HANOI, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Over 170 senior leaders and decision-makers in the agriculture sector from dozens of countries on Tuesday called for ASEAN food systems to embrace the fourth industrial revolution to benefit smallholder farmers.

On Tuesday in Vietnam's Hanoi capital, the leaders and decision-makers partook in the 2018 Grow Asia Forum, which took place alongside the 2018 World Economic Forum on ASEAN, to intensify investment, partnerships and innovation in ASEAN's agriculture sector.

They defined strategies for agriculture in the region and shared a common goal of encouraging modernized agriculture sectors and food systems, which have smallholder farmers at the core of profitable, sustainable and growing supply chains.

Around 500 million smallholder farmers produce 80 percent of the food consumed in the developing world. There is a pressing need to ensure these farmers are equipped with the appropriate technologies, knowledge and skills to meet the increasing global demand for sustainable food.

"By embracing the positive changes being shaped by the fourth industrial revolution and encouraging inclusivity in agriculture supply chains, the Grow Asia network is tackling the issue of environmental sustainability while modernizing global food systems and improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in ASEAN," Olivier Schwab, head of Business Engagement, World Economic Forum, said at the 2018 Grow Asia Forum.

Established by the World Economic Forum in cooperation with the ASEAN Secretariat, Grow Asia is a multi-stakeholder partnership platform which promotes the cross-regional sharing of knowledge and innovative solutions to improve the productivity, profitability and environmental sustainability of smaller-scale farmers.

The leaders and decision-makers at the Grow Asia Forum also explored the World Economic Forum's report entitled "Innovation with a Purpose: The role of technology innovation in accelerating food systems transformation."

According to the report, food systems are decades behind many other sectors in adopting technology innovation, particularly in developing countries, and the recent advancements in fourth industrial revolution technologies present a major opportunity to accelerate food systems transformation.