![\"\u30a2\u30b8\u30a2\u8fb2\u696d\u306b\u304a\u3051\u308b\u5ec3\u68c4\u7269\u524a\u6e1b\u306e\u5b9f\u8df5\u6cd5\u3068\u306f\uff1f\u30b3\u30b9\u30c8\u524a\u6e1b\u306b\u3064\u306a\u304c\u308b8\u3064\u306e\u65b9\u6cd5\"](\"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/thumbnail-a1f67e14-e35d-4797-9eca-ecf7ecc3a5f8-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
As one of the world's leading agricultural regions, Southeast Asia has nurtured a farming civilization spanning thousands of years.<\/p>\n
Vietnam is an agricultural powerhouse with a population of about 100 million, where agriculture accounts for roughly 12% of GDP and employs more than 40% of the workforce. Annual rice production is about 43.5 million tonnes and export volume ranks second in the world; coffee production is second in the world after Brazil and the largest for the Robusta variety; and cashew nuts and black pepper<\/a> rank first in the world, while shrimp ranks third in production volume and second in export volume. In 2023, total exports from agriculture, forestry, and fisheries reached about US$53 billion, accounting for more than 15% of the country's total exports.<\/p>\n However, behind this immense productive capacity lie structural challenges. Low added value, underdeveloped cold chains, the low productivity and aging of smallholders, and food safety and environmental problems are holding back the development of Southeast Asian agriculture.<\/p>\n The majority of agricultural exports are unprocessed primary commodities, and exports of value-added processed products remain limited. There are cases where harvested produce is not properly stored or transported and deteriorates; for perishable items such as fruit and seafood in particular, a shortage of refrigeration and freezing facilities is a challenge.<\/p>\n 97% of all agricultural workers are small and medium-scale farmers, and mechanization and smart farming technologies have made little progress. About 57% of agricultural workers are unskilled and those aged 50 and over account for about 43%; with young people continuing to migrate to cities, securing the next generation of farmers is an urgent issue.<\/p>\n Maintaining the quality of agricultural produce requires rethinking the post-harvest logistics process.<\/p>\n Developing the cold chain is one of the priority issues. In Vietnam, a shortage of refrigeration and freezing facilities means harvested produce is sometimes not stored or transported properly and deteriorates. On shipments from the Mekong Delta to urban areas, produce is sometimes carried in ambient-temperature trucks during the hottest hours of the day, so its quality has declined by the time it arrives.<\/p>\n Technical cooperation by Japanese companies is also under way, with demonstration projects introducing small and medium-scale greenhouses and remote cultivation-support solutions. These technologies have the potential to enable proper temperature control from immediately after harvest.<\/p>\n There is no shortage of produce that never reaches the market simply because its appearance falls short of the standard.<\/p>\n Non-standard produce that is irregular in shape or smaller than the required size is often perfectly fine in taste and nutritional value. There is a growing movement to make use of this produce, which conventional distribution systems struggled to bring to market, by converting it to processing uses or opening up direct-sales channels.<\/p>\n Ideas such as processing non-standard fruit into juice or jam, or selling misshapen vegetables as cut vegetables, can create new revenue streams.<\/p>\n Balancing production volume with market demand is an important element of farm management.<\/p>\n The introduction of demand forecasting systems using IoT sensors and AI is gradually spreading in Southeast Asia as well. The Vietnamese government has set out its \"Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development to 2030, with a Vision to 2050,\" positioning the adoption of smart agriculture as a national priority.<\/p>\n In Lam Dong Province, greenhouse systems and automated irrigation systems for vegetable cultivation have been introduced, making precise control of production volumes increasingly possible. In the Mekong Delta, demonstrations of water-saving rice cultivation through the introduction of water management systems are under way.<\/p>\n Drying and processing technology is drawing attention as a means of improving the shelf life of perishable produce.