Strengthening partnerships on vegetable research and development in Southeast
Asia, at the 18th AARNET Steering Committee, and SEARCA meeting

AARNET is a platform for vegetable research and development among ASEAN Member States (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations). It was established four decades ago to coordinate and facilitate the development and implementation of vegetable research and development projects in ASEAN member countries, in collaboration with the World Vegetable Center through its East and Southeast Asia regional office in Bangkok, Thailand. Only through active collaboration can we collectively harness the potential of vegetables for environmental sustainability, improved diets, and climate change resilience in the region.

The 18th Steering Committee Meeting of AARNET was held on 30 and 31 May 2024 in Siem Reap, Cambodia, attended by delegates from nine of the ten ASEAN countries – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and representatives from WorldVeg. Mrs Delphine Larrousse, WorldVeg Regional Director for East and Southeast Asia co-chaired the meeting with Ms Poh Bee Ling from the AARNET Secretariat, Singapore, and Dr Chou Cheythyrith, Deputy Director General of the General Directorate of Agriculture, Cambodia.

AARNET delegates shared the progress of ongoing projects such as Improved coordination and strengthened capacity to deal with the invasive insect pest Tuta absoluta in mainland Southeast Asia and discussed emerging priorities in the areas of vegetable biodiversity conservation, vegetable breeding, safe production practices, and transboundary pest and disease management. Delphine Larrousse presented a regional project idea on enhancing food safety in ASEAN countries, and a roadmap for a Southeast Asia vegetable biodiversity rescue plan. Other scientists from the World Vegetable Center attending remotely, also presented updates on tomato and pepper breeding at WorldVeg and the AFACI project, the VeggieMon platform for vegetable disease monitoring in the region, and the Taiwan Asia Vegetable Initiative (TAsVI).

There was a great interest from participants in pest and disease management of tomato and pepper as well as WorldVeg breeding activities. The Steering Committee requested WorldVeg to prepare proposals on these topics, and would like to see a project similar to AFACI for all ASEAN member states. The roadmap for a Southeast Asian Biodiversity Rescue Plan was also supported by all member states, and they recommended presenting the document for discussion with the ASEAN Sectorial Working Group on Crops.

In addition, on June 20-21, 2024, Delphine Larrousse, also participated in a regional stakeholder consultation in Los Baños, the Philippines to strategically and effectively develop a ‘Consortium for Agricultural Development, Research, and Extension in Southeast Asia’ (CADRE) led by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). SEARCA is the only ASEAN inter-country entity dedicated entirely to agriculture, and WorldVeg is proud to collaborate with this unique institution.

Over the two days, representatives from governments, academia, the private sector, research and development, farmer and civil society organizations of 11 Southeast Asian countries created a relevant, inclusive, and sustainable regional research consortium toward agricultural transformation in Southeast Asia. Delphine Larrousse provided an overview of current research challenges, gaps, and priorities in the vegetable R&D sector in Southeast Asia and shared WorldVeg’s perspectives in panel discussions.