, manure biogas) were introduced.
- Climate-Resilient Agriculture: Building climate-resilient agricultural communities is a key focus, particularly in the Philippines and Thailand. Emphasis is placed on gender-inclusive policies, sustainable resource use, and community-driven strategies to enhance climate resilience. Adapt practices to mitigate the effects of climate change, including water management (alternate wetting & drying (AWD), drip & micro irrigation), crop diversification (crop rotation, intercropping, mixed farming) and climate-resilient farming systems (controlled environment agriculture (CEA), climate-smart agriculture (CSA), digital & precision agriculture) were introduced.
- Disaster Preparedness: Countries have launched initiatives to strengthen early warning systems for natural disasters affecting agriculture, such as floods and droughts. Taiwan's agricultural policy includes measures for enhanced disaster insurance and farmer compensation systems.
2. Digital Transformation and Smart Agriculture
- Smart Agriculture: Malaysia, Thailand, and Japan are advancing the use of digital technologies like AI, IoT, and robotics in aquaculture and farming operations. This is aimed at optimizing efficiency, reducing costs, and increasing productivity.
- Digital Literacy for Extension Services: Indonesia is promoting digital literacy among agricultural extension workers to enable them to use ICT for farmer education and advisory services. Initiatives like Farming on Cloud and video conferencing for agricultural education are being prioritized.
- Precision Agriculture: AI-based second-generation smart agriculture is being promoted, especially in Korea and Japan. Technologies like automated greenhouses and AI-driven crop monitoring are being utilized to reduce input costs and increase production efficiency.
3. Food Security and Trade Competitiveness
- National Food Security Plans: Korea and Japan have established policies to enhance self-sufficiency rates for major food staples. This includes strategic support for domestic production and reduced reliance on imports. Korea is promoting rice varieties for rice flour production.
- Strategic Crop Cultivation: Governments in Korea, Taiwan, and Japan are promoting the cultivation of "strategic crops" to enhance food security. Policies to provide price support, increase subsidies, and reduce production risks are being implemented.
- Export Promotion and Trade Diversification: Malaysia’s tea industry, Indonesia’s tomato sector, and Japan’s rice export strategies are focusing on enhancing their export potential. Taiwan’s quail egg industry is being developed to expand exports and reduce dependency on traditional export markets. Efforts to address non-tariff barriers are seen in Laos’ coffee exports.
4. Sustainable Resource Use and Biodiversity Conservation
- Water Resource Management: Sustainable water use is being promoted in aquaculture and crop farming. Smart aquaculture practices in Malaysia and Thailand involve the use of water-recycling technologies to minimize waste and reduce water consumption.
- Forestry and Biodiversity Conservation: Taiwan’s biodiversity and conservation policies are aimed at sustainable forest management. Measures to prevent biodiversity loss and the promotion of agroforestry practices are being implemented to support ecosystem preservation.
- Green Technology Adoption: Technologies for green farming, such as biogas from livestock waste and solar-powered irrigation, are being promoted in Taiwan, Malaysia, and Thailand as part of low-carbon farming initiatives.
5. Rural Development and Livelihood Enhancement
- Rural Space Transformation: Korea’s "Rural Space Restructuring and Regeneration Support Act" aims to transform rural areas into spaces that support living, working, and leisure activities. This includes creating "self-regulatory innovation zones" to promote rural revitalization.
- Job Creation in Rural Areas: New employment opportunities are being generated through the promotion of rural tourism, including agritourism in Taiwan, indigenous community tourism projects in Thailand, and community-based tourism in Japan.
- Youth Involvement in Agriculture: Policies in Korea, Malaysia, and Japan aim to attract youth to agriculture by providing incentives such as land access, entrepreneurship support, and funding for startups in agribusiness.
6. Innovation and Technological Development
- Smart Aquaculture: Malaysia’s adoption of smart aquaculture includes AI-driven feeding systems, automated water quality monitoring, and robotic cleaning of fish tanks. These technologies reduce labor costs and improve production efficiency.
- Research and Development (R&D): Governments are supporting R&D to create high-yield, pest-resistant crop varieties. Japan's rice innovation sector has introduced superior seed varieties that are resistant to diseases and pests, increasing productivity and profitability.
- Digital Platforms for Knowledge Sharing: Agricultural extension platforms like Indonesia’s "Cyber Extension" and Japan’s e-farming platforms allow farmers to access updated knowledge on farming practices, market prices, and government policy updates.
7. Agricultural Market Systems and Value Chain Development
- Value Chain Optimization: Efforts are being made to strengthen value chains in specific sectors like tomatoes in Indonesia, tea in Malaysia, and rice in Japan. The goal is to increase efficiency, reduce post-harvest losses, and improve the quality of exportable products.
- Cooperative Development: In several countries, including Thailand, Japan, and the Philippines, agricultural cooperatives are being promoted to facilitate bulk purchasing, collective marketing, and shared access to modern farming technologies.
- Integration of Smallholders: Policies to integrate smallholders into value chains are being implemented in Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines. This includes facilitating their access to markets, credit, and modern inputs.
In 2024, FFTC-AP platform received a total of 45 manuscripts from 13 contracted partners in 10 countries. FFTC analyzed the content of these articles using ChatGPT to identify key agricultural policy trends for 2024.
Below is a word cloud of the results of analyzing key phrases (phrases combining 2-3 words) of 45 manuscripts using ChatGPT. The key areas of agricultural policy in 2024 were climate change, food security, and sustainable rural development, and specific policy tools to pursue these were discussed, such as smart agriculture, sustainable resource use, and market system development.
