The Human Resource Development (HRD) Project convened its annual Advisory Committee Meeting in Tokyo, Japan, on November 13-14, 2024. The meeting, attended by 47 participants as representatives from partner universities, implementing agencies, ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Agriculture Cooperatives (ASWGAC), ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Agriculture Training and Extension (AWGATE), the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) Japan, and other key stakeholders, highlighted the project’s ongoing efforts to strengthen human resource development in the agriculture and food industries across the ASEAN region.
MAFF Japan representatives, including Mr. Hiroyuki Tanaka, Mr. Ichiro Abe, and Mr. Shuji Tani, commended the project’s long-standing partnership with ASEAN, acknowledging its role in fostering sustainable development through collaboration with both public and private sectors. Key discussions focused on potential pathways for implementing the Food Value Chain programme in 2025, including new initiatives aimed at enhancing and promoting sustainable human resource development across the region in the medium to long term. These initiatives include curriculum standardisation, the provision of shared materials accessible to all students in the region, and the introduction of new topics such as decarbonisation and appropriate well-being management for human resources and will need to be discussed positively with stakeholders including MAFF Japan and Japanese experts. Strategies for enhancing Food Safety Management and Food Analysis programmes were also explored, with a particular focus on expanding programme beneficiaries and extending possible analysis for other food components.
The meeting concluded with a review of 2024 achievements and proposals for 2025 initiatives, emphasising detailed planning and equitable resource allocation among ASEAN Member States. The HRD Project remains committed to advancing food systems and promoting sustainable human resource development in the region.