Indonesia proposes digital and climate measures for ASEAN cooperatives
The five initiatives submitted for a 2027 regional action plan also address ageing memberships, youth participation and links between cooperative databases.
Indonesia has asked ASEAN to include five initiatives covering agricultural and forestry cooperatives in ACEDAC’s 2027 action plan. The proposals were presented in Yogyakarta during regional cooperative meetings on October 12–13, 2026, according to Deva Rachman of Indonesia’s Cooperative Revolving Fund Management Agency (LPDB-KUMKM).
Rachman, the agency’s Director of General and Legal Affairs, said Indonesia wanted faster uptake of digital tools and artificial intelligence to improve productivity. Another priority is preparing measures against El Nino and climate change so agribusiness operations can continue.
The membership proposals seek to bring more young people into cooperatives through international exchanges and youth camps, supporting technological adoption and modern management. Indonesia also proposed measures specifically addressing the ageing membership of cooperatives.
A further initiative would link databases belonging to agricultural cooperatives across ASEAN. The aim is to encourage investment and trade between countries while opening wider access to markets through ACEDAC’s digital marketplace.
The meetings involved the ASEAN Centre for the Development of Agricultural Cooperatives (ACEDAC) and ASEAN’s sectoral working group on agricultural cooperatives. Participants concluded with recommendations for future regional programmes. Indonesia is due to stage the ACEDAC Business Forum in 2027; Laos will hold the 33rd ACEDAC Board Meeting later in 2027.
