The inaugural session of the SAARC regional workshop on “Promoting Agroecological Approaches for Sustainable Transformation of Agri-food Systems in South Asia” was held on 29th July, 2025 in Thimphu, Bhutan. The three days workshop was organized by the SAARC Agriculture Centre, Dhaka in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Bhutan and Welthungerhilfe. The objective of the workshop was to assess the current status of agroecological policies, programs, and practices across the region, and to develop actionable policy recommendations to scale up the adoption of agroecology in SAARC member countries.

The meeting was attended by the participants of five SAARC Member Countries, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka. In addition to national and international speakers, panellists, agricultural experts, professionals and academia joined the program. Mr. Thinley Namgyel, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Bhutan graced the occasion as the “Chief Guest”. Mr. Tanvir Ahmad Torophder, Director (ARD and SDF), SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu, Nepal and Mr. Yonten Gyamtsho, Director, Department of Agriculture, Bhutan joined the program as a guest of honor. Dr. Md. Harunur Rashid, Director, SAARC Agriculture Centre chaired the inaugural session. Around 65 participants attended the event from different SAARC Member Countries. The workshop is concluded with a set of policy recommendations and action plans aimed at accelerating the agroecology approaches.