Mr. Peerapan Kothong, Secretary-General of the Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE), Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, revealed that the OAE supported Thailand's role in regional cooperation by assigning Dr. Kanjana Kwanmuang, Deputy Secretary-General of the Office of Agricultural Economics, to participate as a speaker representing Thailand and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives at the ASEAN-EU Sustainability Summit 2026 on May 7, 2026, at Tambuli Seaside Resort & Spa, Cebu City, Philippines. The summit, themed "Food Security, Animal Health, and Climate Resilience: A Sustainability Imperative for ASEAN," aimed to exchange policy perspectives on food security, animal health, and strengthening the resilience of agricultural and food systems to climate change.

The seminar was organized by the EU-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) in collaboration with the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) as a parallel event to the 48th ASEAN Summit. Representatives from government, private sector, international organizations, and partner networks from ASEAN and the EU participated to discuss approaches to driving green growth, sustainable agriculture, food security, and climate change adaptation.

The Deputy Secretary-General of the Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE) presented Thailand's agricultural policy direction, in line with the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives' policy of integrating sustainability and climate resilience into the agricultural and food system. This includes the BCG (Bio-Circular-Green) economic model, promoting smart and precision agriculture, proactive water management and risk management, and the use of digital technology, big data, and early warning systems to increase production efficiency, reduce disaster risks, and enhance farmers' ability to adapt to climate and global market uncertainties. Regarding animal health, a policy overview was presented, integrating data from relevant agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, particularly the Department of Livestock Development, which plays a crucial role in monitoring, preventing, and controlling animal diseases, as well as improving food safety standards. It was emphasized that animal health is a vital component of food security, the rural economy, and consumer confidence both domestically and globally. This is especially true for small-scale farmers, for whom livestock is a vital household asset.

Furthermore, Thailand prioritizes proactive animal disease prevention under the One Health approach, utilizing biosecurity systems, vaccination, disease surveillance, standardized farm management, and data-driven decision-making. This helps reduce economic losses, lower costs associated with disease outbreaks, minimize unnecessary antimicrobial use, and supports safe, sustainable, and environmentally friendly livestock production. Regarding regional cooperation, Thailand encourages ASEAN to elevate its collaboration from addressing immediate problems to data-driven systemic cooperation, particularly data sharing, early warning systems, and policy coordination to address cross-border risks such as animal diseases, natural disasters, climate change, and supply chain volatility. This will enable the region to effectively monitor, respond to, and manage risks.

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