- Biologicals could power Asia’s ‘resilience revolution’.
- Scaling adoption requires evidence, quality and farmer trust.
- Farmer benefits must come first in Asia’s biologicals ambitions.
Dar, who is also the former director general of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), said the region faces a growing list of interconnected challenges as ASEAN advances its regenerative and resilient agriculture (RRA) agenda.
“It’s a defining moment for Asian agriculture systems today. Our agriculture systems face interconnected challenges with climate change, soil degradation, water scarcity, biodiversity loss, rising production costs, of course, geopolitical events, and increasingly uncertain markets,” said Dar during his keynote speech at the Asia Biologicals Summit 2026 last week in Singapore.
At the same time, the region must continue feeding a population of almost five billion people while maintaining viable livelihoods for farmers, said Dar, who is currently a senior adviser to the ASEAN Business Advisory Council Philippines.
“These challenges demand a fundamental shift in ambition. We need a resilience revolution in Asia’s agriculture systems, one that makes our farming systems more productive, regenerative, climate resilient, profitable, and inclusive.”
He added that the transition should build on modern agriculture with the help of science.
“This transformation is not about abandoning modern agriculture. It is about building on scientific progress, improved crop varieties, digital technologies, sound agronomic practices, and biological innovations to create an ecosystem that can drive under changing conditions.”
Dar linked biologicals directly to the broader push for regenerative and resilient agriculture, which he said should become a priority across Asia.
“Biologicals have an important role to play in this transformation, but their success will depend on scientific evidence, reliable product quality, enabling policies, investments and, above all, the trust and participation of the farming community.”
Scaling biologicals: The priorities
To unlock the potential of biologicals across Asia, Dar outlined several priorities for policymakers, researchers and industry stakeholders.
The first is the development of clear, science-based regulations, including transparent registration procedures and predictable regulatory pathways.
The second is strengthening research and field validation through collaboration among governments, universities, international research institutions and private companies. Independent multi-location trials are particularly important for building confidence in product performance, he said.
Dar also called for stronger quality standards covering product identity, purity, viability, potency, stability, labelling and storage, alongside effective post-market surveillance.
Other priorities include integrating biologicals into regenerative farming systems, expanding access to investment and financing, strengthening farmer education and extension support, and increasing regional collaboration on research, regulatory dialogue, testing capacity, technology transfer and local manufacturing.
“These priorities are not a call for indiscriminate promotion or weaker safeguards. They are a call for a trusted, competitive and science-based biologicals industry that delivers safe, effective and accessible solutions.”
Keeping farmers at the centre
Dar called on the sector to keep farmers at the heart of agriculture and said that any innovations must ultimately be to their benefit.
“No agricultural transformation will succeed unless farmers benefit. Farmers do not adopt technology simply because it is new. They adopt solutions that are affordable, practical, reliable, and capable of improving their livelihoods.”
The region’s smallholder farmers often face significant risks when testing new technologies, with a single unsuccessful production season potentially affecting household incomes.
“For a small older farmer, testing a new biological product may mean risking scarce income during an entire production season. These farmers need quality inputs, sound technical advice, access to financing, functioning markets, and opportunities to participate in research and innovation.”
Asia’s opportunity to lead
Looking ahead, Dar said Asia should seek to become more than a market for biological products.
“Our ambition should be greater than becoming a major market for biologicals. Asia should become a global centre for research, development, validation, manufacturing, and responsible deployment.”
He said that the region’s agricultural diversity, scientific expertise, entrepreneurial capacity and market potential provide a strong foundation for achieving that goal.
“The future of Asian agriculture will not be defined by the technologies we possess, the policies we announce, or the investments we mobilise alone. It will be defined by what we achieve together,” said Dar.
He concluded: “If we unite the power of finance, the commitment of governments, the discipline of enterprise, the vision of investors, and the agency of farmers, Asia can do more than adapt to the future of agricultural systems.
“Asia can lead a resilience revolution that regenerates its resources, strengthens its agriculture systems, advances agricultural biologicals, rewards its farmers, and secures food and prosperity for generations to come. That is our ambition. That is our responsibility, and that is the next chapter we must win together.”
