Grow Asia Agriculture Forum opens today

MANILA, Philippines - Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala will deliver the welcome remarks at the opening plenary of the Grow Asia Agriculture Forum today (May 21, 2014) at the New World Hotel in Makati City, in a run-up to the 23rd World Economic Forum on East Asia.

Around 150 government, business and thought leaders – including agriculture ministers from other Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia – are expected to explore ways to accelerate sustainable agricultural growth and achieve food security through market-based multistakeholder initiatives, under WEF’s New Vision for Agriculture (NVA) framework.

Through its NVA initiative, WEF has been bringing together agents from private, public and civil sectors to work on market-based solutions to the development of inclusive and sustainable agriculture in the region.

Spotlight is on Southeast Asia, one of the world’s most economically dynamic regions and also home to vast numbers of the poor. The inaugural staging of Grow Asia will therefore serve as a venue for experts and stakeholders to explore opportunities for investment and partnership for agri-fishery development in Southeast Asia and will also serve as a venue where participants can share best practices and innovations.

 â€œWe each face the emerging challenge of globalization of markets, climate change, dwindling natural resources and growing population in our march towards sustainable prosperity and a food-secure future,” Secretary Alcala said. “To prevail over this challenge, we must respond with greater synergy to the realities they present.  And we must do so in a manner that benefits our smallholder food producers through innovative approaches and strategies.”

Grow Asia will include sessions on what it calls “key enablers to agricultural development,” such as Raising Farm Productivity; Applying Innovative Financing Models; Increasing Efficiency in Food Value Chains; Developing Climate-Smart Agriculture; Strengthening the Enabling Environment; and Leveraging Information and Communication Technology.

Grow Asia is an adjunct event of the 23rd WEF on East Asia, which runs through May 21-23, 2014 at the Shangri-La Hotel, also in Makati.