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

🇵🇬 Our country chapter in Papua New Guinea, Grow PNG Ltd is taking a bold step toward strengthening landowner readiness for agribusiness partnerships through the Waba 'Ani Agri Partnership Program (WAPP). Building on the Land Access Guide Training Program, WAPP is designed to equip formally organized landowner groups with the knowledge and tools needed to partner confidently with agricultural investors. This is a game-changer for unlocking investment and driving sustainable growth in PNG’s agricultural sector. At the first WAPP Stakeholder Consultation Dialogue on 30th January, over 30 stakeholders from agribusiness, government, research, and farmer groups gathered to shape this initiative. Their collective insights will help address key challenges, such as: ✅ Limited understanding among landowners about business partnerships ✅ Investor hesitation due to land conflicts and unclear deal-making processes In collaboration with PNG University of Technology (Unitech), GrowPNG is developing a Training of Trainers (ToT) program to ensure that Markham District’s leaders and landowners are prepared for long-term, inclusive, and sustainable agribusiness partnerships. 📅 With two more consultations planned before the official launch, we’re excited to see WAPP pave the way for scalable agricultural investment models in PNG. Stay tuned! #GrowAsia | #GrowPNG | #SustainableAgriculture

At this year's Canada-in-Asia Conference, hosted by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, one key question stood out: How can we accelerate Canada-Asia collaboration on climate action? Grow Asia co-hosted a panel on financing bottlenecks in agriculture, where our Executive Director, Beverley Postma, led a discussion with Marie Cheong (Wavemaker Impact), Anuj Kumbhat (WRMS Global), and Shailendra Mishra (Olam Agri). With 50% of Asia’s emissions linked to land use and agriculture, transforming food systems is not just an economic opportunity—it’s a climate necessity. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬: 💡 Blended finance has potential, but it needs to move faster. Investors want to fund better agri solutions, but they struggle with slow-moving capital deployment and balancing different priorities. The solution is shared risk and clear, aligned goals. 💡 Public-Private-Philanthropic Partnerships (4P) are proving their worth. Models like Olam Agri’s 4P approach show that when businesses, governments, and impact investors come together, smallholder farmers see real benefits—higher incomes, better resilience, and stronger food systems. 💡 Digital tools can be a game-changer. Smallholder farmers often don’t have access to credit or insurance, making them extremely vulnerable to climate risks. Digital wallets and climate-smart insurance can bridge this gap. The sentiment in that room was clear: our farmers need more investment, innovation, and collaboration. 🇨🇦 So where does Canada come in? Canada has a long history of supporting agriculture and climate initiatives in Asia. With clearer pathways for curated collaboration, there’s an opportunity to deepen partnerships and ensure farmers receive the support they need. #GrowAsia | #CIAC2025 | #SustainableAgriculture

🤝 Kick-starting Food Safety Project in Cambodia 🤝 The Cambodia Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture (Grow Asia Partnership-CPSA) met with Land O’Lakes Venture37 (#Venture37) staff implementing the new U.S. Department of Agriculture Food for Progress Cambodia HortSafe project (#HortSafe). Grow Asia Partnership-CPSA and Venture37 share a common vision of expanding the trade of #safe, high-quality #horticultural products in Cambodia and across the sub-region. Under the 5-year HortSafe, Grow Asia Partnership-CPSA will organize a series of training and knowledge-sharing workshops conducted by leading technical experts to improve food safety compliance in Cambodia. Grow Asia Land O'Lakes Venture37

🇮🇩 In his first 100 days, Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto has set out an ambitious economic strategy to achieve a GDP growth target of 8%. The Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) sits at the top of this list of economic policies. At this week’s Indonesia Economic Summit 2025, Grow Asia’s Executive Director Beverley Postma joined leaders from business, government, and international organizations to chart a collaborative pathway for the program’s success. During a panel discussion on #FoodSecurity moderated by Anton Rizki, speakers including Bayu Krisnamurthi, Deepali Khanna, and Trihadi Saptoadi emphasized the urgency of tackling critical gaps in nutrition, climate finance, and rural poverty. With an estimated $9 return for every $1 invested, the school meals program can play a powerful role in boosting socio-economic outcomes, however, the success of MBG rests on several key factors: ✅ A coordinated, whole-of-government “systems” approach ✅ Balancing Top-down policies with bottom-up investments ✅ Empowering smallholder farmers to be the engine of growth ✅ Leveraging well-tested business solutions, such as those pioneered by PISAgro ✅ Incentivizing regenerative agriculture to improve soil health and nutrition ✅ Investing in technology and innovation - ensuring that solutions reach the farmer! Grow Asia pledged ongoing support to foster strong collaboration between policymakers, businesses, and farming communities to ensure that MPG delivers long-term economic and social benefits. Our special thanks to Sofyan Djalil. satvinder singh, Paul Polman for their leadership and vision. #Indonesia | #GrowAsia | #IndonesiaEconomicSummit2025 | #IES2025

