AJAD issue spotlights digital, gender, climate innovations

Seven new 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)—shed light on emerging trends that are reshaping agriculture across Asia.

The papers tackle long-standing but rapidly evolving themes such as digitalization, gender inclusion, climate change adaptation, and data systems that are increasingly influencing agricultural policy and practice in the region.

The issue underscores how farmers, cooperatives, researchers, and policymakers are responding to structural changes in agriculture and rural communities, and offers evidence-based recommendations for more inclusive and sustainable development.

It is commonly believed that limited buying capacity restricts farmers’ access to information and communication technology (ICT), thereby limiting their participation in a digital society.

However, in the study “Exploring Forms of Capital in Farmers’ ICT Use and Its Continuation: A Perspective on Digital Inequality,” authors Md Mahbubul Alam and Sharjana Akter Shaba of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University show that digital inequality extends beyond income or access to devices.

Surveying 118 farmers in rural Bangladesh, the study finds 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.

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.

This offers important insights for designing inclusive digital extension and rural development policies.

The second paper in the AJAD December 2025 issue examines how women’s participation in cooperative governance in Vietnam leads to multiple organizational benefits.

In “Influence of Women’s Participation on the Management and Internal Control of Cooperatives in Vietnam,” lead author Ngo Thi Thu Hang and her co-authors study 222 cooperatives across six provinces in Vietnam.

The research finds that cooperatives with female board representation offer significantly more diverse services to members.

Improved regulatory compliance and enhanced management activities may also 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.

Addressing the dual challenges of feed inefficiency and water quality degradation in aquaculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia academics Nurshahida Azreen Mohd Jais and her co-authors present a technology-driven solution in “An Intelligent Fish Feeder System Based on Biomass Information Using Computer Vision and IoT Integration.”

The study introduces 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.

The system, developed by the research team, automatically adjusts feeding based on live video analysis and environmental data.

Their study validates the system’s capability to reduce feed wastage and maintain water quality.

By improving feed efficiency and environmental management, 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 pioneering project that developed the country’s first agri-food composition database.

In “Developing a National Agri-food Composition Database to Support Nutrition, Trade, and Rural Development in Vietnam,” Bui Quang Dang and his co-authors analyze 100 representative food products across seven groups (cereals, tubers, legumes and nuts, vegetables, fruits, eggs, and dairy) using standardized laboratory methods.

Samples 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—from the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Center for Agrarian Research and Development, and Tay Bac University—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.

Such efforts are expected to support evidence-based nutrition strategies and sustainable food system development.

In the Philippines, with over 400 rice varieties bred by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) being commercialized, it is critical to understand how these varieties perform among various stakeholders to support wider adoption.

The study “Understanding the Uptake of NSIC Rc 160 Rice Variety in the Philippines,” by Jaime Manalo IV and his co-authors from PhilRice and the Central Luzon State University (CLSU), explores the adoption of NSIC Rc 160 across the value chain.

Using innovation mapping, supported by interviews and discussions conducted in nine provinces across the country, the study finds that NSIC Rc 160 is popular and widespread, with high acceptability among consumers and farmers.

Nonetheless, the variety’s success has been constrained by weaknesses arising from competing and sometimes conflicting goals among the different actors.

The study provides insights into these conflicts, which, if addressed, may facilitate not only the broader uptake of NSIC Rc 160 but also the success of subsequent rice innovations.

Another paper from PhilRice and CLSU addresses the urgent issue of climate resilience in rice farming communities.

In “Unpacking the Climate Change Adaptation ‘Toolbox’ of Rice Communities in Central Luzon, Philippines,” lead author Jaime A. Manalo IV and his co-authors examine the adaptive capacity of rice communities in Central Luzon, the country’s second largest rice-producing region.

The “toolbox” refers to the collective adaptive mechanisms available to farmers, including infrastructure, institutional arrangements, laws, and other measures that help them cope with the impacts of climate change. The study finds that while many tools—especially technologies—are available, these are often poorly utilized.

The authors point out that this underutilization is largely due to limited efforts along the social dimension of climate change adaptation.

Among the key recommendations are to intensify campaigns encouraging farmers to fully utilize their entitlements and to develop concrete deployment plans for the identified adaptive mechanisms.

The issue also features a policy-focused article addressing international trade opportunities.

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 help the Vietnamese rice industry fully capitalize on the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

The authors recommend regularly updating the varietal list to reflect current European Union (EU) market preferences and categorizing rice based on grain types.

This approach would 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.

They further note that this framework can serve as a blueprint for other rice-producing countries seeking to develop adaptable FTAs and ensure that they can fully capitalize on the benefits of such trade agreements.

The full AJAD volume 22 issue number 2 (December 2025), which contains the above articles, is available for free at ajad.searca.org.

Past issues are also archived and available for download from the site, while print copies can be obtained 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 perspectives on agriculture and development, the political economy of rural development, and trade issues.

Submissions are welcome year-round through the journal’s online submission portal.