STAKEHOLDERS FORUM: A Forward-Looking and Transformative Agricultural and Rural Development in Southeast Asia

A total of 731 participants, who included up to 30 distinguished experts, gathered online on 28 October 2020 for the livestreaming from Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, of a stakeholders forum organized by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).

They brainstormed on identifying new and key emerging challenges and opportunities in Southeast Asia for a forward-looking and shared vision of transformative agricultural and rural development (ARD) in the region.

The online event, dubbed Stakeholders Forum: A Forward-looking and Transformative Agricultural and Rural Development in Southeast Asia, had two plenary sessions and four parallel sessions. It was designed within the purview of SEARCA’s 11th Five-Year Plan (FYP), which has the overall theme of Accelerating Transformation Through Agricultural Innovation (ATTAIN).

The forum focused on the experiences, challenges, best practices, and strategic directions, and opportunities to strategically advance ARD to elevate the quality of life of farmers and farming families in the Southeast Asian region.

The 731 participants attended the two plenary sessions (66% female and 34% male) with 19 percent and 15 percent coming from the age range of 41-50 years old and 18-34 years old, respectively. They joined via Zoom (293) and Facebook (438). Participants in the plenary sessions came from the academe (42%), government (39%), donors (9%), industry (8%), and farmers (2%). They tuned in from 21 countries across Southeast Asia, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America. The four parallel sessions were attended by 360 participants.