Searca joins Asean and Bimstec experts in policy roundtable on agri transformation, market integration

IN a step that could transform food systems in Southeast Asia and beyond, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) in launching a new regional initiative.

The “Ensuring Inclusiveness, Sustainability, and Efficiency of Food System Transformation in the Asean and Bimstec countries (ATMI-II)” is an initiative that aims to help Asean member-countries design and implement policies that build inclusive, climate-resilient, and market-integrated food systems.

Key objectives of the initiative include inclusive growth by strengthening and empowering smallholder farmers, especially women and marginalized groups; climate resilience by building climate-resilient value chains and promoting sustainable agriculture practices; and market integration by fostering more efficient and equitable agri-food markets through structural and institutional reforms.

The initiative was launched during a high-level policy roundtable and inception workshop held in Jakarta, Indonesia on Aug. 4-5, 2025. It was jointly organized by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Bimstec, Searca, and the Network of Policy Advisors and Analysts (NePAA).

The event brought together more than 30 senior representatives from national governments, international organizations, and regional think tanks to address shared challenges and explore opportunities for sustainable and inclusive development.

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Addressing participants, Kao Kim Hourn, Asean secretary-general, emphasized the importance of collaboration across borders to advance resilient food systems.

“Regional cooperation — grounded in shared values, mutual respect, and sustainability — is essential to addressing both immediate and long-term challenges in food and agriculture. Initiatives like ATMI-II are timely and vital in supporting this transformation,” he said.

Importance of collaborative action

In affirming Hourn’s message, Indra Mani Pandey, Bimstec secretary-general, emphasized the importance of collaborative regional action.

“ATMI-II is a timely and significant step in our collective efforts to enhance farmer incomes, strengthen food and nutrition security, and build climate-resilient value chains. Bimstec remains committed to supporting regional cooperation and partnerships that drive agricultural transformation and economic growth for our people,” he said.

ATMI-II will engage select Asean and Bimstec countries — Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam — focusing on structural and institutional reforms that can foster more efficient and equitable agri-food markets.

Discussions at the roundtable focused on smallholder inclusion, participation in regional value chains, and the design of climate-smart agricultural policies. Deliberations were shaped by recent shifts in global trade dynamics and regional frameworks such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Highlighting the value of regionally embedded platforms like NePAA in supporting countries during transitions, Reehana Raza, regional director for IFAD’s Asia and the Pacific Division, said that regional platforms like Asean and Bimstec bring the reach, relationships, and policy traction needed to scale impact where it matters most.

“This grant brings countries together, builds technical capacity, and embeds policy solutions that last beyond the project lifecycle. With NePAA, what began as a subregional platform is now becoming a robust, multicountry mechanism to support evidence-based policy across the region. In this next phase, we are focused on both expanding NePAA’s reach and ensuring its long-term sustainability,” she said.

Also featured during the event was the participation from NePAA members — a community of policymakers, researchers and development partners — who collectively identified priority areas for research and capacity building. Stakeholders shared their countries’ experiences and explored ways to better align national and regional policies on sustainability, trade, employment, and food security.

Searca Center Director Mercedita Sombilla highlighted the initiative’s commitment to people-centered development, noting that the proposed activities of ATMI-II will be deeply rooted in inclusiveness, sustainability, and efficiency — aimed at strengthening and empowering smallholder farmers, especially women and marginalized groups.

“It is our shared responsibility to ensure their voices are heard, their needs are met, and they are given the support required to thrive as we transform agriculture and the food system,” Sombilla said.

Building on earlier collaboration under ATMI-Asean, the new phase seeks to institutionalize NePAA as a platform for long-term policy dialogue and technical exchange.

Shahidur Rashid, IFPRI director for South Asia, said this initiative builds on their earlier work in advancing inclusive, sustainable, and efficient food system transformation in Southeast Asia, with notable outcomes at both the country and regional levels.

“Through NePAA, we aim to institutionalize a platform for sustained policy dialogue and shared learning across countries navigating similar agri-food system transitions,” Rashid said.

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