Welcome Address

Mrs. Cao Xuan Thu Van

President, Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA)

Dr. Xuan Thu Van Cao has extensive leadership experience in journalism, youth organizations, provincial government, and national institutions. She served as Secretary of the Bac Lieu City Youth Union, Vice Chairman of the Bac Lieu Provincial People’s Council, and Vice Chairman of the Bac Lieu Provincial People’s Committee. Subsequently, she held senior positions at the Vietnam Farmers’ Union before being elected President of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance in 2023. She was named National Emulation Fighter in 2011 and awarded the Third-class (2011) and Second-class (2023) Labor Orders.

Inaugural Address

Mr. Balasubramanian Iyer

Regional Director, ICA-AP

Mr. Balu Iyer has over 30 years of experience in managing international development operations, overseeing multiple country offices, and building new offices from the ground up. He worked in India in cooperative development before moving abroad to work on Asian regional concerns for overseas agencies in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. Previously, he worked with the Aga Khan Rural Support Program, ActionAid India, International Development Exchange and the Asia Foundation. He holds a master’s degree in public policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at U.C. Berkeley, U.S.A., a Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Management from the Institute of Rural Management at Anand, India, and a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from NIT Durgapur, India.

Special Address

Ms. Chitose Arai

President, Japanese Consumers’ Co-operative Union (JCCU) | Chairperson, ICA-AP Committee on Women

Ms. Chitose Arai is the Chairperson of ICA-AP Committee on Women and member of the ICA-AP Regional Board. She has been involved in the cooperative movement of Japan for more than 30 years. Currently, she serves as the President of the Japanese Consumers’ Co-operative Union (JCCU), a national federation of consumer cooperatives with more than 30 million individual members. She is also the Former President of Co-op Mirai, the largest consumer cooperative in Japan.

Video Message

Mr. Andreas Kappes

Director, International Cooperation at DGRV

Andreas Kappes is the Secretary General of the International Raiffeisen Union (IRU), a position he has held since 2014, and concurrently serves as the Head of the International Relations Department at the German Cooperative and Raiffeisen Association (DGRV). An economist by training, he began his career in the German cooperative movement in 1994 and has been a Member of the Board at Cooperatives Europe since 2017. In his role, he oversees cooperative development programs in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Mediterranean, and frequently represents the IRU at international forums, advocating for cooperative principles and women’s economic empowerment. 

Keynote Address

Mr. Vinod Ahuja

FAO Representative, Vietnam

Dr. Vinod Ahuja has been appointed as the FAOR Representative in Viet Nam with effect from 3 June 2025. Dr. Ahuja is a recognized professional in agricultural policy and food systems transformation, with over 30 years of experience in strategic leadership, policy advisory, and sustainable agrifood development. He joined the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in August 2009 as Livestock Policy Officer at the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok. From August 2018 to September 2024, he served as FAO Representative in Mongolia, and from September 2024 to March 2025, he held the position of FAO Representative ad interim for China, Mongolia, and DPRK. Dr. Ahuja began his career in 1994 as a Research Economist at the World Bank in Washington, DC. In 1997, he joined the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, where he held multiple academic positions before becoming a full Professor in 2009. His academic work focused on the impact of policy interventions in agriculture and rural development, often in collaboration with international organizations such as FAO and the World Bank.

Story-Sharing Session – “Harvesting Voices – Women Sharing Their Journeys from the Field”

Ms. Kumi Nishikawa

President, National Women’s Association of Agricultural Cooperatives (JA Zenkoku Joseikyo), Japan

Ms. Kumi Nishikawa is president of JA Zenkoku Joseikyo (National Women’s Association of Agricultural Cooperatives) with 370,000 member women in Japan. “JA” stands for Japanese agricultural cooperatives, which are multi-purpose cooperatives conducting various business/activities for member farmers and local residents. Ms. Nishikawa is an active cooperative leader as well as women farmer producing a wide variety of premium oranges/citrus in her family orchard in Ehime prefecture.

Ms. Yohana Tamara Yunisa

Cacao Advisor, Induk Koperasi Usaha Rakyat (INKUR), Indonesia

Yohana Tamara, known as Ara, is cacao advisor at INKUR and a social entrepreneur from West Kalimantan, Indonesia, with over nine years of experience in value chains, regenerative agriculture, climate resilience, and rural development. Holding a Bachelor’s in Accounting (Swinburne University, Malaysia) and an MSc in Entrepreneurship (University of Liverpool, UK), she specializes in social enterprise and product innovation with non-timber forest products such as cacao. Ara bridges local production and global demand, advancing inclusive, sustainable business models rooted in indigenous culture, local trust, and long-term growth potential, together with agriculture cooperatives under INKUR.

Ms. Dao Thanh Hao

Director, Hao Dat Tea Cooperative, Vietnam

Dao Thanh Hao is the Director of Hao Dat Tea Cooperative and currently serves as Party Cell Secretary of the cooperative. He is also an elected Delegate of the Tan Cuong Commune People’s Council for the 2021–2026 term and holds executive roles in the Thai Nguyen Provincial Farmers’ Association and the Provincial Cooperative Union. Recognized for his contribution to tea culture and cooperative development, he has received the title of Outstanding Entrepreneur of Thai Nguyen Province and has been honoured as a Vietnamese Craft Village Artisan. His work focuses on linking traditional tea production with community tourism and local development.

