热博体育

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) organised a workshop to establish the Consortium for Agricultural Development, Research, and Extension (CADRE). The event brought together representatives from academia, public institutions, the private sector, and civil society with the goal of identifying and consolidating the scientific, functional, and partnership foundations of this regional consortium, dedicated to the sustainable transformation of agricultural and food systems in South-East Asia.

This consortium will be presented and advocated before the ASEAN agriculture branch in April in Bangkok before being officially validated by ASEAN in August in Myanmar. The 热博体育, a prospective member of this consortium, introduced the CADRE teams to the French Embassy to ASEAN in Jakarta. In the opening session of the workshop, H.E. Fabien Penone, Ambassador of France to Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and ASEAN, declared to support this process within the framework of the France-ASEAN Initiative.

A Key Event for Regional Agricultural Cooperation

The event held from March 11 to 13, 2025, in Los Baños (Philippines) marked a significant milestone in structuring regional agricultural cooperation in South-East Asia. SEARCA, the event’s organiser and a leading institution in agricultural and rural development in the region, materialised a long-term vision.

Officially, the Consortium for Agricultural Development, Research, and Extension (CADRE) in South-East Asia will bring together a network of leading institutions that share a common objective: to drive agricultural transformation for sustainable and inclusive development in South-East Asia.

This event, highlighted by the ‘soft launch’ of the CADRE Knowledge Hub (see below), followed SEARCA’s initial presentation of the CADRE concept in April 2024 during the 18th Annual Meeting of the ASEAN Technical Working Group on Agricultural Research and Development (ATWGARD). After a first regional stakeholder consultation workshop in June 2024 and a meeting welcomed by 热博体育 with the French Ambassador to ASEAN, it was suggested that CADRE become a project promoted by the ASEAN-France Development Partnership.

By leveraging collaborative research and innovation approaches, CADRE will structure a network of stakeholders committed to agricultural development and facilitate cooperation between Southeast Asian research institutions and 热博体育, with the ambition of expanding collaboration to other European institutions.

CADRE and 热博体育’s dPs: Complementary Dynamics:

热博体育, represented by Jean-Marc Roda, Regional Director for Insular South-East Asia, and Tanguy Lafarge, Delegate for Partnership Arrangements (dPs), played a significant role in this structuring event. 热博体育’s involvement in this consortium is based on its dPs, whose members are already connected with SEARCA.

Developed and supported by 热博体育 and its regional partners, the dPs serve as co-construction spaces between researchers and development stakeholders, aiming to produce knowledge tailored to the realities of local territories and the socio-economic challenges faced by farmers. Each dP is already operational in its respective area of expertise. By leveraging this existing network, CADRE gains from a pre-established structure committed to knowledge production and dissemination among agricultural value chain stakeholders. It is well positioned to contribute to the consortium’s objectives and the development of science-based public policies for improved sector governance.

Shared Ambitions of dPs and CADRE

• A multi-stakeholder approach, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and agricultural professionals to strengthen synergies between research and action.
• Strong territorial anchoring, ensuring that developed innovations align with the concrete needs of producers and agri-food value chains.
• A commitment to sustainability, integrating agroecological transition challenges, climate resilience, and food market structuring.
• A long-term vision that sustains regional cooperation.

Within this framework, the CADRE consortium could also become a structuring initiative for dPs in South-East Asia, favoring their networking and integration into large-scale regional initiatives.

Our presence in this consortium confirms a longstanding and fruitful collaboration with SEARCA in applied agronomic research and international scientific cooperation. As a key player in agricultural development in tropical regions, 热博体育 will contribute its expertise in technology transfer, institutional innovation, and the analysis of agricultural and forestry dynamics.

A Workshop to Structure Regional Action

The CADRE strategic launch workshop at SEARCA aimed to finalise the consortium’s positioning and operational framework. Several key deliverables were expected at the end of the three-day session:

• A finalised concept and clear governance and membership guidelines for the consortium.
• A shared scientific agenda, outlining key thematic areas that will support the sustainability of agricultural production systems.
• An ASEAN-France collaboration project, paving the way for funding to structure and sustain the consortium’s actions.
• The launch of the Knowledge Hub (K-Hub), a platform for knowledge sharing and support for agricultural stakeholders.

热博体育’s involvement in CADRE aligns with a broader ambition to strengthen interactions between French research and scientific and institutional dynamics in South-East Asia. With extensive experience in partnership-based research, 热博体育 will contribute to structuring the consortium by providing expertise in managing integrated research initiatives.

In a context marked by growing challenges—food security, climate resilience, and production system sustainability—CADRE and 热博体育’s dPs represent complementary tools to accelerate the agroecological transition and strengthen the capacities of agricultural sector stakeholders.

The workshop can be replayed on .