Outputs

Output 1 - Report on Advancing Circular Agriculture in the APEC Region: Status, Challenges and Policy Pathways for Byproduct Valorization and Agricultural Waste Reduction (Regional Status Report / APEC Publication)

The report will focus on policy, institutional, and practical approaches for (i) reuse and valorization of agricultural byproducts, including crop residues, livestock waste, and agro-processing byproducts, and (ii) reduction and management of agricultural production waste, with particular attention to plastic waste from fertilizers, pesticides, and other agricultural inputs. The report will not attempt to quantify all agricultural waste streams in APEC economies. Instead, it will identify key regional trends, policy frameworks, capacity gaps, and good practices, and develop actionable recommendations to support APEC economies in advancing circular agriculture.

The report will be prepared through desk research, a survey of APEC member economies (Questionnaires, with 8 – 10 questions, will be designed and circulated to member economies to collect the up-to-date information on the respective economies’ practices and policies regarding the reuse of agricultural byproducts and the reduction of agricultural production waste, including plastic waste from fertilizers, pesticides, and other farm inputs), and consultations with relevant experts and stakeholders. It will review existing policies, regulatory frameworks, technologies, business models, and good practices, identify key challenges and capacity gaps, and highlight scalable solutions applicable across diverse APEC contexts.

The report will cover 21 APEC economies, with detailed case studies from selected developed and developing economies. A draft report will be prepared between August and December 2026 and circulated to member economies for comments. Findings will be presented and validated during the project workshop in February 2027. The final report, incorporating workshop inputs, will be completed by May 2027 and disseminated to policymakers, technical agencies, researchers, MSMEs, and other stakeholders throughout the APEC region.

In addition, outcomes from the Workshop and practical recommendations

developed during the Workshop will be incorporated in the final draft of the Regional Status Report for APEC Publication.

Structure of the Report:

1. Introduction and Methodology

2. Status of Agricultural Byproduct Reuse and Agricultural Waste Management in APEC (Major byproducts; Agricultural plastics and packaging waste; Emerging circular agriculture practices)

3. Policy and Institutional Frameworks (Regulatory approaches, Incentives and support measures; Institutional coordination)

4. Selected Case Studies and Good Practices: 3 examples of byproduct valorization; 2 examples of agricultural plastic management; Role of MSMEs and farmer organizations

5. Challenges and Capacity Gaps

6. Policy Pathways and Recommendations for APEC Economies:

- Short-term actions (1–3 years)

- Medium-term actions (3–5 years)

7. Conclusions and Areas for Future APEC Cooperation

Expected length: a minimum of 50 pages (excluding annexes), including policy recommendations and practical guidance for advancing circular agriculture and sustainable agricultural waste management. The Report will be circulated to member economies for comments and consolidation, which is considered an important background paper to design the Workshop, and will be discussed further at the Workshop for the Report

improvement. Once the Report is completed, it can be shared among member economies for reference.

The Report is an APEC publication

Output 2 - Workshop on Toward Low-Waste Agricultural Systems in APEC: Regional Assessment and Strategic Actions for Byproduct Reuse and Plastic Waste Management (Workshop)

The workshop aims to strengthen the capacity of policymakers, technical experts, researchers, and private sector stakeholders from APEC economies to promote circular agriculture through enhanced reuse of agricultural byproducts and reduction of agricultural production waste, including plastics. The workshop will facilitate the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and good practices; identify policy and implementation challenges; and develop practical recommendations to support the transition toward more resource-efficient and low-waste agricultural systems across the APEC region. The recommendations will be incorporated in the final draft of the Regional Status Report for APEC Publication

The workshop will focus on two thematic tracks:

1. Agricultural Byproduct Valorization: This track will explore policy frameworks, technologies, business models, and financing mechanisms that promote the reuse and value-added utilization of crop residues, livestock waste, and agro-processing byproducts. Discussions will highlight successful experiences in biomass utilization, compost production, bioenergy generation, animal feed production, and other circular economy applications.

2. Agricultural Plastics and Packaging Waste Management: This track will examine challenges and solutions related to agricultural plastic waste, including packaging from fertilizers, pesticides, and other farm inputs. Discussions will cover collection and recycling systems, extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes, public-private partnerships, innovative technologies, and policy measures to reduce plastic pollution and improve resource recovery in agricultural value chains.

Workshop Structure: The workshop will be organized in 2 days (including half day field visit) and is expected to involve approximately 70–80 participants.

Session 1: Opening Session

- Opening remarks by host economy and APEC representatives

- Introduction to project objectives and expected outcomes

- Overview of circular agriculture and low-waste agricultural systems in the APEC region

Session 2: Presentation of the Regional Status Report's Findings

- Key findings from the Regional Status Report

- Regional trends, challenges, and opportunities

Session 3: Agricultural Byproduct Valorization

- Policy and institutional approaches

- Technologies and business models for byproduct reuse

- Economy case studies and panel discussion

Session 4: Agricultural Plastics and Packaging Waste Management

- Policy frameworks and regulatory approaches

- Collection, recycling, and EPR systems

- Private sector and economy experiences

Session 5: Interactive Breakout Discussions

Participants will discuss:

- Key challenges and capacity-building needs;

- Opportunities for scaling up circular agriculture practices;

- Priority actions for APEC cooperation.