<\/p>\n Tropical produce spoils quickly and can be difficult to transport over long distances or store for long periods as is. Drying or powdering improves shelf life and can also reduce logistics costs. Dried vegetables, dried fruit, and freeze-dried products are seeing growing demand in developed markets amid rising health consciousness, and they are one way for Southeast Asian produce to be delivered with added value.<\/p>\n Coffee produced in Vietnam's Central Highlands was traditionally exported largely as green beans, but recently exports as roasted and processed finished products within the country have been trending upward.<\/p>\n Efforts to make effective use of the by-products generated during agricultural production are spreading.<\/p>\n Rice husks, coffee husks, fruit peels, vegetable scraps, and the like can potentially be reused as livestock feed or organic fertilizer when properly processed.<\/p>\n In Thailand, there are efforts to use sugarcane bagasse (the pressed residue) as fuel for biomass power generation. Such circular systems are expected to keep soil healthy while reducing the use of chemical fertilizers.<\/p>\n Establishing a place-of-origin brand is an effective way to raise the value of produce.<\/p>\n Thailand's jasmine rice (Khao Hom Mali) is a leading example that has earned a high reputation in international markets. Valued for its high quality and distinctive fragrance, it trades at higher prices than ordinary rice. In Vietnam, too, the establishment of place-of-origin brands such as Mekong Delta rice and Da Lat vegetables is making progress.<\/p>\n Regions branding<\/a> Such branding offers not only a price advantage but is also expected to encourage more thorough quality control.<\/p>\n Farming that does not rely on chemical fertilizers has the potential to reduce environmental impact.<\/p>\n The \"Japan-ASEAN Green Cooperation Plan,\" adopted at the 2023 Japan-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry, is a comprehensive framework of cooperation for building sustainable agriculture and food systems in the Asian monsoon region. Japan positions ASEAN as a key partner for the international rollout of the environmental-impact-reduction technologies set out in its Strategy for Sustainable Food Systems (MIDORI).<\/p>\n Thailand is one of the Southeast Asian countries where the framework for organic farming is relatively advanced, operating a certification system under the \"Organic Agriculture Standard of Thailand.\" The Thai government positions organic rice exports as a growth strategy and is promoting the organic production of jasmine rice organic cultivation<\/a>, pushing this forward.<\/p>\n In Vietnam, too, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has set the expansion of organic farming as a policy goal, but the area of certified organic farmland is still only a small fraction of the total. In Cambodia and Laos, there are moves to leverage their inherently low use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers and position organic farming as a differentiation strategy in international markets.<\/p>\n Systems that use resources efficiently by combining different farming activities are drawing attention.<\/p>\n \"Rice-fish farming,\" raising fish or shrimp in paddy fields while growing rice, is a traditional farming method long practiced in Southeast Asia. The symbiotic relationship, in which fish waste fertilizes the rice and the rice provides shelter for the fish, is said to help reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.<\/p>\n In Vietnam's Mekong Delta, integrated farming combining rice cultivation and shrimp aquaculture is spreading. In areas where saltwater intrusion is advancing, the shift from freshwater rice cultivation to salt-tolerant shrimp aquaculture is progressing, drawing attention as a climate-change adaptation measure.<\/p>\n Efforts to use agricultural waste as an energy source are advancing.<\/p>\n Agricultural waste such as rice husks, straw, and livestock manure can potentially be used as feedstock for biomass energy. In Thailand, biomass power plants fueled by sugarcane bagasse (the pressed residue) have been built in various areas, contributing to electricity supply in rural areas.<\/p>\n In Vietnam, too, small-scale power generation systems fueled by rice husks are being introduced. Some farmers also generate biogas from livestock manure and use it for cooking and heating.