Grow Asia is proud to be an affiliated Entity of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This past week, we joined all ten Member States and The ASEAN Secretariat at the 18th Meeting of the ASEAN Technical Working Group on Agricultural Research and Development (ATWGARD) in Singapore. This technical working group drives policy inputs and fosters cooperation for agricultural research and development across ASEAN.
Our Executive Director, Beverley Postma, presented the progress of GrowBeyond during the session. The ASEAN Sustainable Agriculture Fund and Loan Facility has the potential to unlock inclusive finance for small agri-businesses over the next 10 years, targeting the 70+ million SMEs in Southeast Asia that lie at the forefront of the climate crisis. Bev reaffirmed our ongoing support for ATWGARD and ASEC by leveraging our multi-stakeholder platform and robust national partnerships in ASEAN countries.
Our partners at The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) also shared our progress on implementing the ASEAN Guidelines on Promoting Responsible Investment in the Food, Agriculture, and Forestry sectors, and identified actionable steps to amplify our impact in the region.
Through these collaborative efforts, Grow Asia continues to advance sustainable agriculture and economic empowerment across Southeast Asia, ensuring a resilient and prosperous future for the region’s agricultural communities.