REPORT: Challenges and Opportunities in Food Safety and Agricultural Productivity in Southeast Asia and the Pacific

Executive Summary

As a part of the Sustained Dialogue on Peaceful Uses (SDPU) program, CRDF Global partnered with the International Joint Research Center on Food Security (IJC-FOODSEC) to host a regional workshop in Bangkok, Thailand from 9-11 July 2024, on food safety, security, and productivity using nuclear science and technology in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.

The overarching goal of the event was to understand some of the global challenges to food security and safety, to better comprehend the specific regional challenges that exist, and to explore potential solutions that could be delivered through nuclear science and technology. Topics like crop and livestock diseases and water security were explored in detail and are both profoundly linked to climate change.

This workshop was attended by 21 countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Tonga, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. The activity was important for countries in the region as a platform to articulate their needs, including increased training, targeted capacity building, increased networking, and funding for collaborative research and development. Mechanisms to facilitate these identified needs are currently lacking. The ability to more fully leverage existing nuclear facilities in the region through new collaborations and partnerships was clearly identified as being a key driver to delivering impactful food security and safety solutions. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) shared insights on existing regional cooperation and showcased opportunities for future engagement under existing IAEA initiatives such as Atoms4Food.

Activity Overview

Nuclear science and technology have shown to be important tools in a range of food security arenas but are not yet widely implemented or accessible in the Southeast Asia and Pacific regions. At the Bangkok workshop (9-11 July 2024) where food safety and agricultural productivity were the focus of discussions, several excellent examples of how such technologies have been applied were provided. These high-level presentations set the scene extremely well for the workshop which aimed to understand the challenges faced in the regions in terms of resilient supply chains, impacts of disease, the changing climate and economic stresses faced by farmers and food processors. As these issues became better understood, it allowed for impactful discussions on a range of solutions such as improved crops through innovative plant breeding and mutagenesis; improving diets through nutrition monitoring with stable isotopes; improving food safety through food irradiation; and enhancing education, governance, and social acceptance of nuclear approaches.

The Secretary General of the Thailand Office of Atoms for Peace, Ms. Pennapa Kanchana, stated that nuclear technology and isotopic techniques are essential for reaching a range of UN Sustainable Development Goals such as Zero Hunger (SDG2), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG11), and Climate Action (SDG13). The Executive Director at the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Dr. Chaowaree Adthalungrong, reinforced this message by stating that the intersection of nuclear technology and agriculture will be very important in the future shaping of a sustainable food supply. Dr. Meera Chandra, Agricultural Attaché at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the U.S. Embassy Bangkok, highlighted that Thailand has been doing amazing work in exploring potential roles for nuclear science and technology in addressing critical climate change issues. Cooperation between Thailand and the U.S. to treat fresh fruits with ionizing radiation through the preclearance program that gives Thai fruits expedited access to U.S. markets and has resulted in increased exports was one of the compelling examples highlighted by attendees. There was further input from Thailand with Prof. Dr. Wutiphol Sintunavarat of the Faculty of Science and Technology at Thammasat University, stressing the importance that innovation and collaboration can have on improving food safety and agricultural sustainability. Ms. Holly Haines, Head of IAEA Policy & Peaceful Uses at the U.K. Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, reinforced the importance of rights for nations to utilize nuclear technologies to further enhance global food security, including the central role that the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) plays as a cornerstone of the global non-proliferation framework that facilitates access to these technologies. Other speakers provided examples of such contributions already delivered in the areas of pest control and production of improved crop varieties. The workshop was viewed as another important step to help identify new ideas and new partnerships to deliver important food security solutions.

Nuclear Applications

A number of excellent use cases of nuclear science and technology applications in the regions were presented and discussed. Three examples have been selected, one dealing with the issue of water shortages in agriculture, another about challenges and solutions in aquaculture, and a third on the role of irradiation in advancing crop strain development.

