Representatives from 20 countries across the Asia-Pacific region attend the TARASA25 in Vientiane on Tuesday.

TARASA25 advances agroecology, regenerative agriculture across Asia-Pacific

Vientiane is currently hosting a major international workshop aimed at accelerating the transition towards sustainable food systems across the Asia-Pacific region.
The event, “Transitioning Towards Agroecology and Regenerative Agriculture: A Contribution to Food Systems Transformation (TARASA25)”, is taking place from November 25-27 and brings together 230 experts, policymakers, farmers, youth leaders and civil society and private-sector representatives from 20 countries across the region.
Together, participants are exploring how agroecological and regenerative practices can transform food systems toward greater resilience, equity, and sustainability.

Participants visit stalls displaying agricultural products.

The event, organised by the LICA (Lao Facilitated-Initiative on Agroecology for ASEAN), is supported by the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in collaboration with key regional and international partners and is financed by the Agence Française de Développement, the European Union, and the French Facility for Global Environment.
Highlights include plenary sessions, thematic workshops, and policy dialogues addressing transitions to agroecology and regenerative agriculture, as well as a regional call for abstracts to showcase innovative field practices, research findings, and policy approaches.
Networking events foster collaboration across countries, sectors, and generations, and a pre-event on November 24 highlighted the ASEAN Agroecology Guidelines.
Speaking at the opening of the event, Laos’ Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment, Dr Saynakhone Inthavong, said “Today’s workshop offers an invaluable platform to advance from policy formulation to practical implementation. It provides a timely opportunity to deepen cooperation, strengthen funding mechanisms, enhance public-private collaboration, and identify concrete actions to accelerate the scaling of agroecology and regenerative agricultural systems across the region.”
Emphasising the support of France for this regional effort, the French Ambassador to Laos, Mrs Bénédicte Deschamps, said “The transition towards agroecology agri-food systems has demonstrated its effectiveness over the past decades and is now embracing global recognition. We will continue to strengthen this momentum by promoting the integration of agroecological practices and research both within projects and across broader policy frameworks.”
Ambassador of the EU to Laos, Mr Mark Gallagher, added “Agroecology is essential for Laos’ green growth path. It improves soil health, biodiversity, and climate resilience while reducing chemical dependence and strengthening rural livelihoods. TARASA25 brings these efforts together, connecting farmers, researchers, policymakers, and the private sector to turn policy commitments into real practice.”
Pioneering the work in agroecology across Southeast Asia, the ASSET project stresses the importance of convening a regional platform to push for greater impacts.
ASSET General Coordinator, GRET, Marie-Christine Lebret, said “We want food and agricultural systems in Southeast Asia to be safer, more sustainable, and more inclusive. We place agroecology in the centre of that transformation. Through ASSET, we are collaboratively building solutions that prove this evolution is feasible. TARASA25 is an essential platform to scale these solutions across Southeast Asia.”
ASSET Scientific Coordinator, CIRAD, Dr Mélanie Blanchard, added “Advancing agroecology transitions in the region requires placing farmers at the centre, co-designing locally driven innovation processes, valuing diverse forms of knowledge, and renewing research approaches that are forward-looking, context-specific, and solution-oriented.”
“Scaling up these processes calls for stronger links between research, education, and extension services; enhancing knowledge exchange and multi-stakeholder networks; promoting interventions across scales from farm to fork, with stronger engagement at the territorial level; and feeding evidence into policy dialogue and formulation.”
TARASA25 serves as a regional platform for learning, partnership-building, and joint action towards a shared vision of sustainable agriculture and food systems in the Asia-Pacific.
As food and agriculture systems across the Asia-Pacific face mounting pressures from climate change, biodiversity loss, and inequality, TARASA25 is a timely and critical initiative.
It offers a tangible pathway to address these challenges by promoting ecological health, social equity, and economic resilience, serving as the necessary convergence point for all stakeholders committed to accelerating this fundamental transformation.

By Times Reporters
(Latest Update November 27, 2025)