<\/p>\n Technology for grasping soil conditions in real time is spreading.<\/p>\n By installing IoT sensors in farmland, soil moisture, temperature, pH, nutrient status, and the like can be monitored continuously. Analyzing this data enables precision farming that applies only as much water or fertilizer as needed, when needed, leading to efficient use of resources.<\/p>\n In Vietnam's Lam Dong Province, environmental monitoring technology has been introduced into greenhouse systems for vegetable cultivation, optimizing the growing environment. In the Mekong Delta, demonstrations of water-saving rice cultivation through the introduction of water management systems are under way.<\/p>\n Pesticide spraying using drones is drawing attention as part of precision farming.<\/p>\n Conventional pesticide spraying was often applied over wide areas, which could lead to environmental impact and wasted resources. With drones, pesticides can potentially be applied pinpoint to spots where pests or diseases have appeared, which is expected to reduce usage and lower costs.<\/p>\n In Thailand, smart farming has taken hold around Bangkok, and the use of precision farming and drones is spreading. In Vietnam, too, the government positions the adoption of smart agriculture as a national priority, and the spread of drone technology is anticipated.<\/p>\n An AI-powered pest and disease prediction system improving the efficiency of farming<\/a> has the potential to contribute to this.<\/p>\n An AI-powered pest and disease prediction system analyzes weather data and past outbreak patterns to predict the risk of pest and disease outbreaks in advance. Taking measures early is expected to help limit damage.<\/p>\n In a demonstration project for a remote cultivation-support solution by a Japanese company, an AI-based pest and disease diagnosis function is built in: when a farmer photographs a crop with a smartphone, the AI identifies the disease or pest and suggests appropriate countermeasures. Such technology could play an important role in Southeast Asia, where the number of skilled farmers is declining.<\/p>\n Agricultural cooperation between Japan and ASEAN is entering a new phase.<\/p>\n The \"Japan-ASEAN Green Cooperation Plan,\" adopted at the Japan-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry in May 2023, is a comprehensive framework of cooperation for building sustainable agriculture and food systems in the Asian monsoon region. Its pillars are the transfer of precision farming technology, support for promoting organic farming, the introduction of paddy-field management techniques to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support for upgrading agricultural value chains.<\/p>\n A distinctive feature of Japanese agricultural technology is its know-how suited to small and medium-scale farmers. Unlike solutions premised on large-scale agriculture, it is considered highly likely to fit the realities of Southeast Asia's smallholders.<\/p>\n Support programs by international organizations are helping to build agricultural value chains.<\/p>\n The building of agricultural value chains using international support is advancing, as with the World Bank-supported \"Cambodia Agricultural Sector Diversification Project.\" Flood-tolerant varieties such as \"Sub1\" and salt-tolerant varieties developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) are spreading widely across Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, and other countries.<\/p>\n These support programs include not only funding but also technology transfer and human-resource development, contributing to long-term improvement in agricultural sustainability.<\/p>\n Policy backing has become a factor accelerating the transformation of agriculture.<\/p>\n The Vietnamese government has set out its \"Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development to 2030, with a Vision to 2050,\" positioning the adoption of smart agriculture as a national priority. The Thai government promotes organic rice exports as a growth strategy. In Indonesia, the spread of sustainable Palm oil<\/a> certification (RSPO, ISPO) is being advanced as a matter of policy.<\/p>\n By coordinating with these policies, private companies and farmers can in some cases receive support such as subsidies and tax incentives, and an environment that makes it easier to invest in new technologies is taking shape.<\/p>\n The combination of rice cultivation and shrimp aquaculture is drawing attention as a climate-change adaptation measure.