Ms. Devika Chhetri

Chairperson, Chhukha Sanam Namley Tshogdey Cooperative Ltd, Bhutan

Devika Chhetri is the Chairperson of Chhukha Sanam Namley Tshogdey Cooperative Ltd in Bhutan, where she leads community-driven initiatives focused on sustainable livelihoods. She works closely with indigenous women farmers to promote a cacao agroforestry approach that integrates environmental conservation with income generation. Through her leadership, the cooperative has strengthened local value chains, encouraged climate-resilient farming practices, and created opportunities for women’s economic empowerment in rural communities.

Panel Discussion – “Navigating Constraints: Challenges of Women Cooperative Farmers in a Changing World”

Ms. Kae Mihara

Gender Officer, Food and Agriculture Organization, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, T hailand

Ms. Mihara has been serving as the Gender Officer at the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific since February 2021. In this role, she leads FAO’s efforts to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in agriculture across the Asia and Pacific region. With 25 years of professional experience in international cooperation and development, she has worked extensively across Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. Prior to joining FAO in 2010, she gained experience with non-governmental organizations and Japan’s ODA implementing agencies, including JBIC and JICA, where she served as a Social Development Specialist. During her tenure at FAO, she has held roles within the Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division and the Office of the Director-General in Rome, Italy.

Ms. Kim Euna

General Manager, Youth Farmer Cooperation, Korea

Kim Euna is a General Manager at the Youth Farmer Cooperation under the Youth Farmer School of NongHyup, South Korea. She works closely with young farmers, supporting cooperative initiatives and helping strengthen community-based agriculture. She is engaged in peach farming and brings hands-on experience from the field into her work with farmer groups. Her role involves coordination, mentoring, and promoting sustainable farming practices among youth. Kim Euna has an academic background in both Fine Art and Agriculture, having studied at Pratt Institute in New York and Korea National Open University.

Ms. Pham Thi Minh Hai

Director, Co Chat Silk Cooperative, Vietnam

Ms. Thi Minh Hai Pham is a passionate entrepreneur dedicated to preserving and revitalizing Vietnam’s centuries-old silk-weaving heritage. Born in a traditional silk village in northern Vietnam, she spent 15 years building a career in media and business in Hanoi before returning to her roots to revive the endangered craft. In 2022, she founded the Cổ Chất Silk Cooperative, bringing together master artisans from 11 households to produce 100% handmade silk products that reflect the artistry and legacy of 16 generations of weavers.

Under her leadership, the cooperative’s products have earned 4-star OCOP certification from the Nam Định Provincial People’s Committee, ranked among the top 100 cooperative products nationwide, and received the prestigious 2024 Mai An Tiêm Award for Outstanding Cooperative Product. Today, Cổ Chất Silk stands as a symbol of cultural pride and sustainable craftsmanship, blending tradition with modern enterprise.

Ms. Vu Thi Thu Huong

Vice President, Thai Nguyen Provincial Cooperative Alliance, Vietnam

Photo & Bio Pending

Presentation – Sustainable Practices and Innovation in Agri-food Systems

Ms. Sun Xiao

Strategic Development Manager and Head, Wei Nong Society at Sino-Agri Leading Biosciences Co., Ltd, China

Sun Xiao, Strategic Development Manager and Head of the Wei Nong Society at Sino-Agri Leading Biosciences Co., Ltd., was honored with the prestigious “National Red Banner Pacesetter” award in 2026. Deeply committed to China’s agricultural sector for over a decade, Sun has traveled extensively across the country’s 13 major grain-producing regions. Working intimately on the front lines of farming, she led her team to establish 32 Sino-Agri “Wei Nong” (Serve-the-Farmers) Service Centers. She has effectively solved complex planting challenges for farmers by researching and promoting crop health solutions, innovating agricultural service models, and leading emergency disaster relief efforts. Over the years, her initiatives have serviced a cumulative total of over 15 million mu (approx. 2.47 million acres) of farmland, boosting average grain yields by 15.4%.

Ms. Napaphat Jaroenchotworakun

Head of Business Development, Nongkhanang Credit Union Cooperative, Thailand

Napaphat Jaroenchotworakun is the Head of Business Development at Nongkhanang Credit Union Cooperative in Thailand. She leads innovative, community-based models to strengthen rural livelihoods, integrating Wolffia cultivation, small-scale poultry farming, and farmstay approaches to promote healthy food systems and develop value-added products from local resources.

Gender Profile of Agriculture in Viet Nam: Implications for Cooperative Policy & Comparative Reflections

Ms. Tran Thi Thuy Tien

National Consultant, United Nations Development Programme | Gender Study Country Researcher for Vietnam

Ms. Tran Thi Thuy Tien, holding a master’s degree in international development studies from Geneva, Switzerland, is a senior expert in agricultural, rural, and cooperative development with over 25 years of experience in Viet Nam and Lao PDR. She has deep expertise in strengthening cooperatives, promoting inclusive value chains, expanding rural finance, and advancing women’s economic empowerment. Over the course of her career, she has worked with leading international organizations, including UNDP, IFAD, GIZ, ADB, WB, SNV, USAID, and Winrock International. Her work has focused on enhancing cooperative governance, improving market linkages, facilitating access to finance, and promoting climate-resilient, low-emission agricultural development.