Grow Asia

🌱 On #WorldFoodDay, Grow Asia convened our Annual General Meeting during a powerful day of collaboration with Members and Partners from our Advisory Councils. Over the past year, we have been accelerating on-the-ground projects through our country chapters in Cambodia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Viet Nam to reach nearly 4 million farmers. We could not have achieved this without the steadfast support of our Public, Private, and Civil Society partners, many of whom joined us for a full day of high-level sessions in Singapore focused on driving measurable, scalable impact. Together, we celebrated the strides we have made in building more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable food systems as we set the stage for the year ahead. A critical focus for 2025 will be bridging the urgent climate financing gap that poses the biggest threat to Southeast Asia's food security, and the 70 million SMEs and smallscale farmers that lie at the front line. The GrowBeyond blended-finance model is leading this charge, as spotlighted by Aadarsh Baijal and the team from Bain & Company. 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫'𝐬 𝐀𝐆𝐌 ⬇️ 🍫 GrowHer:Kakao for the empowerment of women: https://lnkd.in/dE23jH-c 📱 The Grow Asia Innovation Challenge for sustainable rice: https://lnkd.in/gKvPePHa 🇵🇬 The power of agricultural economic growth corridors - in Papua New Guinea 🌟 We are deeply grateful to our donors and Council Members for their unwavering support in advancing our programs, and to our expert panelists who sparked dynamic conversations around “Mobilizing Climate Finance for Smallholder Agriculture:” María Ángeles León López – Co-Founder and President, Global Social Impact Investments Marie Cheong – Founding Partner, Wavemaker Impact Niall O'Connor – Centre Director, SEI — Stockholm Environment Institute Asia Centre 𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬: ▸ Tania Strauss, Head of Food and Water at the World Economic Forum, who reminded us of the importance to connect demand side and supply side initiatives to empower agri-SMEs; and ▸ Thule Lenneiye, Chief of Staff at AGRA, who underscored the importance of strengthening South-South collaboration between Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Stay tuned as Grow Asia and our 700+ partners continue to pursue scalable and transformative solutions in the months ahead. Not tagged in photos: Berlinda Lim, Anastasia Kurniadi #WorldFoodDay | #AgriFoodInnovation | #ClimateFinance | #COP30

Southeast Asia is poised to become the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2030, and food consumption is expected to surge 40% by 2050. The Centre for Impact Investing and Practices (CIIP), in collaboration with Wavemaker Impact and supported by Philanthropy Asia Alliance, has released a pivotal report: “Seeding the Future: Transforming Smallholder Farms for a Sustainable Tomorrow.” This report emphasizes the need for innovative, scalable solutions tailored to empower smallholder farmers across Southeast Asia 📊🤝. Read more ➤ https://lnkd.in/guikpqPs Grow Asia is proud to have contributed to this report alongside the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, Silverstrand Capital, Jollibee Group Foundation, and other organizations to this impactful work. 💡 Key Report Insights: • Tailored, affordable solutions for smallholders • Increased investment in agricultural innovation • Cross-sector collaboration to break systemic barriers 🌍 Join us in fostering sustainable agriculture and food security in Southeast Asia! Marie Cheong, Steve Melhuish, Desmond Kuek, Reginald Lee, CFA #SustainableAgriculture | #SmallholderFarmers | #FoodSecurity

🇮🇩 Congratulations to PISAgro - our partner in Indonesia, for reaching 2.6 million smallholders across 17,000 villages with farm-level support. Together, PISAgro’s Members are reaching more than 20% of Indonesia's farming communities as part of Grow Asia’s joint mission to transform food systems in Southeast Asia. 🤝 A warm welcome to PISAgro’s newest members PT. Garudafood Putra Putri Jaya, Tbk and PT Prima Agro Tech! 🌍 PISAgro’s three key pillars: #Growth: fuelling Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) – by increasing yields, improving farmers' access to finance, and empowering cooperatives. #Resilience: improving climate adaptation – through calamity prevention strategies and health & wellness programs to equip smallholders for the challenges ahead. #Sustainability: showcasing land and waste management practices that enhance agricultural productivity while protecting the environment. 📈 2024 results: Yield has increased from 5-10% to 35-40% for farmers in the Corn, Palm Oil, and Rubber value chains. Income has risen by 2-3 times! Our Executive Director, Beverley Postma, was honored to join PISAgro Board Members to mark these achievements. Together, the Grow Asia network is paving the way for a resilient and sustainable agricultural future! #SustainableAgriculture | #SmallholderEmpowerment | #Partnerships

