Multi-stakeholder engagement in Asia to support scaling of innovations: Report on the PAASS Implementation process

Flor, Rica Joy; San Valentin, Mary Rose; Pen, Navith; Peramaiyan, Panneerselvam; Pangesti, Nurmi; Castilla, Nancy; Casimero, Madonna

Multi-stakeholder engagement in Asia to support scaling of innovations: Report on the PAASS Implementation process

Autores

Flor, Rica Joy

San Valentin, Mary Rose

Pen, Navith

Peramaiyan, Panneerselvam

Pangesti, Nurmi

Castilla, Nancy

Casimero, Madonna

Editor

International Rice Research Institute

Descripción

"The Excellence in agronomy initiative established platforms to accelerate the scaling of agronomic innovations. In Asia, two platforms were catalyzed in 2022-24, in Cambodia and Vietnam. These were linked to the Direct Seeded Rice Consortium and were thus focused on mechanized direct seeding. The platforms, called Partnerships for Advancing agricultural Solutions at Scale (PAASS) converged various stakeholders relevant to scaling the innovations including government policymakers, extension agents, machine manufacturers, service providers, and farmer groups. Moving forward in 2025, the Sustainable Farming Science Program shifted its focus, and hence the expansion of the platforms and potential engagement at regional level is being explored. The PAASS in Cambodia and Vietnam is being reshaped into a regional partnership network which may include other countries in Southeast Asia including the Philippines. Moreover, the innovations relevant in the PAASS has expanded beyond mechanized direct seeded rice. In this report, three activities implemented in relation to the PAASS are documents. In 2025, a regional sharing and learning event was held in Varanasi, India where representatives from Southeast Asia and Africa also joined to share learnings about mechanized direct seeding. This event was part of the Direct Seeded Rice Conclave organized through the Direct Seeded Rice Consortium as part of the launch of a major government funded effort to scale direct seeding in Uttar Pradesh, India. Aside from facilitating an exchange of learning, another session is aimed at assessing the relevant stakeholders for PAASS in the Southeast Asia region. In Cambodia, a network mapping and characterization workshop was also done with a focus on pest management and biological control. This assessment potential expands the current PAASS beyond mDSR scaling partners. Lastly, one country where the Sustainable Farming has prioritized and plans to engage in is the Philippines. In the current work in the country, a stakeholder network mapping was also done to identify relevant stakeholders that could be engaged through the PAASS. His report therefore is a documentation of the various strands of activities implemented to enable a Southeast Asia regional level PAASS for Sustainable Farming."