Output
1) Policy Dialogue
APEC Policy Dialogue on Innovation in the Rice Sector: A multi- stakeholder forum to share best practices, discuss challenges, and recommend policy actions
A 2-day Dialogue will be convened in Viet Nam plus a 1-day field visit to the "High-quality and low-emission rice area" to showcase the best practice of rice cultivation,
1. Objectives
The Dialogue aims to strengthen regional cooperation and collective action in advancing innovation across the rice sector, a vital staple crop for food security, livelihoods, and economic growth in the APEC region. Specifically, the Dialogue seeks to:
- Share best practices, lessons learned, and success stories on applying innovation—from seed technology, digital transformation, sustainable farming practices, to value chain management - in rice production, processing, and distribution.
- Identify key challenges, gaps, and barriers that hinder the adoption and scaling up of innovation, including regulatory, technical, financial, and institutional constraints.
- Facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogue among policymakers, researchers, private sector, farmers, and international organizations to promote collaborative approaches and partnerships.
- Provide evidence-based recommendations for policy and regulatory actions that support broadly applicable and innovation-driven growth of the rice sector in the APEC region.
- Contribute to broader APEC priorities on food security, digital economy, and economic development.
2. Key Contents and Topics for Presentations and Exchanges
- The Dialogue will be structured around thematic sessions combining expert presentations, case studies, and interactive discussions. Key topics include:
- Innovation in Rice Breeding and Seed Systems: Advances in biotechnology, improved varieties for climate resilience, nutritional enhancement, and seed certification systems.
- Digital Transformation in Rice Farming: Use of precision agriculture, data analytics, remote sensing, and mobile applications to improve productivity, reduce costs, and support decision-making.
- Sustainable Rice Production Systems: Innovative agriculture practices, water management, low-emission rice cultivation, integrated pest management, and circular economy approaches.
- Strengthening Rice Value Chains and Trade: Post-harvest technologies, processing innovations, quality standards, food safety, and facilitating intra-APEC rice trade.
- Inclusive Innovation for Smallholders and Women: Mechanisms to promote access to innovations, finance, extension services, and market opportunities for all groups.
- Enabling Policy and Institutional Frameworks: Regulatory reforms, public–private partnerships, investment in R&D, intellectual property protection, and regional cooperation mechanisms.
3. Key Audiences: The Dialogue with tentatively 70 - 100 participants, will target a diverse set of stakeholders, reflecting the multi-dimensional nature of rice sector innovation, including: Government representatives / Policymakers; Research and academia; Private sector; Farmers and producer organizations; Development partners and NGOs.
2) Dialogue Report
The Dialogue Report to summarize, from the presentations and discussions of the workshop, the problems, challenges, gaps and best practices (possibly up to 5 practices from different economies) on innovative agricultural technologies and practices for rice as well as how to strengthen regional cooperation in research and development in rice cultivation. The best practices can focus on (i) Seed, Breeding, and Technology Innovation; (ii) Digital and Climate-Smart Rice Production; (iii) Value Chains, Trade, and Market Integration; (iii) Inclusive Innovation and Capacity Building, then coming up with priority policy gaps, recommended actions at economy and regional levels, and potential areas for APEC cooperation.
The Dialogue also discusses the policy recommendations that enable innovation and capacity building of the rice sector towards food security in the region' as collection of data and information is not considered an active capacity building which is what project events are for.
Dialogue Report structure:
1. Background (including background and rationale to organize the Dialogue, objectives, chairs and number of participants, key sections of the Dialogue)
2. Summary of keys points of the presentations delivered at the Dialogue
3. Summary of discussions, issues addressed, agreements and conclusions of the Dialogue
4. Set of solutions and recommendations for policy makers in the regions. The Dialogue Report will have minimum 10 pages with at least 5 recommendations for policy makers in the regions, which will be later synthesized and included into the Policy Report.
3) Policy Report (APEC Publication)
Policy Report: “Enhancing Innovation in the APEC Rice Sector” 1.Context and Rationale
Food security remains a critical and cross-cutting priority for the APEC region, where nearly three billion people depend on staple crops to sustain their livelihoods and well-being. While APEC economies have made substantial progress in improving food availability, affordability, and safety, challenges remain. Environmental challenges, resource constraints, supply chain disruptions, and shifting consumer demands all place pressure on ensuring stable and safe food supplies. Within this context, rice plays an indispensable role. As the staple food for more than half of the world’s population - most of whom live in Asia-Pacific—rice is central to food security, rural employment, and trade in the region.
Despite its importance, innovation in the rice sector is unevenly developed across APEC economies. Some economies have advanced systems for seed improvement, mechanization, and digital agriculture, while others face technological gaps, limited access to finance, and weaker institutional support. This “innovation divide” not only constrains productivity and competitiveness but also risks widening inequalities between economies and between smallholders and larger producers.
Bridging this gap is essential for growth in the rice sector and meeting APEC’s broader objectives of food security, resilience, and economic integration.
A Policy Report on “Enhancing Innovation in the APEC Rice Sector” will provide an evidence-based foundation for collective action. It will serve as a knowledge resource to identify innovative technologies, highlight successful practices, assess challenges, and propose practical policy recommendations. The report will align directly with the overall objective of the Project—to reduce the innovation divide in the rice sector through collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and capacity building. It will also support APEC’s long-term goals on economic development and digital transformation.
2.Approach
The development of the Report will adopt a consultative and multi- stakeholder approach, with broad participation and relevance. Key steps will include:
- Desk research and data collection on the state of rice innovation across APEC economies.