📣 Hot off the press! Grow Asia is seeking partners to co-deliver the Grow Asia Innovation Challenge 2025 (#GAIC25)! Our next challenge will target innovative solutions in the Philippines - to drive climate-smart transformation in the coconut, cacao, and coffee sectors 🥥🍫☕️ The Request for Proposal can be found below. Please spread the word! 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐔𝐬:  💡 #GAIC25 is a high-profile initiative that drives collaboration between start-ups, agribusinesses, and smallholder farmers to pilot and scale climate-smart agricultural solutions. The program is delivered in partnership with International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) with support from the Republic of Korea's Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Rural Affairs. #GAIC25 𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐨:  🌾 Empower farmers with digital advisory tools for climate-smart agriculture. 🌍 Enhance traceability and logistics for sustainable, deforestation-free products. 📱 Strengthen technology adoption with user-friendly, farmer-centered innovations. 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫: ✅ A full-service innovation partner to co-design and implement the Challenge. From crafting challenge rules to managing events and mentoring startups This is your chance to contribute to a global effort that drives action and innovation in the region! 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬:  🛠️ Co-design and manage the Challenge process and applications. 🤝 Support finalists with mentoring, human-centered design training, and pitching events. 🌐 Facilitate partnerships among start-ups, agribusinesses, and smallholders. 🚀 Help shape the future of Southeast Asia's agri-food innovation! 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭? 🔗 Learn more and submit your proposal before 13 December 2024 here: https://lnkd.in/gt7YhiBv #GrowVentures | #SustainableAgriculture | #ClimateAction | #FoodSystemsInnovation

🇸🇬 Every year, the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit brings together agri-food leaders to celebrate innovation and drive resilience in Asia’s agri-food systems. This year, the Grow Asia delegation was led by our Head of Partnerships Amy Melissa Chua, who showcased the work of the Grow Asia network by hosting a lively discussion on the empowerment of women farmers and participated in a #ClimateFinance roundtable with Olam Agri. Speaking on 'Building Robust Ecosystems', Amy highlighted the indispensable role of Public-Private Partnerships in driving rural growth and fostering sustainable value chains. The discussion, moderated by Chisa Ogura of Meros Consulting, brought together industry leaders including Dawn Chan, Centre for Impact Investing and Practices (CIIP), Aravindan Srinivasan, AVPN, Binu Cherian, HarvestPlus, and Shusaku Ogawa, Development Bank of Japan Inc. Key takeaways: 1️⃣ Blended finance as a catalyst for collaboration: Effective partnerships are key to scaling sustainable agri-food solutions, with blended finance playing a pivotal role in mobilizing stakeholders and resources. 2️⃣ Inclusive value chains drive impact: Building value chains that include offtake partners and ensure equitable benefits is essential for creating scalable and financeable initiatives. 3️⃣ Policy influence through regional learning: Leveraging insights from successful initiatives across regions can help shape policies that amplify impact and foster sustainable growth. We are grateful to the panelists, moderator, and organizers for facilitating this important dialogue and look forward to continuing these critical conversations! #SIAW24 | #APACAgrifood

📈 𝐒𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐥! School meals provide one of the most powerful returns on investment in Southeast Asia. Some studies estimate a $9 return for every $1 invested 🚀. In addition to the obvious benefits in health, nutrition, and education outcomes, school meals are providing a powerful boost to agricultural communities - by creating jobs (especially for women) and accelerating climate resilience through regenerative agriculture practices 🌱.   Grow Asia’s Executive Director, Beverley Postma was in Cambodia this week to participate in the inaugural Southeast Asia #SchoolMealsCoalition Summit. An inspiring visit to a primary school in Siem Reap, showcased how Cambodia’s national school meal program is leading the way in scaling up this valuable program by working across diverse sectors to drive human capital development and transform food systems. We thank the hosts and organizers for bringing everyone together for this important conversation and for setting out an ambitious commitment to ensure that every child gets one nourishing meal a day.   The Rockefeller Foundation, World Food Programme, Peiman Milani, The Rockefeller Foundation, H.E. Ung Chinna, Reginald Lee, CFA, Philanthropy Asia Alliance, Sangchul Yoon, Lauri Pynnönen, The World Bank   #SchoolMeals | #SustainableDevelopment | #ChildNutrition | #FoodSystems

