We wish you all a happy 2024!
Dear Esteemed TFNet Members, Partners, and Stakeholders,
Happy New Year! As we usher in 2024, TFNet extends warm wishes to each of you who has played a crucial role in our collective success throughout 2023.
Reflecting on the past year, TFNet acknowledges the progress made in aligning our actions with the Strategic Framework, tailored to meet the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. TFNet expresses gratitude to the Government of Malaysia, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) for their continued hosting support, and extends appreciation to our network of members, partners, academia, and private sector collaborators for the invaluable contributions.
TFNet’s yearly events are largely well-received. In the year 2023, the collective impact of these events was illustrated by the participation of 752 individuals who benefitted from TFNet’s international symposium, webinars, and initiatives focused on capacity development. For instance, our focus on minor fruits, including the rambutan and guava, in international webinars aimed at diversifying global fruit markets, garnered signification participation and engagement.
The International Symposium on Tropical Fruits (ISTF 2023) which was organized in Guangzhou, China centred on ‘Smart Technologies and Innovations for A Responsible and Sustainable Tropical Fruit Industry. This theme underscores TFNet’s commitment to navigating the evolving landscape of the tropical fruit sector. The symposium served as a platform for substantive discussions and strategic insights, further strengthening TFNet’s role as a thought leader in the tropical fruit sector.
TFNet’s engagements with member countries, such as India, Indonesia, and Malaysia, have yielded fruitful recommendations to address challenges faced by practitioners, fostering opportunities for the growing demand for tropical fruits globally.
Important knowledge products such as publications were released and disseminated to members and stakeholders alike. An example is the release of the report of the banana bacterial disease workshop which contains critical on the recent status of banana bacterial diseases, current research focus to elucidate pathogen and disease characteristics and management strategies to combat the diseases in Asian and African countries. Our knowledge products serve as vital resources for researchers, industry players, and influencers of national and regional policies.
Looking ahead to 2024, TFNet has planned impactful initiatives. TFNet’s focus remains on closing knowledge gaps and enhancing the capabilities of member countries. Highlights include an online training series on selected tropical fruits, and continuing the successful webinar series on minor tropical fruits, with focus on minor fruits such as the rose apple, pomelo, and longan. TFNet also continues to engage with the King Faisal University to undertake a project titled ‘Project on Enhancing the production of mango and other tropical fruits to address demand and market in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’, funded by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA). As part of this project, a study visit to Australia to study high density production and quality assurance in mangoes will be undertaken. TFNet’s annual flagship event, its International Symposium on Tropical Fruits (ISTF) 2024 is poised to tackle the pressing issues of postharvest losses, waste management, and the establishment of a circular economy within the tropical fruits sector.
TFNet continues to support the FAO-UN led Responsible Fruits Project in bringing in stakeholders from the Asia Pacific region to understand concepts such as responsible business conduct, due diligence, and resilience within climate change adaptation. The project aims in assisting companies to strengthen or establish risk-based due diligence systems to make their operations more sustainable and resilient to external shocks. For 2024, FAO-UN will be organizing the Responsible Fruits Project Global Conference, and TFNet will also be working together to support the project by introducing tools such as the gap analysis tool, and disseminate useful guides developed by FAO-UN to TFNet’s members, regional stakeholders, and wider network.
Partnership dynamics continue to evolve and as a network TFNet is cognizant of the need to seek innovative strategies in boosting effective partnerships. Membership support is integral to the sustainability of the network. For 2024, TFNet seeks to further expand its membership base and hopes to create greater impact in its work through the strength of strong partnerships in pursuing its goals.
Happy holidays and here’s to a fruitful and productive 2024 for all of us!!
The Secretariat of the International Tropical Fruits Network