GrowAsia conducted its Partners’ Advisory Council meeting on February 13, 2025, via Zoom and Co-Chaired by Dr. Kanchana Wanichkorn of the ASEAN Secretariat and Ms. Marlene Ramirez, AsiaDHRRA’s Secretary-General.

The gathering discussed the rapid transformation of the development funding landscape and the increasing financing demand for climate resilience, food security, and sustainable agriculture.  It also highlighted the challenges identified, such as over-reliance on bilateral grants, complementing private-sector engagement while remaining focused on SDG targets, and ensuring financial sustainability without being donor-dependent.

With an emphasis on the development of proactive diversified funding strategies, evolving opportunities were similarly recognized during the meeting, which underlines the role of philanthropy in accelerating impact and new approaches for de-risking, such as capital and smart blended finance.  Lastly, the assembly looks forward to COP30 for GrowAsia members to play an active role as convenors, sponsors, and partners.  Collective efforts on deep-dive discussions, consultations, and stakeholder collaboration expect significant outputs to present in COP30 and reflect the region’s commitment to transforming food systems.