This report briefly summarizes, based on articles from the FFTC-AP platform published in 2024, how each country is responding to these key issues.
1. Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability
- Low-Carbon Agriculture: Several countries, including Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Japan, have introduced low-carbon farming initiatives. This includes the promotion of eco-friendly farming practices, adoption of sustainable energy sources, and investment in research for low-carbon technologies in agriculture. Technologies such as low-carbon farming practices (agroforestry, plant factory, biochar), carbon sinks (soil carbon sequestration, reforestation, blue carbon), and emission controls (rice paddy water management, methane-reducing livestock feed, manure biogas) were introduced.
- Climate-Resilient Agriculture: Building climate-resilient agricultural communities is a key focus, particularly in the Philippines and Thailand. Emphasis is placed on gender-inclusive policies, sustainable resource use, and community-driven strategies to enhance climate resilience. Adapt practices to mitigate the effects of climate change, including water management (alternate wetting & drying (AWD), drip & micro irrigation), crop diversification (crop rotation, intercropping, mixed farming) and climate-resilient farming systems (controlled environment agriculture (CEA), climate-smart agriculture (CSA), digital & precision agriculture) were introduced.
- Disaster Preparedness: Countries have launched initiatives to strengthen early warning systems for natural disasters affecting agriculture, such as floods and droughts. Taiwan's agricultural policy includes measures for enhanced disaster insurance and farmer compensation systems.
2. Digital Transformation and Smart Agriculture
- Smart Agriculture: Malaysia, Thailand, and Japan are advancing the use of digital technologies like AI, IoT, and robotics in aquaculture and farming operations. This is aimed at optimizing efficiency, reducing costs, and increasing productivity.
- Digital Literacy for Extension Services: Indonesia is promoting digital literacy among agricultural extension workers to enable them to use ICT for farmer education and advisory services. Initiatives like Farming on Cloud and video conferencing for agricultural education are being prioritized.
- Precision Agriculture: AI-based second-generation smart agriculture is being promoted, especially in Korea and Japan. Technologies like automated greenhouses and AI-driven crop monitoring are being utilized to reduce input costs and increase production efficiency.
3. Food Security and Trade Competitiveness
- National Food Security Plans: Korea and Japan have established policies to enhance self-sufficiency rates for major food staples. This includes strategic support for domestic production and reduced reliance on imports. Korea is promoting rice varieties for rice flour production.
- Strategic Crop Cultivation: Governments in Korea, Taiwan, and Japan are promoting the cultivation of "strategic crops" to enhance food security. Policies to provide price support, increase subsidies, and reduce production risks are being implemented.
- Export Promotion and Trade Diversification: Malaysia’s tea industry, Indonesia’s tomato sector, and Japan’s rice export strategies are focusing on enhancing their export potential. Taiwan’s quail egg industry is being developed to expand exports and reduce dependency on traditional export markets. Efforts to address non-tariff barriers are seen in Laos’ coffee exports.
4. Sustainable Resource Use and Biodiversity Conservation
- Water Resource Management: Sustainable water use is being promoted in aquaculture and crop farming. Smart aquaculture practices in Malaysia and Thailand involve the use of water-recycling technologies to minimize waste and reduce water consumption.
- Forestry and Biodiversity Conservation: Taiwan’s biodiversity and conservation policies are aimed at sustainable forest management. Measures to prevent biodiversity loss and the promotion of agroforestry practices are being implemented to support ecosystem preservation.
- Green Technology Adoption: Technologies for green farming, such as biogas from livestock waste and solar-powered irrigation, are being promoted in Taiwan, Malaysia, and Thailand as part of low-carbon farming initiatives.
5. Rural Development and Livelihood Enhancement
- Rural Space Transformation: Korea’s "Rural Space Restructuring and Regeneration Support Act" aims to transform rural areas into spaces that support living, working, and leisure activities. This includes creating "self-regulatory innovation zones" to promote rural revitalization.
- Job Creation in Rural Areas: New employment opportunities are being generated through the promotion of rural tourism, including agritourism in Taiwan, indigenous community tourism projects in Thailand, and community-based tourism in Japan.
- Youth Involvement in Agriculture: Policies in Korea, Malaysia, and Japan aim to attract youth to agriculture by providing incentives such as land access, entrepreneurship support, and funding for startups in agribusiness.
6. Innovation and Technological Development
- Smart Aquaculture: Malaysia’s adoption of smart aquaculture includes AI-driven feeding systems, automated water quality monitoring, and robotic cleaning of fish tanks. These technologies reduce labor costs and improve production efficiency.
- Research and Development (R&D): Governments are supporting R&D to create high-yield, pest-resistant crop varieties. Japan's rice innovation sector has introduced superior seed varieties that are resistant to diseases and pests, increasing productivity and profitability.
- Digital Platforms for Knowledge Sharing: Agricultural extension platforms like Indonesia’s "Cyber Extension" and Japan’s e-farming platforms allow farmers to access updated knowledge on farming practices, market prices, and government policy updates.
7. Agricultural Market Systems and Value Chain Development
- Value Chain Optimization: Efforts are being made to strengthen value chains in specific sectors like tomatoes in Indonesia, tea in Malaysia, and rice in Japan. The goal is to increase efficiency, reduce post-harvest losses, and improve the quality of exportable products.
- Cooperative Development: In several countries, including Thailand, Japan, and the Philippines, agricultural cooperatives are being promoted to facilitate bulk purchasing, collective marketing, and shared access to modern farming technologies.
- Integration of Smallholders: Policies to integrate smallholders into value chains are being implemented in Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines. This includes facilitating their access to markets, credit, and modern inputs.