BIMSTEC region is home to around 1.8 billion people, nearly 22 percent of the global population with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of US$3.6 trillion. In this region, Agriculture is the common people's principal employment source. Acknowledging the cumulative importance of agriculture and ensuring sustainable food security, the Leaders of the BIMSTEC Member States included “Agriculture and Food Security” as one of the BIMSTEC core areas of cooperation.
Myanmar is the lead country for the coordination of activities in the Agriculture and Food Security Sector with two sub-sectors- (i) Agriculture and (ii) Fisheries & Livestock.
The establishment of the Agriculture and Food Security sector and the agriculture, fisheries & livestock sub-sectors were approved by the 5th BIMSTEC Summit (Colombo – virtual – 30 March 2021) following a process of rationalization and reorganization of sectors and sub-sectors.
(i) Agriculture
At the Eighth BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting held in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 19 December 2005, Agriculture was included as another stand-alone sector of BIMSTEC cooperation.
(ii) Fisheries & Livestock
The fisheries sector has been the priority sector of BIMSTEC cooperation since the Second BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting held in Dhaka on 19 November 1998. After the Fifth BIMSTEC Summit (30 March 2023) approved the reconstitution of BIMSTEC sector of cooperation, Fisheries and Livestock became a subsector of Agriculture and Food Security Sector.
Agriculture Information of Member States
The BIMSTEC members recognize agriculture as a fundamental key to economic growth, and food security. The BIMSTEC region can achieve sustainable and resilient agricultural systems, ensuring food security for its people and contributing to its overall prosperity and development, by addressing the challenges of agricultural trade, climate change, import-export dynamics, and fostering regional cooperation.
• Agriculture and related statistics of each Member Countries
• Agriculture and Food Security status in BIMSTEC Region