The Technical Seminar on Biomass for growth: Potentials and challenges of bioenergy in Agricultural Communities and Rural Development in ASEAN Region, under the framework of the Project on Promotion of Biomass Energy for Agricultural Communities and Rural Development in ASEAN Region funded by JAIF, was held on 25 – 26 July 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Seminar was co-organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Viet Nam (MARD) as the lead country of the Project and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand as the host country of the Seminar. The Seminar was attended by participants from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam. Speakers and specialists from several universities and organizations in ASEAN region were also invited to attend and share policy and technical information with ASEAN member countries (AMCs).
The Technical Seminar was co—chaired by Ms. Pham Thi Hong Hanh, Head - Global Integration and Foreign Investment Division of the International Cooperation Department, MARD; Mr. Dao The Anh, Vice-President of Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS) and Ms. Sumana Ngampongsai, Director of Field and Renewable Energy Crops Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand.
The Seminar aimed to provide an overview of biomass energy in ASEAN region with the current status, trends and future settings. It discussed the sources and types of biomass from agricultural wastes, the opportunities for biomass energy in climate policy and finance, and the potential for biomass energy using different and specific agriculture products such as oil-palm and sugarcane. It also served as the platform to discuss the framework and provide inputs to develop the regional strategy and policy recommendations in enhancing biomass energy for agricultural communities and rural development in the ASEAN region. The Seminar included a session of Country Papers presentation in order to exchange the status as well as the innovations of respective countries in the area of biomass energy
