U.S. Industry and ASEAN Agriculture Leaders Deepen Partnership at the 48th AMAF in Singapore

SINGAPORE, October 30, 2026 — The US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) convened a delegation of leading U.S. food and agriculture companies in Singapore from October 28-30 to engage with ASEAN agriculture ministers and senior officials during the 48th Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF). As the Council's twelfth consecutive mission to AMAF, the engagement underscored the enduring value of public-private collaboration in addressing regional priorities, from food security and sustainability to agricultural innovation and productivity.

During the mission, USABC and Food & Agriculture Committee leaders delivered a presentation during the AMAF plenary session before the ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry, sharing industry perspectives and recommendations on advancing the region’s food security and agricultural development. USABC's delegation held bilateral meetings with the ASEAN Secretariat and with government delegations from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Timor-Leste. The meetings explored opportunities for public-private cooperation in sustainable productivity, resilient supply chains, nutrition, trade facilitation, and the responsible use of innovative technologies. These are priorities that support ASEAN’s transition from vision to implementation in the food, agriculture, and forestry sectors.

“The challenges before ASEAN, from food security and climate resilience to productivity and farmer livelihoods, are significant, but so too is our collective capacity to address them,” said Dr. James Andrade, Chief Representative of Singapore and Senior ASEAN Advisor, US-ASEAN Business Council, who led the delegation. “The U.S. business community stands ready to be a committed and practical partner in advancing ASEAN’s food security goals and the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.”

On the sidelines of the 48th AMAF, Corteva Agriscience and MSD Animal Health hosted a Learning Journey program on October 28 that took SOM-AMAF government officials to their facilities in Singapore. The visits gave participants a firsthand look at how innovation in crop science, animal health, and aquaculture can boost productivity, strengthen food security, and build more resilient agri-food systems across the region.

Participating companies in this year’s mission included Bayer, Corteva Agriscience, ADM, Elanco Animal Health, Illumina, John Deere, and MSD Animal Health.