The Agricultural Technical Cooperation Working Group (ATCWG) was established in 1996, first as an expert group and then renamed as a working group in 2000, to serve as a forum for APEC member economies to enhance the capacity of agriculture and its related industries to contribute to the economic growth, food security and social well-being in the region. The groups’ objectives are to improve the capacity of agriculture and its related industries and to share information and experiences in the areas of agriculture, biotechnology, and animal and biogenetic resource management. This working group prioritizes projects and activities that strengthen members' capacities to increase productivity and trade in agricultural products.
The work of the ATCWG contributes to APEC's trade facilitation agenda by reducing business transaction costs, enhancing marketing capacity and improving the implementation of agriculture-related provisions in free trade agreements.
In 2021, the ATCWG was renewed by the senior officials to continue its mandate until 2025 in providing support in the development of the Food Security Roadmap Towards 2030 in line with the Aotearoa Plan of Action, which sets out to implement the Putrajaya Vision 2040 across the APEC Region. Along with the development of the Food Security Roadmap Towards 2030 Implementation Plan, APEC leaders have entrusted the ATCWG with:
- Strengthening food safety standards
- Responding to food security challenges including food loss and waste reduction, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on agri-food systems
- Promoting the development of next-generation sustainable biofuels
- Enhancing agriculture's ability to adjust and mitigate the impact of climate change
- Fostering digital transformation in agriculture by harnessing ICT technologies
- Empowering women and youth in the agriculture sector
- Strengthening technological cooperation in the strategic planning of ATCWG projects
The development of capacity building programs in these areas is now a core ATCWG activity.
The ATCWG is composed of government officials and experts from academia and works closely with the business community.
1 ATCWG Delegates - 2024 APEC Peru
Contacts
Deputy Lead Shepherd (Incoming 2026-2027)
Program Director
2025 Forum Activities
1. 29th ATCWG Annual Meeting
The 29th APEC ATCWG Plenary Meeting was an in-person event conducted on 4 August 2025 by the APEC 2025 host economy, Republic of Korea, in Incheon, and chaired by the Lead Shepherd Dr Su-San Chang, Adviser, Agricultural Policy Research Center, Agricultural Technology Research Institute, Chinese Taipei. The meeting was attended by around 45 delegates from 17 economies.
The following topics were discussed during the meeting:
Advancements in agriculture: Economies shared updates on R&D and policies of their respective economies focusing on food security, smart agriculture, environmental resilience, and the Bio-Circular-Green economy, highlighting technologies such as climate-resilient crops, digital breeding, smart farming, big data applications, and low-carbon farming methods.
ATCWG governance and forum renewal: The ATCWG Lead Shepherd presented the 2025 Overall Review Report on the Strategic Plan 2021-2025, noting 30 projects conducted or planned, with a mix of APEC-funded, self-funded, and cross-fora collaborations, all aligned with key APEC visions and roadmaps.
The group agreed on the draft ATCWG ToR and Strategic Plan for 2026-2030 and will be submitted to the SCE and SOM for approval by year-end.
The ATCWG successfully nominated and endorsed its Lead Shepherd and Deputy Lead Shepherd for 2026-2027.
Upcoming ATCWG APEC Workshops in 2025:
- ATC 02 2023A, 18-20 September 2025 - Promoting APEC Cooperation for Sustainable Biomass Energy from Agriculture Wastes
- ATC 01 2024S, 25-26 October 2025 - APEC Workshop on Improving and Conserving Arable Land Resources to Ensure Food Security
- ATCWG_01_2025S, 16-17 October 2025 - Workshop on Conserving Arable Land Resources to Promote Food System Transformation and Updating
- ATCWG_102_2024A, November 2025 - Driving Technical Cooperation to Enhance Capacity Building for Promoting Economic Empowerment and Entrepreneurial Leadership in Small-Scale Women Farmers Towards a Sustainable Future for All APEC Economies
- ATCWG_201_2024, 23-25 September 2025 - Enhancing Net-Zero Carbon Emission Goals through Circular Agriculture: Best Practices and Innovations
- ATCWG_101_2024A, October 2025 - Promoting APEC Cooperation for Scaling Up Best Practices on Women’s Participation to Global Value Chain of Agricultural Products toward Sustainable Development
Completed Projects in 2025
- Harmonising Biosecurity Regulatory Approaches in a Multilateral Context (ATC 02 2023S, 28 April to 2 May 2025)
- Reducing Food Loss and Waste through Packaging Innovations and Progress Review of Food Loss and Waste in the APEC Region (ATCWG_202_2024A, 5-6 June 2025)
- Workshop on Digital Agricultural Technologies for Climate Change Adaptation and Enhancement of Food productivity (ATCWG_103_2024, 5-6 August 2025, SOM 3)