Mekong Institute (MI), with support from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), concluded the 5-day Regional Training on Communicating Climate Action for Safer Food on October 3, 2025, at MI’s Training Center in Khon Kaen, Thailand.
The program brought together 27 officials, communicators, and researchers from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam (CLMV) to strengthen their ability to design and deliver effective public awareness campaigns linking climate change, food safety, and public health under the Mekong CREATES Project (Mekong Capacity-Building for Resilient and Enhanced Agricultural Technologies and Food Systems).
“Climate change is no longer a distant threat. It is already disrupting agricultural production, increasing food safety risks, and putting more pressure on our food systems,” said Orn-uma Polpanich, Director of MI’s Agricultural Development and Commercialization Department in MI. Her opening remarks also mentioned, “Scientific evidence alone will not bring the change we need. Effective communication is central to building climate-resilient, food-safe systems that protect both people and the environment.”
Through interactive sessions led by Elaine Llarena, Assistant Professor at the College of Development Communication in the University of the Philippines Los Baños, participants explored a range of communication frameworks and participatory tools. She emphasized communication as a strategic process for empowerment and collaboration, not just information sharing.
“We cannot separate food safety from climate action,” Elaine noted. “This training helps participants connect these two urgent issues and equips them to design messages that inspire behaviour change and collective ownership of solutions.”
The training combined lectures, group work, and simulations to strengthen participants’ practical communication skills and behaviour change competencies.
“The night market exercise allowed us to apply theory in real life. We identified behaviours that support or hinder food safety and climate action and designed our own communication responses. It was engaging and made the learning memorable,” shared by Monich Has, a participant from HEKS/EPER Cambodia.
The program highlight was the development of the National Learning Series Action Plans to be rolled out in the coming months through the MI’s Community of Practice (CoP), engaging the Mekong CONNECT and Mekong CREATES networks to share lessons and good practices across borders. The action plans outline thematic learning sessions and community outreach activities tailored to country priority risks.
Zayar Ye Yint Htun, a participant from Myanmar Innovative Life Sciences (MILS) shared, “The most valuable part was learning how to communicate complex scientific issues like food safety risks in simple terms. Communication is the bridge that connects science to people.”
The training also served as a platform to strengthen collaboration within the CoP, where members will share lessons and good practices.
“The training enhanced our ability to collaborate across sectors and countries. It reminded us that communication can drive policy influence and public understanding of climate-resilient practices,” added Mexay Tornkham, a participant from Champasak University.
The training ended with presentations of country action plans, which will be implemented over the coming months with MI’s technical support. These National Learning Series form the first coordinated regional campaign of the CoP, translating climate and food safety messages into practical actions at national and community levels.
