To mark the UN-designated International Year of Cooperatives 2025 and the International Day of Cooperatives (CoopsDay), ICA-Asia and Pacific and Heifer International Asia jointly launched the regional awareness campaign, ‘Seeding Strength: Empowering Farmer Cooperatives in Asia’, through a virtual event held on 9 July 2025. The webinar, titled “Building a Better World: How Farmer Cooperatives Drive Equity, Access, and Sustainability,” brought together regional leaders, cooperative champions, and international organisations to reflect on the transformative power of agricultural cooperatives.

In her keynote address, Ms. Neena Joshi, Senior Vice President of Heifer International Asia, stressed the urgent need to reimagine food systems by placing smallholder farmers at the centre. She noted that cooperatives not only amplify farmers’ voices but also enhance their access to markets and decision-making spaces. ICA-AP Regional Director, Mr. Balu Iyer, underscored the importance of cooperatives as people-centred enterprises rooted in solidarity and mutual responsibility. In an era marked by climate volatility, growing inequality, and diminishing development aid, cooperatives, he said, offer a sustainable and inclusive model for transformation.

Mr. Aziz Arya, Regional Policy and Programme Officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), echoed these sentiments and linked cooperative development to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. He emphasised the need for greater investment in and policy support for agri-cooperatives, particularly those led by smallholders, women, and youth.

The expert panel discussion featured insights from grassroots leaders and practitioners across the region. Ms. Rith Chantha, Chairwoman of the Southeast Upland Agricultural Cooperative (SEUAC) in Cambodia, shared how women-led cooperatives are promoting resilience through greenhouse farming, solar-powered water systems, and climate education. She reminded the audience that “all women have the ability to lead, if only given the chance.” Ms. Altantuya Tseden-Ish from the National Association of Mongolian Agricultural Cooperatives, and former Chairperson of the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA), spoke about the challenges of pastoral cooperatives in Mongolia, calling for global recognition of farmers not just as beneficiaries, but as solution providers in the climate fight.

From Bangladesh, Ms. Nooron Nahar of Heifer International illustrated how women-led cooperatives are helping members overcome dependency on middlemen, embrace climate-smart agriculture, and become recognised community leaders. Representing India, Mr. Chetan Joshi, Managing Director of Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited (BBSSL), highlighted the success of India’s farmer-owned seed cooperative in improving access, enhancing profit-sharing, and fostering youth participation in agriculture. “Cooperatives,” he said, “combine business, purpose, and ownership.”

The event served as a powerful reminder of the critical role that farmer cooperatives play in shaping sustainable, equitable, and resilient food systems. Through this campaign, ICA-AP and Heifer International aim to amplify stories of impact, strengthen regional collaboration, and reinforce the message that collective action by farmers is essential to building a better world.

The ‘Seeding Strength’ campaign will continue through 2025 as part of the celebrations for the International Year of Cooperatives.