South Asia is one of the most climate-vulnerable regions, and while resilience is critical, it has its limits, said Director, South Asia, IFPRI, Dr. Shahidur Rashid.
Dr. Rashid was speaking at a high-level Policy Forum of future SAARC Agriculture sector in the Maldives which explored Scaling Up Climate-Smart Agriculture for Sustainable Growth in South Asia.
“We need to work together to find solutions. Our research outputs must be rigorous, relevant, and timely to make a tangible difference,” he said.
The two-day workshop brought together researchers, experts, policymakers and farmers from SAARC member states, including Sri Lanka. The forum’s key objective is to support the scaling up Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies to ensure sustainable agricultural growth and food security across the region.
“There is a pressing need to develop sustainable agricultural practices that address farmers’ needs, market access issues, and promote regional cooperation said Director of the SAARC Agriculture Centre, Dr. Harunur Rashid.
Dr. Harunur said that numerous CSA technologies have been tested and prioritised across the region. Dr. Rashid also highlighted the need for a paradigm shift in agricultural programming.
Lead Regional Economist – Asia and the Pacific Region, IFAD Abdelkarim Sma, said that the CSA is now a necessity, not an option. “The C-SUCSeS consortium aims to move beyond small-scale interventions to large-scale solutions that can be deployed effectively across the region,” he said.
Minister of State for Agriculture and Animal Welfare of the Maldives, Ahmed Hassan Didi, also underscored the importance of fostering regional cooperation.
“By encouraging policy alignment and fostering dialogue, we can build resilient agricultural ecosystems that support growth, food security, and sustainability,” he said.
Dr. Aishath Rameela, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Welfare of the Maldives, the Chief Guest highlighted the importance of cross-country collaboration in addressing the climate impacts on agriculture and highlighted the importance of cross-country collaboration in addressing the climate impacts on agriculture:
A central theme discussed was the need to empower smallholder farmers, particularly women, by promoting the uptake of CSA technologies to mitigate food insecurity and poverty.
The event was organised by the Consortium for Scaling-up Climate-Smart Agriculture in South Asia (C-SUCSeS), a joint initiative between the SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and SAARC Development Fund (SDF), in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare, Republic of Maldives.
