Agenda

The TARASA25 agenda is regularly updated so do not hesitate to come back later and get all updates.

Pre-event:
Policy Dialogue
TARASA25 - Day 1 →
25 November
TARASA25 - Day 2 →
26 November
TARASA25 - Day 3 →
27 November

8:30am-5:00pm
Policy dialogue: Continue moving forward the implementation of the ASEAN Policy Guidelines for Agroecology Transitions

Objectives of the pre-event:

Broaden the regional multistakeholder agroecology coalition and process in support of raising further awareness about the Guidelines and implementation of agroecological transitions,
Discuss how the Guidelines can help better align and strengthen public and private initiatives, create road map and visions,
Explore how best these guidelines can be adapted to and improve national policy frameworks and action plans in the different countries in the region towards sustainable food systems

The outputs from this pre-event will be presented during TARASA25 event

7:00pm-9:00pm
Welcome Cocktail Reception

Welcome Cocktail Reception at DoubleTree by Hilton Vientiane

8:30am-09:40am
Official opening

Welcome remarks (25’)

Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE), Lao PDR (6’)
French Ambassador to Lao PDR and/or Agence Française de Développement (AFD) in Lao PDR (6’)
EU Ambassador to Lao PDR (6’)
FAO Country Representative to Lao PDR (6’)

Opening remarks (15’)

Department of Land Administration and Management (DLAM): objectives of TARASA25 workshop (5’)
LICA Focal Point of Lao PDR: Lao-facilitated Initiative on Agroecology of Lao PDR (LICA) in brief (5’)
HE. Dr. Saruth Chan, CASIC, Cambodia: Reminder and recommendations from TARASA23 Regional Workshop (5’)

Present gifts basket by DLAM for VVIP speakers (MAE Minister, French Ambassador, EU Ambassador, FAO Country Representative to Lao PDR (10’)

Group photo

09:40am-10:20am
Coffee Break & visit of Innovation Fair by guests of honor

Coffee break & visit of Innovation Fair by guests of honor

10:20am-11:50am
Setting the scene

Setting the scene

How Agroecology can contribute to transforming our food systems? keynote speech by Lim Li Ching (30’)
Support to innovations large-scale adoption: the case of Andhra Pradesh Community managed Natural Farming, India; keynote speech by Swati Renduchintala (30’)

Moderated by: Oliver Oliveros, Agroecology Coalition

Q&A session (30’)

11:50am - 1:00pm
Lunch

Lunch time

Visit of Innovation Fair

1:00pm - 2:00pm
Learning from Global Initiatives

Learning from Global Initiatives

The Agroecology Coalition, Oliver Oliveros (15’)
Regen10 network (15’)
COSTEA, Together to face the challenges of irrigated agriculture, Céline Papin (15’)

Moderated by: Pierre Ferrand, FAO

Q&A session (15’)

2:00pm - 3:00pm
Learning from Regional Initiatives

Learning from Regional Initiatives

Agroecology and Safe Food System Transitions (ASSET) project, Estelle Bienabe (CIRAD) and Marie-Christine Lebret (GRET) (15’)
Asian Farmers Association & the Youth agenda for AE (AFA), Esther Penunia (15’)
The Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (CSAM), CSAM representative (15’)

Moderated by: DLAM, LICA team

Q&A session (15’)

3:00pm - 3:20pm
Coffee Break

Coffee Break & Visit of Innovation Fair

3:20pm - 4:30pm
Learning from Key Events in 2025

Learning from key events in 2025 (round table)

Take away messages from UN Food System Summit, Rathana Peou Norbert-Munns (UN FSH)
Lessons learnt from FAO (80 years, 15 years of support to AE), Pierre Ferrand
Lessons learnt from COP30 on Climate, COP30 negotiator
Take away messages from AE TPP Forum, Fergus Sinclair

Moderated by: CIRAD

Open discussion with panelists (30’)

4:30pm - 5:15pm
Wrap up Day 1

Comments/remarks on Day 1 (15’)
Overview of Day 2 agenda - information on field visit & innovation fair awarding (15’)
Appreciation certificates ceremony - Distribution of certificates of appreciation to speakers and moderators (15’)

7:00am-9:00am
Field visits (four locations available)

Field visits (optional) at 4 agricultural and tourism options

Vientiane Organic Market: discover a taste of local life at the Vientiane Organic Market — held at ITECC every Wednesday and Saturday morning.
Meet farmers and producers, shop certified organic fruits, vegetables, herbs, local rice and handmade goods, and enjoy fresh Lao snacks and homemade yogurt. It’s lively, photogenic, and organized yet authentically local.

