From November 25 to December 5, selected participants from ASEAN Member States participated in a Knowledge Co-Creation Program (KCCP) study tour in Japan organized by the AJFVC Project. The focus of the tour was on “Marketing and Promotion of National and ASEAN GAPs” (Good Agricultural Practices). The program aims to enhance participants’ understanding of effective marketing strategies by learning from established practices in Japan.

The program began with a session in Tokyo, including a visit to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF), which covered Japan’s GAP policies and initiatives. They also attended a lecture on S-GAP initiatives in suburban areas, given by an officer from the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Saitama Prefectural Government, and toured JGAP-certified farm.

The explorations continued in Gifu Prefecture, where the participants explored local GAP initiatives with the Gifu Livestock and Agricultural Corporation. A visit to farms operating under GLOBAL GAP standards offered practical knowledge of successful farming practices. The lectures from experts on GAP Marketing Communications, alongside insights from Prof. Koji Ishikawa from Tamagawa University, highlighted the challenges facing Japan and global GAP efforts.

The second week of the study tour featured a workshop focusing on the development of National and ASEAN GAP Action programs. The discussion was held at the JICA Tsukuba Centre, and the participants also visited farms in Ibaraki Prefecture and the Ibaraki Prefectural Office to learn about GLOBAL GAP initiatives in a commercial farming setting, where they observed GAP-certified produce sold in stores as well.

The program ended with group presentations on the ASEAN strategy, combining different tactics into one action program. The Japanese experts in this field reviewed the presentations, giving participants feedback to refine their approaches and focused on evaluating each ASEAN Member State’s action program, ensuring that the discussed initiatives would be successful. This study tour fostered valuable knowledge exchange and reinforced collaboration in promoting GAP in the ASEAN region, paving the way for better agricultural practices and market access.