The forum calls for action to deepen collaboration to delivers field-ready outcomes for farmers
Singapore’s Grow Asia convened biannual Joint Council Meeting in Bangkok, bringing together eighty leaders from across government, business, civil society, and philanthropy to celebrate decade of shared impact and co-create the path forward for more inclusive, resilient, and regenerative food systems in Southeast Asia.
“As the region continues to face climate disruptions and trade volatility, the need for partnerships and scalable finance solutions has never been more urgent. The meeting served as both a moment of reflection and a call to action to deepen collaboration that delivers field-ready outcomes for those at the heart of our food systems: the 100m farmers and small businesses who form the bedrock of rural communities” explains Beverley Postma, Executive Director, Grow Asia.
This year’s Joint Council Meeting featured two high-level roundtables: Scaling School Meals in Southeast Asia, which explored the transformative potential of schools meals programs to improve nutrition and rural livelihoods; and Advancing Regenerative Agriculture, focused on building a regional approach to help smallholders transition to more sustainable and nature-positive practices.
The discussions were hosted collaboration with Grow Asia’s Council Co-Chairs—the ASEAN Secretariat and Thai Wah. Grow Asia is doubling down commitment to scaling inclusive, farmer-first solutions through four flagship programs: GrowHer, GrowVentures, GrowBeyond, and GrowRight.
Recently, in a bold move to future-proof food systems and open multi-billion-dollar market access for Southeast Asian farmers, IDH and Grow Asia have signed a strategic Letter of Intent (LoI), launching a new regional alliance to scale climate-resilient, deforestation-free agriculture.
Unveiled at a high-level event in Singapore during Ecosperity Week – Temasek’s annual flagship sustainability event, the agreement comes as Asian producers brace for mounting climate shocks and new trade regulations, including the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and US-led tariff realignments.
Big Market Stakes, Real Local Impact
The IDH–Grow Asia strategic alliance aims to unlock affordable finance for millions of smallholder farmers across Southeast Asia, targeting Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and Viet Nam by identifying new opportunities for suppliers, off-takers, and investors.
Together, the two organizations will harness their complementary strengths and finance mechanisms to identify, strengthen, and scale impactful solutions and market-focused coalitions that are required to address deforestation and accelerate the transition to climate-resilient agriculture for smallholder farmers in Southeast Asia. Initial activities will include:
- Blended finance platforms to de-risk climate investment for regenerative practices and carbon insetting
- Landscape-based action plans to reduce emissions, improve soil health, and boost yields in climate hotspots
- Digital and gender-inclusive solutions to ensure women, youth, and vulnerable groups are empowered to take leadership roles in the transformation.
The collaboration comes as farmers in ASEAN are disproportionately affected by rising costs, inflation, and climate volatility. The partnership fills a critical gap: connecting the dots between climate-smart agriculture, private sector sourcing and investable infrastructure for real systems change, while serving as an implementing partner for Member State Governments and non-state actors who share a common vision for the region’s economic prosperity.
