Khon Kaen, June 5, 2025 – In time for the World Environment Day and World Food Safety Day 2025 celebrations, Mekong Institute (MI), in partnership with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), held the launching of the Mekong CREATES project through a regional inception workshop held on June 5, 2025 in Khon Kaen, Thailand. The event brought together 24 key partners from government agencies, academic institutions, the private sector, and development partners from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam (CLMV).
Mekong CREATES (Mekong Capacity-Building for Resilient and Enhanced Agricultural Technologies and Food Systems) is a regional initiative designed to promote sustainable food systems by enhancing food safety and climate resilience of agricultural value chains in the Mekong region. Building on the achievements of the earlier PROSAFE project, the project responds to post-COVID 19 recovery needs, particularly in urgent issues such as agrochemical misuse, foodborne illnesses, extreme weather events, and environmental degradation.
“Mekong CREATES is more than a project. We envision this initiative to create awareness on the interlinkage of food safety and climate change; create platform for action; and create opportunities for collaboration and partnership,” said Mr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn, Executive Director of MI, during his opening remarks. He highlighted that Mekong CREATES is MI’s commitment to the regional frameworks on agriculture and food systems, and its results will transition in the new five-year MI Strategic Plan.
Held under the global theme of “Food Safety: Science in Action,” the one-day workshop focused on building a shared understanding of how food safety and climate-smart agriculture intersect, and what support countries need to move forward. Participants shared recent country-level updates, good practices, and ongoing challenges, while contributing feedback to guide the project’s training programs, policy dialogues, and Mekong CONNECT and CREATES Community of Practice (CoP).
“Climate change and food safety are deeply interconnected. The rising temperatures, water scarcity, and extreme weather events are increasing contamination risks, threatening both public health and food security,” said Ms. Jutamas Thongcharoen, Program Manager, as she introduced the project. “Mekong CREATES recognizes this urgent link and offers a timely opportunity for countries to work together and co-create solutions that build safer, climate-smart food systems for the region.”
The Mekong CREATES project will be implemented until 2026 and aims to support capacity building, knowledge co-creation, and policy alignment as a transition project to contribute to the agrifood systems transformation in the region.