🌍💡 The global focus on nature finance and the bioeconomy presents an opportunity to integrate sustainable agricultural investment into broader climate strategies. ASEAN has the potential to lead the way, but it requires enforceable policies, robust investments, and deeper public-private collaboration. Read our insights on driving food system transformation for people and the planet. 🌾➡️ https://lnkd.in/gZdH-Kf5 #SustainableAgriculture | #GrowAsia

☕ 🍫 PPSA, in collaboration with its Learning Alliance Working Group Lead Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and the Coffee Working Group Lead Nestlé Philippines, is hosting a Kapehan Session on research and innovation in the coffee and cacao sectors—key high-value crops in Southeast Asia. Join researchers, industry leaders, policymakers, and farmers to share insights on advancements and successful programs for sustainable value chains. What to expect from the session: ✅ Business case about the Resilience and Inclusion through Investment for Sustainable Agrikultura (RIISA) Project's G-ESG integration in the cacao sector ✅ Key findings of the Productivity Assessment of Robusta Coffee Applied with Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers in Mindanao study ✅ Innovative solutions on automated coffee profiling and support tools for predicting soil moisture in cacao farming ✅ Learnings from NESCAFÉ Plan and the GrowHer:Kakao Program 📅 13 February 2025 (Thursday) 🕐 1:00 - 4:00 PM (GMT+8) 💻 via Zoom & PPSA/SEARCA Facebook Pages 📌 Register here: https://lnkd.in/eehpTQ_D

🌱Have you registered yet? Join us for the first Grow Asia Digital Learning Series (DLS) session of 2025 on 12th February, in partnership with Visa. Gain exclusive insights into the power of digital finance and innovation in agriculture shared by our speakers Ravi Iyer, Head of Asia Pacific Pre Sales, Visa, Isvary Sivalingam, Southeast Asia Lead, Better Than Cash Alliance and Manfred Borer, Chief Executive Officer, Koltiva By attending, you will: ✅ Learn from industry experts on how digital finance is reshaping agribusiness ✅ Explore real-world success stories empowering smallholder farmers ✅ Discover practical strategies for technology adoption and market access ✅ Connect with a global network of agrifood leaders and innovators 📢 Register now to secure your spot and learn more about the evolving agri-finance landscape! Click the link below or scan the QR code in the visual 👉https://lnkd.in/gSJWrWHy #GrowAsia | #DigitalLearningSeries | #SustainableAgriculture | #GrowVentures

🌟 Digital Learning Series: Meet the Speakers! 🌟 In partnership with Visa, we’re thrilled to welcome Ravi Iyer, Head of Asia Pacific Pre Sales, Visa, Isvary Sivalingam, Southeast Asia Lead, Better Than Cash Alliance and Manfred Borer, Chief Executive Officer, Koltiva to the first Grow Asia Digital Learning Series session of the year! With extensive expertise in digital finance solutions and business innovation, the speakers will share key insights on how #fintech is transforming agribusinesses and unlocking new opportunities for smallholder farmers. Through this session, you will: 🔹 Learn how digital financial solutions are reshaping rural economies 🔹 Hear real-world success stories of smallholder empowerment 🔹 Discover strategies to drive technology adoption in agriculture Don’t miss this chance to gain expert insights and connect with global leaders in finance and innovation! Register now 👉 lnkd.in/gSJWrWHy #GrowAsia | #DigitalLearningSeries | #SustainableAgriculture | #GrowVentures

🇮🇩 Meet Mrs. Irda and Mr. Andi Hadi, a cocoa-farming couple from East Luwu, South Sulawesi, who recently joined our #GrowHer:Kakao 🍫 program. Before joining the program, Irda and Andi managed their farm and household in traditional, separate roles. Through the GALS training (Gender Action Learning System), the couple embraced a new partnership approach. Together, they created an action plan to: 🚜 Involve Irda in decision-making for the farm 🏠 Share childcare and domestic responsibilities 🏦 Manage their finances transparently This transformative experience has empowered Irda and Andi to work as equals, improving both their farm and family life. lnkd.in/gkg4QHcE Through our GrowHer:Kakao initiative, we're empowering nearly 4,000 women in South Sulawesi, Indonesia by enhancing their access to essential resources and opportunities within the cacao value chain! Learn more here: lnkd.in/gRAsvzDK We're proud to collaborate with Mars Wrigley, Save the Children Indonesia, and PISAgro on this transformative journey, supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Chrissa "Borj" Borja Cherry Tadeo-Cunanan Dicky Hasian Zulkarnain Erica Kristel Sale #WomenEmpowerment | #ChampionsofChange | #Indonesia l #GrowHer