<\/p>\n The Mekong Delta is one of the world's leading production areas, responsible for more than half of Vietnam's rice output. However, saltwater intrusion from rising sea levels is growing more serious year by year, and there are areas where conventional freshwater rice cultivation is becoming difficult. In response to this challenge, an integrated farming model combining rice cultivation and shrimp aquaculture is spreading.<\/p>\n By farming salt-tolerant shrimp, it may be possible to secure income even in saltwater-intrusion areas. Shrimp waste serves as fertilizer for the rice, which is also expected to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers. This circular system is drawing attention as a sustainable farming model adapted to climate change.<\/p>\n Brand strength combined with organic cultivation<\/a>\u2014 this combination shows the potential to generate high added value.<\/p>\n Thailand's jasmine rice (Khao Hom Mali) has earned a high reputation in international markets and trades at higher prices than ordinary rice. To raise this brand value even further, the Thai government is putting effort into promoting organic cultivation.<\/p>\n Because organic cultivation uses no chemical fertilizers or pesticides, it tends to have a lower environmental impact. In addition, obtaining organic certification can increase competitiveness in Western markets and, in some cases, secure a price premium. The synergy between branding and organic cultivation shows the potential to realize a sustainable, high-revenue farming model.<\/p>\n The spread of certification systems that demonstrate environmental consideration is advancing.<\/p>\n Indonesia is the world's largest palm oil producer, and together with Malaysia it accounts for more than 85% of global production. However, the destruction of tropical rainforest that accompanies plantation development, greenhouse gas emissions from clearing peatland, and the loss of biodiversity have become international concerns.<\/p>\n In response to this challenge, the spread of certification systems for sustainable palm oil production (RSPO, ISPO) is advancing. To obtain certification, producers must meet standards such as development without deforestation, proper waste treatment, and protection of workers' rights. This is expected to reduce environmental impact while increasing reliability in international markets.<\/p>\n Southeast Asian agriculture holds immense productive capacity and structural challenges at the same time.<\/p>\n Vietnam is rice export<\/a> second in the world by output, and coffee output<\/a> ranks second in the world, and cashew nuts and black pepper<\/a> boast the world's largest production. Thailand's natural rubber production and exports are among the largest in the world, and it is also among the world's top exporters of processed chicken products. Indonesia is the world's largest producer of palm oil. However, structural challenges also exist, including low added value, underdeveloped cold chains, stagnant smallholder productivity, and vulnerability to climate change.<\/p>\n Reducing post-harvest losses through value chain optimization, Sixth-industrialization<\/a> turning by-products into resources through such integration, building circular farming systems, precision management with smart farming technology, and leveraging international cooperation and policy support\u2014these efforts have the potential to achieve cost reduction and revenue improvement at the same time.<\/p>\n Agricultural cooperation between Japan and ASEAN is entering a new phase. The \"Japan-ASEAN Green Cooperation Plan\" is a comprehensive framework of cooperation for building sustainable agriculture and food systems in the Asian monsoon region. Japan's technologies and know-how suited to small and medium-scale farmers are highly likely to fit the realities of Southeast Asia's smallholders, which spells business opportunity.<\/p>\n The process by which Southeast Asian agriculture advances and becomes deeply integrated into global value chains is likely to be an important theme in discussing the Asian economy of the twenty-first century.<\/p>\n We explain how to put waste reduction into practice in Asian agriculture. We introduce circular-agriculture methods that achieve both cost reduction and environmental conservation.