BANGKOK, Thailand (01 October 2025) — As part of Bangkok Climate Action Week 2025, regional leaders, philanthropists, and agricultural experts gathered at the event “Future on the Table: ASEAN’s Leadership in Climate-Smart Agriculture Toward COP30”. The roundtable discussion was co-hosted by Clim-Eat and the Asia Philanthropy Circle, with support from the Global Methane Hub.

The International Rice Research Institute joined the gathering of diverse organizations, including investment and consulting firms, think thanks, as well as nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, reflecting a broad coalition of stakeholders invested in advancing sustainable agriculture in Southeast Asia.

Discussions explored how ASEAN countries can step up their leadership role in advancing climate-smart agriculture, with a particular focus on rice production — a sector both vital to food security and heavily linked to methane emissions.

Panelist Aukrit Unahalekhak of Thara Green turned attention to the realities faced by smallholder farmers. He emphasized that many rice farmers in the region would survive on less than USD 200 a month, underscoring the difficulty of encouraging behavioral change without corresponding financial benefits. He noted that farmers are concerned with the balance between additional work and potential gains, raising the question of how digital tools and advisory services could support them more effectively.

From the policy perspective, Dr. Parichart Pochanasil of Thailand’s Department of Agriculture highlighted the importance of promoting more climate-resilient and high-value rice varieties, as well as encouraging crop diversification after consecutive rice-growing seasons. Such approaches, she argued, could help farmers achieve more stable and higher incomes. She also pointed to the need for government regulations to establish criteria for quality, ensuring that higher crop prices are justified and transparent.

Against this backdrop, panelists and audience members agreed on the importance of designing incentives that are financially viable, ensuring that new low-emission practices do not add to farmers’ burdens without offering corresponding gains. While some countries currently provide subsidies, such as fertilizer price guarantees, participants noted that these stabilize markets but do little to encourage climate-smart behavior. Participants agreed that subsidies and incentives should be better aligned to reward sustainable practices rather than stabilizing input prices.

Subsequently, the roundtable also explored the question of market demand for low-emission rice. While an increasing population of the growing middle class is willing to pay premiums for trusted labels, the market for climate-friendly rice is still underdeveloped. Policymakers face difficulties keeping pace with rapidly evolving carbon market frameworks and technologies. Weak monitoring systems and regulations remain major barriers, leading to ineffective carbon markets.

Finally, the next generation of farmers was seen as critical to driving long-term transformation, provided they are supported by accessible markets and supportive policy frameworks. Ensuring a just transition was seen as essential to avoid disadvantaging farmers already living near or below the poverty line.

The discussions among the diverse participants highlighted the need for ASEAN countries to revise policy frameworks, refine regulations, and build monitoring systems that can unlock market opportunities and adoption of climate-smart practices among farmers. With COP30 on the horizon, the event marked a call for coordinated regional action to balance food security, farmer livelihoods, and climate commitments.