FAO and Grow Asia renew partnership to advance gender equality, climate resilience, digital transformation, and SME engagement in policy dialogues in the Asia-Pacific

2/12/2025, Bangkok/Singapore - To accelerate agrifood systems transformation across Asia and the Pacific, a renewed five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Grow Asia. Building on the achievements of the first MoU (2021–2024), the partnership will further strengthen the resilience, inclusiveness, and sustainability of smallholder agriculture in the region.

FAO and Grow Asia have maintained a strong and productive collaboration over recent years, bringing together FAO’s technical expertise and Grow Asia’s extensive multistakeholder network spanning six country partnerships and more than 775 partners. The joint initiatives have strengthened agricultural value chains, promoted responsible investment, and enhanced the engagement of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in transforming agrifood systems.

A virtual signing ceremony for the renewed MoU was held on 1 December at 12:00 PM Bangkok time. During the event, Mr. Alue Dohong, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, and Ms. Beverley Postma, Executive Director of Grow Asia, shared their remarks on the continued partnership.

In his remarks, Mr. Alue Dohong, FAO, said that “FAO welcomes this new chapter of collaboration with Grow Asia to advance digital transformation, climate resilience, women’s empowerment, and inclusive financing, key drivers to supporting smallholder farmers and agrifood Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) who form the backbone of food security in this region.”

Under this MoU, FAO and Grow Asia will work closely to advance gender equality and women’s economic empowerment by strengthening women’s access to skills, resources, leadership opportunities, and markets across agricultural value chains. The partnership will also help countries build climate resilience and expand access to sustainable financing through climate-smart agricultural models, enabling policies, and financing mechanisms that benefit farmers, cooperatives, and agrifood SMEs.

Sharing her remarks, Grow Asia’s Executive Director Beverley Postma welcomed this new chapter in the partnership. She stated, “Strengthening Asia’s agrifood systems demands both global expertise and field-level insight, and that’s exactly what this partnership brings. By uniting FAO’s global capabilities with Grow Asia’s deep regional networks and on-farm expertise, we can accelerate climate resilience, unlock sustainable financing, and drive inclusive digital innovation for the farmers and rural enterprises that lie at the heart of the region’s agri-food economy.”

The collaboration will also accelerate the digital transformation of agrifood systems by enhancing digital literacy, expanding digital advisory services, strengthening data ecosystems, and fostering innovation among SMEs and agritech startups. In addition, FAO and Grow Asia will intensify efforts to elevate private sector participation, especially SMEs in policy dialogue, ensuring that national and regional agrifood policies are inclusive, evidence-based, and aligned with the priorities of Member Nations across the region.

Leveraging FAO’s technical expertise with Grow Asia’s regional networks and multi-stakeholder platforms, the partnership will drive progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals while enhancing food security and resilience.