Notes: Bring cash in small bills and a reusable bag. Perfect for fresh vegetables, unique finds, and friendly interactions with vendors.
Si Saket and Haw Phra Kaew museums: Discover Vientiane’s living history — two landmarks
Wat Si Saket — The Temple of a Thousand Buddhas Step into Lao resilience: built in 1818 and miraculously preserved, Wat Si Saket’s cloister holds over 6,800 Buddha images in wood, stone and bronze. Experience a serene, active monastery that blends Lao and early Bangkok architecture.

Hor Phrakeo— Royal Art and Heritage Once home to the Emerald Buddha, Hor Phrakeo is now a museum of Laos’ finest religious art. Rebuilt on the original royal foundations, it showcases gilded thrones, stone steles, wood carvings and bronze Buddhas amid peaceful gardens.

Note: photography in the main hall is usually restricted.

Visit both sites across the street from each other in the heart of Vientiane — a compact, powerful glimpse into Laos’ royal and spiritual past. Perfect for culture lovers, photographers, and history seekers.
Pha That Luang: literally the "Great Stupa", is the single most important national monument and the most sacred Buddhist site in Laos.
The stupa is a massive, towering structure (45 meters high) with a unique pyramidal shape. The soaring central spire is covered in real gold leaf, while the main body is painted a stunning golden color, creating an overwhelming impression of splendor.

Plan respectfully: cover shoulders and knees while on site.
Traditional Lao Silk Resident: Discover the elegance of Lao textile heritage at the Traditional Lao Silk Residence.
It is housed in the historic Hor Kham Residence beside the Presidential Palace. The residence presents a curated exhibition tracing continuity and change in weaving techniques, motifs, and cultural meaning—revealing the technical mastery and regional diversity of Lao silk.

Open daily. Located on Quai Fa Ngum Road, Ban Xiengyeung, Chanthabuly District, Vientiane Capital.

Facilitated by: ALiSEA network and Vientiane capital PAFO

9:00am - 10:30am
Parallel Session 1: Technologies, innovations & development, and practice changes

Advancing Agroecology in Northern Laos: Sustainable Silvopastoral Interventions and Incentive Mechanisms for Food System Transformation, Simone Vongkhamho, NAFRI (15')
Agro-ecology transition in action for the Myanmar Paddy smallholder producers, Yadanar Win, GRET (15')
Enhancing agroecology and circular economy through increased crop-livestock integration in Northwestern Vietnam, Trung Nguyen, NIAS (15')
Living labs for co-generation of innovations in a changing world as a foundation for agroecology transitions, Sieglinde Snapp, CIMMYT (15')

Moderated by: Irish Baguilat, AFA

Q&A session (30’)

9:00am - 10:30am
Parallel Session 2: Approaches to evaluation and metrics

Disentangling the causes of grain yield variability in rice cropping systems in Preah Vihear Province, Cambodia - Myriam ADAM, CIRAD
Advancing Regenerative Agriculture through Metrics: The Composite Nature Positive Index (CNPI) Methodological Framework, Mansi Tripathi, IWMI
Measuring Agroecological Performance and Multidimensional Sustainability of Agrosilvopastoral Farming Systems of Indigenous Communities in Kerala, India using FAO’s TAPE, Shweta Sharma, SES, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
Analyzing pathways to agroecological change in Northern Laos, Jean-Christophe Castella, IRD

Moderated by: Fergus Sinclair, Agroecology TPP

Q&A session (30’)

10:30am-10:45am
Coffee break

Coffee break and visit of innovation fair

10:45am-12:15am
Parallel Session 1 (cont'd): Technologies, innovations & development, and practice changes

Learning from Piloting Territorial Branding for Agroecological Transitions in Vietnam, CIRAD (15')
Quantification of Ecosystem Services in Tea-Based Agroforestry Systems in Northern Laos, Khamboua Keovilay, PAFO XKG (15')
Scale-appropriate agricultural machinery for advancing regenerative and agroecological farming across ASEAN, Powell Mponela, CIMMYT (15')
Do N₂O emissions undermine the climate benefits of soil organic C sequestration in long-term cassava-based conservation agriculture in Cambodia? Vira Leng, GDA, MAFF (15')

Moderated by: Philippe Tixier, dP ASEA

Q&A session (30’)

10:45am-12:15am
Parallel Session 2 (cont'd): Approaches to evaluation and metrics

Holistic System Assessment to Support Agroecological Transitions in Asia, Sandhya Kumar, CIFOR-ICRAF (15')
Initiating the food systems transformation through national food systems assessment: case studies of countries under food systems transformation transect in ASEAN, Pham Thi Mai Huong, Alliance Bioversity and CIAT (15')
Investigating Agroecology Performance for Economic Efficiency Among Household Farming in Cambodia, Dany Meas, ECOLAND (15')
Outcome Harvesting in the ASSET Project, Outcome Harvesting Team (15')

