The AgriFoSe2030 Asia network meeting served as a catalyst for advancing sustainable agricultural development in Southeast Asia. By bringing together project teams and advisory board members, the meeting facilitated the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and experiences, fostering a collaborative approach towards addressing the challenges faced by the agricultural sector. With participants from five Southeast Asian countries and with varied technical expertise, the network meeting encouraged cross-country and multidisciplinary learning.
AgriFoSe2030 challenge leaders organised a productive and inspiring meeting on 29 May 2023, to bring together the project teams from Southeast Asia and two AgriFoSe2030 advisory board members; Hoang Huong Giang from Vietnam, and Irish P. Baguilat from the Philippines. The network meeting provided a unique opportunity to share knowledge, experiences, and insights on promoting sustainable agriculture and translating science to policy and practises in the region.
A total of five AgriFoSe2030 projects spanning Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and the Philippines, presented their work. These were:
Sharing best practices and research
The presence of the AgriFoSe2030 advisory board members added a wealth of experience and perspectives. Their insights into stakeholder engagement, policy formulation, market dynamics, and social implications of agricultural interventions, provided a holistic understanding of the challenges faced by the region.
The meeting emphasised the importance of regional co-operation in achieving sustainable agricultural development. Southeast Asia, with its diverse agricultural systems and unique challenges, serves as a dynamic backdrop for the exchange of ideas and experiences. The network meeting provided a platform for the project teams to present their research findings, discuss ongoing initiatives, and explore potential collaborations. This dialogue fostered a sense of unity among the participants, who shared a common goal of sustainable and inclusive agricultural development.
With a focus on bridging the gap between research and practice, the meeting aimed to accelerate the transfer of knowledge and ensure its effective application in real-world scenarios. The project teams showcased their innovative approaches to tackling key issues such as food security, gender equality and empowerment and extension services. Participants shared best practices, lessons learned, project outcomes and potential for scaling up successful interventions and adapting them to different contexts.
Future collaborations and next steps
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to collaboration, knowledge sharing, and collective action. Participants recognized the need for continued engagement and follow-up activities to sustain the momentum generated by the AgriFoSe Programme and its projects. Suggestions were made to arrange more joint sharing sessions and conduct joint research projects.
Through continued cooperation, collective efforts, cross-country and multidisciplinary knowledge exchanges, the AgriFoSe2030 programme aims to contribute significantly to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2: “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture” in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
Welcome to AgriFoSe2030!
The AgriFoSe2030 programme targets the UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 - "End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture" in low-income countries. We synthesise and translate existing science into policy and practice, and develop capacity to achieve this.
Selorm Kobla Kugbega, Dr Communications officer AgriFoSe2030
SEI, Stockholm Environment Institue
Phone: +46 (0)73- 27 04 306
E-mail: selorm.kugbega@sei.org