Seven studies published in the December 2025 issue of the Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD)—a publication of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA)—examine emergent trends in Asian agriculture. These papers explore long-standing themes such as digitalization, gender inclusion, climate adaptation, and data systems that are increasingly shaping policy and practice across the region.
It is commonly believed that limited buying capacity restricts farmers' access to information and communication technology (ICT), limiting their participation in a digital society. Nonetheless, in the study "Exploring Forms of Capital in Farmers' ICT Use and Its Continuation: A Perspective on Digital Inequality," digital inequality is shown to go beyond income or access to devices. Md Mahbubul Alam and Sharjana Akter Shaba of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University surveyed 118 farmers in rural Bangladesh and found that psychological, human, and social forms of capital—such as the perceived usefulness of ICT, confidence in using digital tools, and peer influence—strongly affect farmers' intention to use ICT for farming-related activities. According to the authors, economic factors like perceived cost were not found to be decisive, likely because mobile-based ICT has become relatively affordable and a necessity in daily life. The findings suggest that strengthening farmers' skills, motivation, and social learning networks may be more effective than focusing solely on lowering technology costs, offering important insights for designing inclusive digital extension and rural development policies.
The second paper in the AJAD December 2025 issue presents findings of a study of 222 cooperatives across six provinces in Vietnam, which reveal that women's participation in governance yields multiple organizational benefits. In their paper "Influence of Women's Participation on the Management and Internal Control of Cooperatives in Vietnam," Ngo Thi Thu Hang and her co-authors assert that cooperatives with female board representation offer significantly more diverse services to members. Also notable is that improved regulatory compliance and enhanced management activities may be attributed to women's involvement in accounting units. The authors from Vietnam National University, National University of Agriculture, Deutscher Genossenschafts- und Raiffeisenverband e.V. (DGRV) Vietnam, and the Vietnam Ministry of Finance recommend that amid uneven women's participation, women's involvement in cooperative decision-making, targeted trainings, supportive policies, and strengthened social networks should be enhanced to promote sustainable cooperative development and gender equality.
Meanwhile, Universiti Putra Malaysia academics Nurshahida Azreen Mohd Jais and her co-authors introduce an intelligent feeding system that integrates Internet of Things (IoT) sensors for water quality monitoring with a You Look Only Once (YOLO)v8-based computer vision model for real-time biomass estimation in their study "An Intelligent Fish Feeder System Based on Biomass Information Using Computer Vision and IoT Integration." The system, which the group developed, automatically adjusts feeding based on live video analysis and environmental data. Their study validated the system's capability to reduce feed wastage and maintain water quality. By addressing the dual challenges of feed inefficiency and water quality degradation, this integrated solution enhances farm management efficiency, reduces costs, and strengthens the sustainability and competitiveness of small-scale tilapia aquaculture.
Another paper focused on Vietnam presents the results of a project that developed Vietnam's first agri-food composition database. In their paper "Developing a National Agri-food Composition Database to Support Nutrition, Trade, and Rural Development in Vietnam," Bui Quang Dang and his co-authors analyzed 100 representative food products across seven groups (cereals, tubers, legumes and nuts, vegetables, fruits, eggs, and dairy) using standardized laboratory methods. Samples of each product were purposively collected from Vietnam's key production regions between January 2022 and June 2024 to capture seasonal and geographic variation, revealing substantial differences in nutrient profiles among food groups. This database provides a critical foundation for nutrition education, dietary guideline development, food safety monitoring, and nutrition-sensitive agricultural policies. The authors aim for future efforts that will expand the range of foods analyzed, standardize analytical protocols, and integrate Vietnam's database with regional and global food composition networks. This will support evidence-based nutrition strategies and sustainable food system development, assert the authors from the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Center for Agrarian Research and Development, and Tay Bac University.
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, with over 400 rice varieties bred by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) being commercialized, it is important to determine how they fare among various stakeholders to facilitate wider cultivation by farmers. In their study "Understanding the Uptake of NSIC Rc 160 Rice Variety in the Philippines," Jaime Manalo IV and his co-authors from PhilRice and the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) explored the adoption of NSIC Rc 160 across the value chain. Using innovation mapping, coupled with interviews and discussions conducted in nine provinces across the country, the variety was found to be popular and widespread, with high acceptability among various stakeholders, including consumers and farmers. Nonetheless, its success has been stifled by weaknesses brought about by the competing and conflicting goals of its actors. The study thus provides insights into these conflicts, which, if resolved, may benefit subsequent innovations.
Another paper from PhilRice and CLSU, "Unpacking the Climate Change Adaptation 'Toolbox' of Rice Communities in Central Luzon, Philippines," by Jaime A. Manalo IV and his co-authors, tackled another timely concern, rice communities' adaptive capacity to climate change. The "toolbox" refers to the collective adaptive mechanisms available in the country's second largest rice-producing region, Central Luzon. The mechanisms may take the form of infrastructure, institutional arrangements, laws, or other measures that help farmers adapt to the impacts of climate change. The authors found that while many "tools", especially technologies, are available to farmers, these are often poorly utilized. This is because efforts along the social dimension of climate change adaptation are scarce or nonexistent. Thus, among the key recommendations of this study are to intensify campaigns for farmers to utilize their entitlements and to develop deployment plans for the adaptive mechanisms identified.
Lastly, the "Policy Comment: Unraveling the Rice Varietal Dilemma within the EU–Vietnam Trade Agreement" by Julia Checco and her co-authors from the University of Queensland, Australia, proposes a framework to ensure that the Vietnamese rice industry capitalize on the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (FTA) by regularly updating the varietal list to reflect current EU market preferences and by categorizing rice based on grain types. This approach will enable Vietnam to maximize the benefits of the annual quota worth EUR 11.8 million (USD 12.7 million) and enhance its competitiveness in the EU market. Moreover, this framework can be adopted by other rice-producing countries as a blueprint for developing adaptable FTAs, ensuring that they can fully capitalize on the benefits of these agreements.
The full AJAD volume 22 issue number 2 (December 2025), where the above articles are published, is available for free from ajad.searca.org. More articles from past issues are archived and also available for download from the site, while print copies are available through subscription and from the SEARCA Knowledge Shop in Los Baños, Laguna.
AJAD publishes articles resulting from empirical, policy-oriented, or institutional development studies, as well as articles on perspectives on agriculture and development, the political economy of rural development, and trade issues. Submissions are welcome all year-round through the journal's submission portal.
The editorial board is headed by Dr. Cielito F. Habito, a former cabinet member of the Philippine government who served as Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority of the Philippines (now known as the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development). He also served as a professor of economics at the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines and Director of the Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development.