Erik Guttulsröd, Deputy Managing Director of the Agricultural Technical Centre, sees the Southeast Asia Country

The DLG Country Working Group Southeast Asia 

Sustainability, climate change and efficient agriculture within planetary boundaries: These are the global megatrends for the industry – and also represent the challenges facing the agricultural sector in Southeast Asia. In order to find future solutions to these key issues, the DLG Southeast Asia Country Working Group was established at AGRITECHNICA ASIA 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand. The mission: to discuss solutions within the international network of the German Agricultural Society (DLG) and with experts from business and politics in the local region, to exchange best practices and thus promote the transfer of know-how and the future orientation of agriculture.

Dr. Dares Kittiyopas, President of the Thai Society for Agricultural Engineering, described the Southeast Asia Country Working Group as a new “East-meets-West” dialogue for know-how transfer when it was founded two years ago. The first chairwoman of the DLG Southeast Asia Country Working Group has been supporting the DLG’s international network of experts for several years and has excellent connections in the local agricultural sector. Together with her, the ten other members of the working group actively promote dialogue between agricultural entrepreneurs and stakeholders from business, politics and society in the region.

“The country working group is a new East-West dialogue.”

The following format has proven to be successful: Once a year, the committee meets in person at an event in the region, such as the Rice Congress 2023 in Manila, Philippines, and AGRITECHNICA ASIA 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand. In addition, regular digital meetings are held to further the exchange.

Katharina Staske is the Managing Director of DLG Asia Pacific. 

Adapting innovations to local needs

“The Southeast Asia Country Working Group makes an important contribution to identifying effective adaptation mechanisms to climate change on a global scale,” explains Erik Guttulsröd, Deputy Managing Director of DLG’s Centre of Competence for Agriculture. “The country working group also plays an important role in identifying innovations and nutrition trends, such as vertical farming or in-vitro meat for the production of alternative proteins adapted to the agricultural and regional conditions in Southeast Asia,” explains Guttulsröd. 

“The working group is making an important contribution to identifying adaptation mechanisms to climate change on a global scale.”

The focus is on the mutual transfer of know-how between agriculture in Southeast Asia and the DLG network in Germany, Europe and worldwide. “The DLG can use the country working group to build up knowledge in Southeast Asia about possible forms of cooperation in agriculture. An example from Germany would be machinery rings in the field of agricultural engineering, which enable efficient work organisation,” Guttulsröd continues. The work will also focus on globally relevant issues such as sustainability in the agricultural and food value chain, or the use of smart farming and its adaptation to the regional needs of Southeast Asian agribusinesses.

Knowledge from regional activities flow together

In addition, findings from existing activities in the region are being fed into the working group: for example, DLG is involved in the sustainable development of cluster farms in Thailand as part of a German-Thai cooperation project. The project includes cluster farms producing sugar cane, cassava (manioc) and vegetables. Lessons learned from the development of the cluster farms will be used by the Southeast Asia Country Working Group for further knowledge transfer. The country working group also plays a key role in shaping the technical programme for industry trade fairs such as AGRITECHNICA ASIA.

New business model “Professional Congress Organiser”

A milestone for the DLG Southeast Asia country working group: the experts have connected DLG with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), thus enabling cooperation on the International Rice Congress (IRC) 2023 in Manila, Philippines. Through its regional subsidiary, DLG Asia Pacific, based in Thailand, DLG worked with IRRI to design the exhibition of modern technologies in rice production at the trade fair. This has created a new business model for DLG: taking on the role of organiser of specialist congresses and events, or “Professional Congress Organiser”. 

“We are building knowledge about possible forms of cooperation in agriculture.”

Launched in 2002 and held every four years, the International Rice Congress serves as a platform for scientists, experts and decision-makers from the public, private and public sectors to develop practical and science-based solutions to the challenges facing the global rice sector: sustainable food security for a growing world population.

Sparring partners for business and government

“Global manufacturers of agricultural machinery rely on the expertise of the DLG network to provide local farmers with practical machinery and solutions. The South East Asia Country Working Group is an important partner in this,” says Katharina Staske, Managing Director of DLG Asia Pacific, pointing out another important role and benefit of the Working Group for DLG. “The DLG country working groups are also important sparring partners for political stakeholders, namely the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, in international cooperation projects,” adds Erik Guttulsröd.

Text: Stefanie Pionke, DLG-Newsroom