Moderated by: Dao The Anh, dP MALICA

Q&A session (30’)

12:15am-1:30pm
Lunch

Lunch

1:30pm-3pm
Parallel Session 3: Supporting skills development and knowledge sharing

ALiSEA Network: Engaging members in sustainability journey and widespread adoption of agroecology, Sovann PAT, ALiSEA-GRET
Cultivating Change: Integrating Agroecology in Himalayan Schools for Resilience and Learning, Krishna Prasad Paudel, CEPP
Developing Natural Farming Villages through a Network of Farmers in Himachal, India - Devinder Kumar Sadana, ILSI
SeqCOI, a decision support tool for calculating and mapping GHG balances of the land use sector at territorial level: study case in northern Cambodia, Phy Chhin, GDA

Moderated by: François Enten, GRET

Q&A session (30’)

1:30pm-3pm
Parallel Session 4: Market and value chains

A Scalable Framework for Agroecological Transitions: Insights from India’s Landscape-Based Planning Initiative, Vibhusha Gupta, CAT
Dei Meas: Exploring financial mechanisms for farmers transition to agroecology, Pierre-Antoine VERNET, Swisscontact
E-commerce and Market Transformations for Agroecological Products in Vietnam, Michael Bruckert, CIRAD
Evaluating Contractual Relationships and Certification Processes in Cambodian Organic Rice Value Chains: example of Preah Vihear province, Kim Lan, CIRAD

Moderated by: Setha Rath, Swisscontact

Q&A session (30’)

3pm-3:15pm
Coffee break

Coffee break and visit of innovation fair

3:15pm-4:45pm
Parallel Session 3 (cont'd): Supporting skills development and knowledge sharing

Knowledge, Narrative, and Networks: The Pha Khao Lao Approach to Raising Awareness on Agrobiodiversity, Albrecht Ehrensperger, CDE
Reclaiming Wisdom, Restoring Balance: Agroecology Transitions and Resilient Livelihoods through "The Forest Dialogue" in Myanmar, Theint Zar Zar Aung, PMM
Scaling Nature-Based Solutions and Indigenous Knowledge for Agroecological Transition and Resilient Livelihoods in Northern Vietnam, Ho Ngoc Son, TN UAF
Transforming Agroecology Training for Youth: Digital Approaches and Interdisciplinary Engagement in Cambodia, Raphaëlle DUCROT, CIRAD

Moderated by: Teky Vishy, APAARI

Q&A session (30’)

3:15pm-4:45pm
Parallel Session 4 (cont'd): Market and value chains

Himalayan Agroecology Initiative: Pathways towards agroecological food systems, Ingrid Fritsche, WFC (15')
Organizational innovations to boost the availability of safe and healthy vegetable in local markets in Cambodia, Elise PERNICENI, GRET (15')
Results of an Analysis on the Potential for GAP and AE Integration to Promote more RAI and Agrifood Systems in the Mekong, Thiphavong Boupha, LEI (15')
Service Model for agricultural machinery -scaling regenerative and agroecological farming across ASEAN, CIMMYT (15')

Moderated by: Sayvisene Boualom, NUoL

Q&A session (30’)

4:45pm-5:00pm
Appreciation Certificates Ceremony

Distribution of certificates of appreciation to speakers and moderators (15’)

5:00pm-5:30pm
Poster Session

Poster session showcasing scientific and practical innovations in agroecology and food systems

8:30am-9:00am
Wrap up Day 2

Synthesis from Session 1 to 4 (sessions moderators, 30’)

9:00am-10:00am
Session 5: Financing

Round table with public and private donors and impact investors

Moderated by: AFD

10:00am-10:20am
Coffee break

Coffee break

10:20am-11:20am
Session 5: Financing (Cont'd)

Round table with public and private donors and impact investors

Moderated by: AFD

11:20am-12:00am
Innovation Fair Awarding

Feedback on innovation fair and reward of 3 best innovations as elected by participants (Mentimeter)

12:00am-1:00pm
Lunch

Lunch

1:00pm-1:20pm
Launching of ALiSEA Knowledge Hub

Launching of ALiSEA Knowledge Hub

Moderated by Albrecht Ehrensperger, CDE

1:20pm - 3:20pm
Session 6: Public policies

Round table with representatives of ASEAN and non-ASEAN countries

Moderated by: ASEAN Policy Guidelines for Agroecology Transitions team

3:20pm - 3:40pm
Coffee break

Coffee break

3:40pm - 4:40pm
Plenary Discussions

Opportunities and ways forwards for enhanced collaboration and partnership in the Asia Pacific region to promote food systems transformation through agroecology and regenerative agriculture

Moderated by: Mekong Young Organic network