CABI News

CABI and the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking a key milestone toward strengthening sustainable and resilient agricultural pathways across Southeast Asia.

Agriculture contributes significantly to Southeast Asia’s economy, with the agri-food sector in five key countries – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam valued at over USD $800 billion in 2021. It continues to play a central role as a global food powerhouse, supporting millions of livelihoods and driving regional development.

In this region, millions of smallholder farmers rely on agriculture not only for income but also for food security and community resilience. However, they are increasingly affected by climate change, biodiversity loss, and market volatility, highlighting the urgent need to transition to more sustainable and inclusive agricultural systems.

Practical, environmentally sustainable solutions

This partnership aims to translate research into practical, environmentally sustainable solutions for farmers. A key priority is empowering women and youth in rural communities, helping them access innovations and take on leadership roles in the region’s sustainable agriculture transition.

Furthermore, the partnership is aligned with CABI’s Medium-Term Strategy which emphasises regional partnerships and long-term development impact while seeking to tackle some of the greatest challenges facing humanity. These include hunger, poverty, gender inequality, climate change and the loss of biodiversity.

Dr Feng Zhang, CABI’s Regional Director, East & Southeast Asia, said, “This partnership is an important step toward our shared mission finding real-world solutions to Southeast Asia’s agricultural and environmental challenges. By combining our strengths, we are creating local strategies that improve farmers’ livelihoods and strengthen food systems across the region.”

Both CABI and CIRAD have been a long-standing presence in Southeast Asia – CABI through its strong implementation networks at its regional office in Malaysia, and CIRAD with its extensive experience in tropical agriculture and research.

Both parties are committed to supporting smallholder farmers in adopting more sustainable practices, particularly through integrated concepts such as One Health, agroecology, and integrated pest management (IPM).

CABI brings complementary strengths through its flagship initiatives Plantwise and PlantwisePlus, which have helped build the capacity of national extension systems, particularly in plant health diagnostics, invasive pest detection, and sustainable crop management.

Sharing knowledge for research and education purposes

Meanwhile CIRAD is a leading organisation in the One Health space and has implemented several research and capacity-building initiatives. One Health promotes integrated approaches that connect human, animal, and environmental health, essential in the face of accelerating ecosystem changes.

Both organizations are at the heart of sharing knowledge for research and education purposes. CABI also plays a leading role in publishing science-based guidance and knowledge products on sustainable crop protection and pesticide risk reduction.

Dr François Roger, CIRAD’s Southeast Asia Regional Director, said, “This MoU is signed very timely to creates new opportunities for meaningful collaboration in the region and beyond. It marks the beginning of a strengthened collaboration, and we look forward to the work and impact we can bring together.”

CABI and CIRAD aim to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to food security (SDG 2), good health and well-being (SDG 3), gender equality (SDG 5), climate action (SDG 13), and life on land (SDG 15).

This strategic agreement reaffirms CABI and CIRAD’s shared commitment to advancing sustainable production systems, protecting biodiversity, reducing crop losses, and promote long-term resilience across Southeast Asia.

CABI and CIRAD colleagues gather as part of the signing of the MoU to collaborate on sustainable resilient agricultural pathways across Southeast Asia. In the photo are (from CIRAD) Dr François Roger, Dr Flavie Goutard (Senior Researcher in Epidemiology and One Health), Dr Kazi Ahmed Kabir (Senior Researcher in Tropical Aquaculture), and Ms Hoai Linh Vo Le (Communication Officer) and (from CABI) Dr Feng Zhang, Dr Arnaud Costa (Crop Health Advisor), Dr Muhammad Faheem (Integrated Crop Management Advisor), and Dr Dao Thi Hang (CABI Associate).

Additional information

Main image: Dr Feng Zhang and Dr François Roger sign the MoU which will see CABI and CIRAD joining forces to strengthen sustainable agriculture in Southeast Asia.