ISEAS Perspective – Decarbonizing Food Systems: Opportunities for a Concerned ASEAN

A farmer works in a paddy field during the rice planting season in Lhoknga, Aceh province on 28 October 2025 | Photo by CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN/AFP

In this paper published by NYSEAN Partner ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Paul Teng writes about how food system decarbonization is one of the main pathways chosen by ASEAN Member States to meet their Nationally Determined Contributions. He asserts that decarbonizing ASEAN’s food systems is an urgent, necessary, and achievable component of global climate goals, but its success depends on a collaborative and system-wide approach facilitated by regional institutions.

Paul Teng is Visiting Senior Fellow at the Climate Change in Southeast Asia Program at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore. He played a key role supporting the ASEAN Secretariat in developing the Food, Agriculture & Forestry Sectoral Plan 2026-2030.