Addressing the complex challenges facing Southeast Asia's agriculture sector will require more than new technologies or scientific breakthroughs. It will require stronger agricultural innovation systems (AIS), ones that are capable of fostering collaboration, accelerating innovation, and supporting sustainable agricultural transformation amid dynamic global conditions.

This was the central message of the 2026 Training Workshop on Transformational Agricultural Innovation Systems (TrAInS) for the New Future, organized by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).

The hybrid training program gathered 19 research and extension professionals from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam to examine emerging and persistent challenges confronting agriculture and co-create forward-looking solutions. Through a combination of expert-led discussions, workshops, collaborative learning activities, and site visits, participants explored how AIS can help build resilient, inclusive, and future-ready agri-food systems across the Southeast Asian region.