-Case studies to showcase successful applications of innovative technologies and practices, especially those benefiting smallholder farmers and women.
-Stakeholder consultations with policymakers, researchers, private sector actors, and farmers’ organizations to capture diverse perspectives.
Policy dialogue outcomes from the APEC Policy Dialogue on Innovation in the Rice Sector will be integrated into the Report to strengthen recommendations.
3.Key Contents and Structure of the Report
The Report will be structured into 6 major sections: I.Introduction and Context
-Importance of rice to APEC food security, trade, and livelihoods.
-Current food security challenges in the region.
II. The Innovation Divide in the Rice Sector
-Overview of existing disparities in technology adoption, R&D capacity, and access to resources among APEC economies.
-Barriers hindering the scaling of innovation (financial, regulatory, institutional).
III. Showcasing Innovations in Rice Farming
A Minimum of 5 best practices of rice cultivation from member economies will be included, possibly focusing on (i) Advances in seed breeding, technology and climate- resilient varieties; (ii) Mechanization and digital transformation (precision agriculture, ICT, and data platforms); (iii) Practices for low-emission and resource-efficient rice production.
IV. Strengthening Regional Cooperation in R&D
-Existing initiatives and partnerships.
-Opportunities for joint research, voluntary technology transfer on mutually agreed terms, and capacity building.
V. Policy and Institutional Enablers
-Regulatory frameworks, intellectual property protection, and incentive structures.
-Financing models and public–private partnerships to support innovation.
VI. Conclusions and Recommendations
-Practical, evidence-based policy recommendations for APEC economies.
-Suggested areas for future cooperation, including technical assistance, training, and follow-up projects.
The Report will be with minimum 50 pages (excluding Annexes). The Report will be circulated to member economies for comments and consolidations. It research is considered an important background input to design the Dialogue and discussed further at the Dialogue for the Report.
Improvement: Once the Report is completed, it can be shared among member economies for reference.
The Report on Enhancing Innovation in the APEC Rice Sector is an APEC publication.
Outcome
The Dialogue is expected to deliver the following outcomes:
- Knowledge sharing and capacity building: Enhanced understanding of innovative solutions, tools, and practices applicable to rice sector transformation in the APEC region.
- Policy recommendations: A set of actionable policyproposals to guideAPEC economies in enabling innovation, addressing barriers, and fostering inclusive participation in the ricesector.
- Networking and partnerships: Strengthened linkages among stakeholders, encouraging public–private partnerships and cross-economy collaboration.
- Contribution to APEC goals:Alignment with APEC’sagenda on food security, innovation, and sustainable development, and providing inputs for future cooperative initiatives.
- Follow-up opportunities: Identification of priorityareas for futureAPEC projects, technicalcooperation, and joint research in rice sector innovation.
By creating a platform for dialogue, learning, and cooperation, the APEC Policy Dialogue will help bridge the innovation divide in the rice sector and contribute to building a more resilient, and productive food system in the region.
The Dialogue Report will capture the main outcomes of the APEC Policy Dialogue on Innovation in the Rice Sector. It will summarize key problems, challenges, and gaps identified by stakeholders, along with best practices—up to five concrete examples from different economies—on applying innovative agricultural technologies and practices in rice cultivation. The Report will also highlight opportunities for strengthening regional cooperation in research, development, and volutary technology transfer on mutually agreed terms. By synthesizing insights from presentations and discussions, the Dialogue Report will provide inputs for the subsequent Policy Report, helping shape actionable policy recommendations to foster innovation and enhance food security in the region.
The Policy Report will provide policymakers with actionable insights and tools to design enabling environments that foster innovation in the rice sector. It will serve as a reference for aligning, if appropriate, national strategies with regional collaboration goals, ensuring that all APEC economies—regardless of their current level of technological advancement—can benefit from innovation. Ultimately, the Reportwill contribute to reducing the innovation divide, strengthening food security, and advancing APEC’s shared goal of economic growth.
Beneficiaries
The project will benefit multiple stakeholders across APEC economies, particularly through the policy report and policy dialogue. These activities will help shape evidence-based decision-making, improve access to innovation, and create an enabling environment for sustainable rice sector transformation. Thus, the beneficiaries of the Project will include the followings, particularly from rice growing economies:
- Smallholder rice farmers who will better understand innovative technologies and best practices.
- Agricultural researchers and extension officers who will benefit from enhanced collaboration and training.
- Policymakers who will receive information on regulatory and policy reforms to promote innovation.
- Private sector stakeholders engaged in agri-tech and sustainable agriculture solutions.
In addition, the Project will create opportunities to exchange best practices and innovative technologies, on voluntary and mutually argeed terms among member economies that benefit from promoting cross-border R&D partnerships for innovative rice farming solutions, accelerating the development of new rice varieties, precision farming tools, and sustainable farming techniques through its Policy Dialogue on Innovation in the Rice Sector: A multistakeholder forum to share best practices, discuss challenges, and recommend policy actions. The expected benificiaries (participants) of the Dialogue include:
- Government representatives: Policymakers from agriculture, trade, environment, science and technology ministries, and food security agencies across APEC economies.
- Research and academia: Experts from agricultural universities, research institutes, and international organizations.
- Private sector: Agribusinesses, seed companies, digital technology providers, rice processors, and traders.
- Farmers and producer organizations: Smallholder representatives, cooperatives, and associations, with attention to women and youth participation.
- Development partners and NGOs: Organizations supporting agriculture, rural development, and resilience.
