ASTI is pleased to announce a new joint project with the Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI) to collect, analyze, and disseminate data on agricultural research in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The project, which is funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, launched last week at a workshop in Bangkok.

APAARI and IFPRI staff at the project launch

In addition to expanding ASTI's work to a new region of the world, the project places a particular emphasis on country ownership: building capacity for policy-relevant analysis as well as dissemination and advocacy activities to ensure uptake of key messages at national and regional levels. The project will be led primarily by APAARI, with the ASTI/IFPRI team providing backstopping support.

Participating countries in the new project include Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

“We hope to build a solid foundation for the long-term monitoring of agricultural research investment and capacity in the region,” said Norah Omot, program manager for the project.