🌾 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡-𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 🌾 📢 This Financial Times piece shines a light on how social finance can empower smallholder farmers in Southeast Asia to adapt to climate change and build resilience. Smallholder farmers are at the frontline of climate impacts, yet lack the financial resources to adapt and transition to sustainable, climate-resilient agriculture. As Natalie Marko Nietsch, Global Head of Social Sustainability at Standard Chartered, highlights: “When smallholder communities gain access to credit, they’re empowered to implement a wider range of adaptation solutions that would otherwise be out of reach, building resilience and improving productivity.” Grow Asia's #GrowBeyond Fund is addressing this challenge by delivering a closed-loop blended finance model, bringing together governments, financial institutions, private investors, fintech and agri-tech companies and technical assistance providers to deliver a suite of crop-specific financial and knowledge services, enabling smallholders to scale their businesses and adopt regenerative practices. Read the full story on how multi-stakeholder partnerships are transforming the future of agriculture: https://lnkd.in/gc_aJBbm #ClimateFinance | #SustainableAgriculture | #SocialImpact | #ClimateResilience | #FinancialInclusion | #FoodSecurity

🌱 Our food system is at a crossroads. Agriculture drives 37% of global emissions and faces the harsh realities of climate change – yet it also holds the power to heal our planet. 🌍 World Economic Forum's Tania Strauss highlights how regenerative agriculture can restore degraded land, capture carbon, and boost resilience for farmers worldwide. With practices like no-till farming, agroforestry, and crop rotation, we can sequester up to 23 gigatons of CO2 by 2050 and create healthier ecosystems. But we need massive investment to close the climate finance gap. Only 3% of global climate finance currently goes to food systems. It’s time for innovative financing to empower farmers and drive sustainable change. As the world gathers at COP29 in Baku, let's prioritize food systems in the climate agenda and secure a more sustainable, equitable future 🌾. #ClimateAction | #RegenerativeAgriculture | #SoilHealth | #FoodSecurity | #Sustainability | #COP29

🌏 Simplifying financial language could be the key to unlocking broader support for sustainable climate finance! 🌱 At our Annual General Meeting in Singapore, Grow Asia convened a powerful discussion on Climate Finance – Mobilizing Climate Finance for Smallholder Agriculture, moderated by our Executive Director Beverley Postma. Here are some standout insights from the conversation: 🔍 Simplifying Financial Language: Terms like "sustainable finance" and "inclusive finance" can be confusing for many. Clear language is critical to help stakeholders understand and adopt climate finance solutions. 🏛️ Role of Government & Policy Influence: Panelists highlighted how national infrastructures, such as digital payment systems and climate-focused policies, can drive private investment. 🌱 Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge & Gender Inclusion: The panelists stressed the importance of integrating Indigenous knowledge into research. There was a strong call to address how climate change exacerbates gender-based violence and to include women in climate-resilient business models. These discussions are shaping the future of climate finance and ensuring we leave no one behind! We thank our panelists and moderator for their insights: Niall O'Connor, Centre Director, SEI — Stockholm Environment Institute, Marie Cheong, Founding Partner, Wavemaker Partners, María Ángeles León López, Co-Founder and President, Global Social Impact Investments Moderator: Beverley Postma, Executive Director of Grow Asia #ClimateFinance | #SustainableAgriculture | #InclusiveFinance | #GenderInclusion

🚀 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬? 𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐢-𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧! Our latest edition featured the Top Innovators identified at the Grow Asia Innovation Challenge, who are revolutionizing small-scale farming with climate-smart technologies and digital solutions! From carbon management to digital agri-finance, this event brought together the best minds in agri-tech for two days of insights, networking, and collaboration 👉 lnkd.in/gedtR55c Supported by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Korea's Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs, in collaboration with Beanstalk AgTech, the Grow Asia Innovation Challenge aims to accelerate the adoption of climate-smart innovations by smallholder farmers across Southeast Asia. The Digital Learning Series is part of Grow Asia’s regional GrowVentures Impact Fund, supported by IFAD, the Ministry for Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs of the Republic of Korea, Visa, and Thai Wah Public Company Limited. 📩 Don’t miss out next time! Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on future sessions! 👉 www.growasia.org CarbonFarm ThanksCarbon RYNAN Technologies WRMS Global Sagri Co., Ltd Rize ignitia Virtual Irrigation Academy Ltd PhyFarm Map My Crop Transitry #InnovationChallenge | #DigitalLearning | #ClimateSmartAg | #SustainableAgriculture