Food Fraud & Authenticity

There was significant interest in the topic of food authenticity during the workshop. Awareness of the increasing amounts of food fraud being detected around the world and the role organized crime gangs play in perpetrating food fraud was quite limited among the participants. However, a number of participants did reveal that there were cases within their own countries. Seafood fraud and false claims that some products on the market were locally produced when they were actually imported were highlighted. For example, Mr. Shalendra Prasad, Director of the Fiji Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways described the significant issues in root crops in the Pacific region and the impact that the fraud of these crops has on both consumers and producers. However, a wide array of nuclear techniques, include some that use portable detection technologies, can be applied to detect food fraud and Dr. Debashish Mazumder from the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO) provided a survey of these approaches to increase awareness for the potential to secure supply changes with nuclear approaches. As facilitator, I also mentioned a range of portable detection techniques which were gaining traction in the UK and Europe.

Super Water Absorbents

Dr. Kasinee Hemvichian from the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology (TINT), presented the outputs from several projects that set out to determine the effectiveness of a starch-based Super Water Absorbent (SWA) material. These types of materials can absorb massive amounts of water and, when added to soil, slowly release the water to provide it to growing crops, even in times of severe drought. Some polymers have been developed that achieve this, but TINT produced theirs through the irradiation of cassava starch to create a polymer that was shown to be highly absorbent, like a hydrogel, with the added benefit of it being biodegradable thereby mitigating any long-term environmental impact. The data from studies on rubber trees and corn showed better growth rates in the treated soil areas compared with non-treated. There is huge potential for SWAs produced from electron-beam-treated food waste to provide significant resilience to water scarcity issues during the growth of important crops in the region. There are still many questions to be answered in terms of the long-term impact of repeated SWA treatments on the soil health and more research is needed to determine if this approach could become a true ‘game changer’ for farmers facing persistent water scarcity issues.

Aquaculture

Globally, aquaculture has been growing rapidly, and its share of global fish and seafood production has increased steadily over the past few decades. Now, more than 50% of all consumed fish and seafood is farmed. Of this, more than one third is produced in Southeast Asia. Despite this boom, many issues of providing environmentally and economically sustainable production abound, including climate change and disease. The topic of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was viewed as a hugely important topic linked to aquaculture. AMR has mainly been due to the overuse and in some cases illegal use of antibiotics as a means of preventing and treating disease in many farmed species. The use of nuclear techniques to help provide novel vaccines and detection of antibiotic residues in feed used in aquaculture and related food products were discussed in some detail. Specifically, irradiation technologies play a significant role in vaccine development by inactivating pathogens without damaging their immunogenic characteristics, leading to more precise and effective vaccines. Additionally, Dr. Mazumder from ANSTO described how isotopic techniques can be used to better understand the dietary requirements in fish farming systems, thereby opening the potential for developing more efficient feeding strategies that improve domestic supply of fish, increasing food safety and nutritional diversity.

Plant Mutagenesis

Plant mutagenesis is used in plant breeding to change the genetic information of plants and develop new plant varieties with potentially desirable characteristics, such as improved yield, disease resistance, drought tolerance, or enhanced nutritional content. This technique was part of the discussions led by thought leaders like Ms. Lisa Jamieson from the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research, Ms. Gou Rauka of the National Agriculture Research Institute in Papua New Guinea, and Dr. Hien Thi Thanh Nguyen from the Plant Protection Research Institute of Vietnam around future solutions to breed more resilient crops in the face of extreme weather events. Such innovations, including those developed by the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in Thailand, rely on different mutagenesis techniques and the potential for the wider exploitation of electron beam technology was seen as a major opportunity, but the lack of availability and cost of such systems is hampering progress. Thus, another benefit of the event in Bangkok was that those wishing to get access to mutagenesis labs, cold plasma, and other forms of irradiation could meet and discuss their ideas with those who have access to such facilities.

Cooperation & Inclusivity

The workshop clarified that while a small number of inter-regional collaborations are taking place, these collaborations remain very limited. There were substantial discussions as to why this was the case, and several key take home points were noted:

1. There is a lack of knowledge on the nuclear technologies and infrastructure that exists within the regions.
2. There is a lack of knowledge on how best to engage with centers of excellence in nuclear science and technology. Examples of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Collaborating Centers in the region are the Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), the Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology (INST) – Vietnam, and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization (ANSTO)
3. There is a lack of trained research staff in the Southeast Asia and Pacific regions who understand the range of opportunities to conduct food security research with nuclear science and technology.
4. There is a lack of funding opportunities for the development of collaborative projects in food security in the regions.

