Strengthening Regional Policy Impact: PRCI and Kasetsart University’s Collaborative Efforts
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EmailFSG, through PRCI, collaborates with Kasetsart University to conduct policy-driven research on food security and air pollution in Southeast Asia, involving regional partnerships and workshops.
Through PRCI, FSG Supports Kasetsart University in Strengthening Regional Collaboration on Applied Policy Analysis for Impact
The Kasetsart University Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ARE) has served as the regional hub in Southeast Asia under PRCI for over five years. During the final two-year extension of PRCI, KU, led by Dr. Orachos Napasintuwong of ARE, is bringing together researchers from centers across the region to conduct two impactful studies to inform policy deliberations.
The first study, “Food Security in Marginalized and Vulnerable Littoral Areas of Southeast Asia,” will employ mixed methods to analyze factors associated with food security outcomes in coastal areas of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia. The second study, “Policy Preferences for Addressing Post-Harvest Rice Residue Burning in the Mekong Subregion,” will utilize established methods to evaluate farmer preferences for alternative solutions to rice residue burning, a significant contributor to air pollution in both rural and urban areas.
In August of this year, David Tschirley and David Ortega traveled with Dr. Napasintuwong and other researchers to Can Tho University in Can Tho, Vietnam, to participate in a workshop focused on designing methods and approaches for the food security study. Workshop participants included representatives from Thailand (Kasetsart and Mahidol Universities), Cambodia (CDRI), Vietnam (CTU, the Mekong Delta Development Institute at CTU, and Ton Duc Thang University), Malaysia (Putra University), Myanmar (Burmese researchers affiliated with MSU), and the Philippines (University of the Philippines Los Baños). Following this, Drs. Tschirley and Ortega returned to KU in Bangkok for a similar workshop on the policy preferences study, which featured participants from Thailand (Kasetsart University), Cambodia (Cambodia Development Resource Institute - CDRI), Vietnam (Institute for Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development - IPSARD), and Laos PDR (National University of Laos - NUOL, Institute for Industry and Commerce - IIC).
Both studies are set to continue through early 2026.
