The DA-Bureau of Soils and Water Management (DA-BSWM), together with the Department of Agriculture (DA), participated in the Asean-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Workshop, held at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, on April 23-24, 2025. The two-day event aimed to exchange knowledge and best practices for promoting sustainable agriculture and food systems.

The first day was welcomed by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and the Australian Ambassador to ASEAN, Mr. Jarot Indarto, Director of Food and Agriculture of the Ministry of Development Planning/BAPPENAS from Indonesia, and the New Zealand Ambassador to ASEAN and the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries.  The session featured presentations from various countries, with the morning dedicated to discussions on frameworks for sustainable agriculture and food systems, led by Australia, the ASEAN Secretariat, and BAPPENAS. There were also presentations and panel discussions on sustainability in the livestock sector, featuring contributions from Australia, Vietnam, New Zealand, and Malaysia. The afternoon focused on rice production, with case studies from Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

The second day focused on presentations and interactive panel discussions on the Philippine Case Study on Sustainability in Philippine Agriculture: Profitability, Innovation, and Trade by Mr. Raul Montemayor, the National Manager of the Philippines Federation of Free Farmers;  the Thailand Case Study on EU Regulations on Deforestation-Free Products; Indonesia on Oil Production; Malaysia on Palm Oil Exports; Thailand on the Smart Agriculture Industry; and the Australian Red Meat Industry. 

The afternoon session included a field visit to the Rikolto site in Depok City, where Ratna and the women of Sejahtera led a 500-square-meter idle land project that demonstrated a circular model for urban agriculture. 

Philippine delegates were OIC Director Michael R. Sollera of the Planning and Monitoring Service at the DA Central Office, Planning Officer Ms. Cathlyn Joy Dela Torre of BSWM, and Mr. Raul Montemayor from the Philippine Federation of Free Farmers. This avenue served as a platform to strengthen collaboration and engagements, promoting cooperation to achieve sustainable agriculture, contributing to regional prosperity, stability, and resilience among ASEAN countries.