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":205,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"swell_btn_cv_data":"","ssp_meta_title":"\u30a2\u30b8\u30a2\u8fb2\u696d\u306e\u5ec3\u68c4\u7269\u3092\u3069\u3046\u6e1b\u3089\u3059\uff1f\u30b3\u30b9\u30c8\u524a\u6e1b\u306e8\u3064\u306e\u65b9\u6cd5","ssp_meta_description":"\u30a2\u30b8\u30a2\u8fb2\u696d\u3067\u8ab2\u984c\u3068\u306a\u308b\u5ec3\u68c4\u7269\u306e\u524a\u6e1b\u306b\u3064\u3044\u3066\u3001\u30d0\u30ea\u30e5\u30fc\u30c1\u30a7\u30fc\u30f3\u306e\u6700\u9069\u5316\u30846\u6b21\u7523\u696d\u5316\u3001\u5faa\u74b0\u578b\u30b7\u30b9\u30c6\u30e0\u3001\u7cbe\u5bc6\u7ba1\u7406\u307e\u30678\u3064\u306e\u65b9\u6cd5\u3092\u6574\u7406\u3057\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002\u30b3\u30b9\u30c8\u524a\u6e1b\u3068\u53ce\u76ca\u6539\u5584\u306b\u3064\u306a\u3052\u308b\u8996\u70b9\u3067\u89e3\u8aac\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002","footnotes":""},"categories":[24,2],"tags":[31,48,32,5,8],"crop_category":[],"harvest_season":[],"class_list":["post-204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sdgs-sustainability","category-southeast-asia","tag-sdgs","tag-waste-reduction","tag-sustainable-farming","tag-southeast-asia","tag-agriculture"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=204"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":900,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204\/revisions\/900"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=204"},{"taxonomy":"crop_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/crop_category?post=204"},{"taxonomy":"harvest_season","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/harvest_season?post=204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\u6771\u5357\u30a2\u30b8\u30a2\u306e\u8fb2\u696d\u73fe\u5834\u306b\u304a\u3051\u308b\u5ec3\u68c4\u7269\u554f\u984c\u306e\u5b9f\u614b\"](\"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/content-a1f67e14-e35d-4797-9eca-ecf7ecc3a5f8-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nThe Importance of Value Chain Optimization<\/h2>\n
Logistics Reforms to Reduce Post-Harvest Losses<\/h3>\n
Making Use of Non-Standard Produce<\/h3>\n
Improving the Accuracy of Demand Forecasting<\/h3>\n
![\"\u30b9\u30de\u30fc\u30c8\u8fb2\u696d\u6280\u8853\u3092\u6d3b\u7528\u3057\u305f\u9700\u8981\u4e88\u6e2c\u30b7\u30b9\u30c6\u30e0\"](\"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/content-a1f67e14-e35d-4797-9eca-ecf7ecc3a5f8-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nRaising Added Value Through Sixth-Industry Integration<\/h2>\n
Improving Shelf Life Through Drying and Processing Technology<\/h3>\n
Converting By-Products into Feed and Fertilizer<\/h3>\n
Creating Added Value Through Regional Branding<\/h3>\n
![\"\u5730\u57df\u30d6\u30e9\u30f3\u30c9\u8fb2\u7523\u7269\u306e\u52a0\u5de5\u54c1\u958b\u767a\"](\"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/content-a1f67e14-e35d-4797-9eca-ecf7ecc3a5f8-3.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nThe Potential of Circular Farming Systems<\/h2>\n
Improving Soil Through the Shift to Organic Farming<\/h3>\n
Resource Recycling Through Integrated Farming<\/h3>\n
Using Biomass Energy<\/h3>\n
![\"\u30d0\u30a4\u30aa\u30de\u30b9\u30a8\u30cd\u30eb\u30ae\u30fc\u3092\u6d3b\u7528\u3057\u305f\u5faa\u74b0\u578b\u8fb2\u696d\"](\"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/content-a1f67e14-e35d-4797-9eca-ecf7ecc3a5f8-4.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nPrecision Management Through Smart Farming Technology<\/h2>\n
Environmental Monitoring with IoT Sensors<\/h3>\n
Efficient Pesticide Spraying Using Drones<\/h3>\n
AI-Based Pest Prediction and Early Response<\/h3>\n
\nA Framework for International Cooperation and Policy Support<\/h2>\n
Overview of the Japan-ASEAN Green Cooperation Plan<\/h3>\n
Support from International Organizations Such as the World Bank<\/h3>\n
Coordination with Each Country's Agricultural Policies<\/h3>\n
![\"\u56fd\u969b\u5354\u529b\u306b\u3088\u308b\u8fb2\u696d\u6280\u8853\u652f\u63f4\u306e\u73fe\u5834\"](\"https:\/\/vietnam-agri.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/content-a1f67e14-e35d-4797-9eca-ecf7ecc3a5f8-5.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nLearning from Real-World Examples<\/h2>\n
An Integrated Farming Model in Vietnam's Mekong Delta<\/h3>\n
Organic Cultivation of Thailand's Jasmine Rice<\/h3>\n
Indonesia's Sustainable Palm Oil Certification<\/h3>\n
\nConclusion: Toward the Sustainable Development of Southeast Asian Agriculture<\/h2>\n
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