Session 6: Policy Pathways and Strategic Actions

- Presentation of breakout group recommendations

- Discussion on policy options and future cooperation mechanisms

Session 7: Summary and Closing

- Summary of key messages and recommendations

- Next steps for finalization of the regional assessment report

- Post-event Survey forms

- Closing remarks

Session 8: Field visit (to be detailed at a later stage when preparing for the Workshop organization and will be included in the Workshop GIC)

The recommendations and lessons learned from the workshop will be incorporated into the final Workshop Report and disseminated to APEC member economies to support policy development and capacity building on circular agriculture. The recommendations and lessons learned will also be incorporated later in the Regional Status Report.

Output 3 - Workshop Report

The Workshop Report to summarize, from the presentations and discussions of the workshop, the problems, challenges and best practices from both developed and developing economies in the region on how to enhance the role of women in food value chains toward sustainable development and promoting women’s economic empowerment in the food value chains as well as set of solutions and recommendations for policy makers in the regions.

Workshop Report structure:

1. Background (including background and rationale to organize the

workshop, workshop objectives, Chairs and number of participants, key

sections of the workshops)

2. Summary of key points of the presentations from the different sessions of the Workshop

3. Summary of discussions, issues addressed at the workshop, agreements

and conclusions of the Workshop

4. Set of solutions and recommendations for policy makers in the regions.

The Workshop Report will be at a minimum of 10 pages, excluding annexes and have at least with 5 - 7 recommendations for policy makers in the regions, which will be later synthesized and included into the Report on on Advancing Circular Agriculture in the APEC Region: Status, Challenges and Policy Pathways for Byproduct Valorization and Agricultural Waste Reduction.

The Workshop Report is not an APEC publication.

Outcomes

1) Enhanced awareness of the current status of circular agriculture, particularly in terms of the key regional trends, policy frameworks, capacity gaps and good practices in the APEC region. Through the Regional Status Report, APEC economies will gain access to consolidated information on existing policies, institutional arrangements, technologies, business models, challenges, and successful practices across the region. The report will help identify common barriers and opportunities, enabling economies —especially developing economies—to make more informed decisions when developing or strengthening policies, programs, and investment strategies related to circular agriculture and agricultural waste management.

2) The workshop will enhance the knowledge and capacity of policymakers, technical experts, researchers, MSMEs, and other stakeholders from APEC economies to promote circular agriculture through agricultural byproduct valorization and improved management of agricultural plastic waste. Participants will gain a better understanding of policy instruments, institutional arrangements, technologies, and business models that support the transition toward low-waste agricultural systems.

Through the exchange of experiences and good practices under the two thematic tracks—(i) agricultural byproduct valorization and (ii) agricultural plastics and packaging waste management—participants will identify common challenges, capacity gaps, and practical solutions applicable across diverse APEC contexts. The workshop will also strengthen regional networks and cooperation among government agencies, research institutions, the private sector, and international organizations, while generating policy recommendations and priority actions that can inform future initiatives and policy development within APEC economies.

3) Strengthened confidence among the Participants in adopting policy recommendations and practice guidance for advancing circular agriculture and sustainable agricultural waste management.

Beneficiaries

* The primary beneficiaries of the project include:

1. Government policymakers and regulators from ministries of agriculture, environment, rural development, and waste management in APEC economies, particularly developing members, who will directly use the regional report and policy recommendations to strengthen regulatory frameworks and institutional coordination.

2. Technical agencies and research institutions working on sustainable agriculture, biomass utilization, and plastic waste management, who will benefit from access to consolidated data, best practices, and regional knowledge exchange.

3. Smallholders, farmer cooperatives, and agri-based MSMEs, especially those engaged in biomass processing, composting, bioenergy, recycling, and circular business models, who will benefit from improved policy support and exposure to scalable technologies.

4. Private sector actors and industry associations, including fertilizer and agrochemical suppliers, who can apply guidance on responsible packaging management and circular solutions within agricultural value chains.

* Secondary beneficiaries who may not attend the project event but benefit from the project outputs such as the APEC Publication, or the subsequent efforts that may be undertaken by the participants in their home economies.

Secondary beneficiaries who may not attend the project event but benefit from the project outputs such as the APEC Publication, or the subsequent efforts that may be undertaken by the participants in their home economies.

Secondary beneficiaries include policymakers, technical agendies, researchers, farmer organizations, MSMEs, private sector actors, and other stakeholders across APEC economies who will access and use the project's reports, recommendations. They may apply the knowledge and lessons from the project in their own policies, programs, research, business practices, and future cooperation activities.