In a first of its kind initiative, five BIMSTEC member States - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Thailand- have been included, together with two ASEAN member States - the Philippines and Vietnam- in the Project entitled “Agricultural Transformation and Market Integration Phase II (ATMI-II)” jointly implemented by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).
Speaking at the Policy Roundtable and Inception Workshop, held on 4-5 August 2025 in Jakarta, BIMSTEC Secretary General(SG) highlighted the growing salience of BIMSTEC as a regional organisation in Indo-Pacific and the progress made in forging regional cooperation under BIMSTEC in agriculture and other relevant sectors. SG underscored the importance of ATMI Phase II in strengthening the capacity of BIMSTEC member States to develop policies and programs for sustainable development of the agriculture sector and realization of the goal of food security. SG noted that ATMI Phase II, which brings ASEAN and BIMSTEC member States together, provides a practical approach for forging cooperation between BIMSTEC and ASEAN to learn from each other's experiences and best practices.
ATMI Phase II aims at strengthening the institutional capacity of selected ASEAN (the Philippines and Vietnam) and BIMSTEC (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Thailand) countries to formulate and implement policies that would build inclusive, climate-resilient, and market-integrated food systems.
The Policy Roundtable and Inception Workshop brought together representatives from ASEAN, BIMSTEC, IFAD, IFPRI and representatives of the relevant ASEAN and BIMSTEC member States and other Stakeholders.
BIMSTEC and IFPRI signed an MoU in 2023 to collaborate on a range of activities, focusing on policy analysis and advice; research and capacity building; and dissemination of knowledge and best practices in several key areas, including agriculture, trade, food safety and quality, and climate change.
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