A range of measures to overcome these hurdles to large-scale collaboration on an inter-regional basis were discussed, including:

Awareness of Facilities: The consensus opinions were that more knowledge circulation about existing facilities in the regions and their capabilities is essential. The impact of ongoing initiatives through the IAEA can be amplified by regional groups like Regional Cooperative Agreement Regional Offices (RCARO) and others focused on expanding and/or harmonizing food safety and security capabilities. Information and points of contact for existing facilities utilizing nuclear techniques should be made more widely available and distributed in as many new networks as possible. This could start with publication on the SDPU website if resources already exist with these regularly updated details.

Support for Capacity Building: Participants made a clear request for more regional training opportunities for young scientists in nuclear facilities. An inventory of diverse funding opportunities to support such training opportunities, including those provided through the IAEA fellowship exchange program, would greatly benefit the agricultural development community. It is also recommended that the SPDU and other programs in the food security space should support a ‘train the trainer’ approach in terms of supporting project-specific workshops in the Southeast Asian and Pacific regions.

Tailored Approach for Pacific Island Countries: Delegates from the Pacific region expressed frustrations that their region is seldom thought about as being important in terms of food security. However, during the workshop they were frequently invited to give their views and as a result became more positive in terms of the outlook and how their voices can be heard. Following this workshop, Pacific stakeholders engaged with the SDPU on an opportunity to collaborate on the margins of the Tenth Regional Meeting of Pacific Heads of Agriculture and Forestry Services (PHOAFS) in Tonga from 26-30 May 2025. This would allow the SDPU and its regional partners the chance to elevate technical solutions in nuclear science reflective of Pacific development priorities.

Themes & Recommendations

The range of food security and safety topics discussed at the workshop was immense. As the meeting progressed, a wide range of important issues and potential solutions were outlined. There was a clear appetite for increased regional collaboration, particularly highlighting the utility of conducting impactful research employing nuclear science and technology. This enthusiasm must be captured, enhanced, and supported by having clear pathways provided to take the next key steps in building and conducting collaborative research that will have a beneficial impact on food security in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

OBSERVATION	RECOMMENDATION
There is a lack of knowledge as to the nuclear technologies and infrastructure that exists within the Southeast Asian and Pacific regions.	Participants recommended the development of a database outlining facilities available, and the type of food security research they have or are working on, including key points of contact.
There is a lack of knowledge as to how best to engage with centers of excellence in nuclear science and technology.	Participants recommended the development of a frequently-asked-questions page to explain the best routes to engage in potential collaborative projects.
There is a lack of trained research staff in the Southeast Asian and Pacific regions who understand the range of opportunities to conduct food security research using nuclear science and technology.	Participants recommended that the convened cohort conduct a survey to fully understand the required training needs and to provide details of existing training opportunities and develop a ‘one stop shop’ around training in nuclear technologies for food security that is inclusive of UN and other agency resources.
There is a lack of funding opportunities for the development of collaborative projects in food security in the regions.	Participants recommended that details of all existing funding opportunities, details of organizations (including points of contact) who have a track record in funding nuclear-related food security research, should be assembled.
Formation of regional centers of excellence in nuclear-related food security is needed.	Participants recommended that the food security stakeholders in the region should identify and support a small number of centers of excellence in nuclear-related food security.
Access to knowledge pools and nuclear-based expertise is needed.	Participants suggested that contact details for a range of experts in nuclear-related food security research should be made available.
A platform for the development and refinement of project concepts is needed.	For researchers wishing to develop a project proposal or become part of a project under development, participants requested access to an on-line forum where such proposals can be built.

The Bangkok-hosted workshop was successful in raising critical issues and promising opportunities around food security and safety among many stakeholders from the Southeast Asian and Pacific regions. New bilateral collaborations are likely to emerge as a direct result of conversations initiated during the workshop. To deliver larger scale, inter-regional collaborations, more dialogue and clear pathways to achieving this are required.

This report was composed by Dr. Christopher Elliott from Queen’s University Belfast and IJC-FOODSEC with reviews and contributions from CRDF Global. Please direct any questions about this report, the activity for which it was written, or the SDPU program to sdpu@crdfglobal.org.