ASEAN Marks Five Years of Action Against Fall Armyworm
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Regional Report Launched and New Phase of IPM & Bio-innovation Announced
The report, A Regional Response to the Introduction of Fall Armyworm into Southeast Asia: 2019–2025, highlights five years of collective ASEAN leadership and partnership in tackling a major invasive crop pest.
It provides a comprehensive account of how ASEAN Member States strengthened cooperation and built science-based and farmer-centred systems to manage Fall Armyworm (FAW).
From Rapid Spread to Regional Solidarity
When FAW was first officially detected in Southeast Asia in late 2018, it spread rapidly across maize-growing areas, placing farmer livelihoods, food security and regional trade at risk. Maize is a vital crop in ASEAN — important for both human consumption and livestock feed — and millions of smallholder farmers depend on it. However, FAW’s biology, particularly its ability to shelter deep within the maize whorl, makes chemical control costly, risky and often ineffective. There were also growing concerns about pesticide overuse, environmental impacts, and the risk of resistance.
Recognising that no country could manage this transboundary pest alone, ASEAN established the ASEAN FAW Taskforce and launched the ASEAN FAW Action Plan (2020–2025) in October 2020, approved by ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry. Since then, 10,000+ participants have been directly involved in online learning events, regional projects, and demonstration pilots held under the Action Plan. Over 100,000 have accessed the 200+ video resources (Video Library).
What ASEAN Achieved
ASEAN Member States, supported by FAO, and a broad coalition of development and regional partners, research institutions, private-sector actors and farmer organisations, have worked collectively to strengthen the monitoring and management of FAW. As a result, FAW-related yield losses have declined significantly since the initial outbreaks and are now largely under control across the region.
The ASEAN FAW Action Plan has been advanced through strong partnership support, including funding from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Regional partners from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea have also provided valuable technical and collaborative support to strengthen the region’s response. The ASEAN experience also aligned closely with FAO’s Global Action on Fall Armyworm (2019–2023), ensuring Southeast Asia played an active role in shaping global best practice on invasive pest management.
Government reporting and field experience indicate that improved farmer scouting, threshold-based spraying and better understanding of pest lifecycles have strengthened management outcomes.
Dr Nguyen Quy Duong, Deputy Director General of Viet Nam’s Plant Protection Department and Chair of the ASEAN FAW Taskforce, reflected:
“Fall Armyworm showed us that transboundary pests demand transboundary solutions. ASEAN’s strength has been our partnerships — governments, scientists, farmers and development partners working together, both within our countries, and collectively across the region. It reflects our shared commitment to protect farmers, strengthen IPM systems and build resilient food systems for the future.”
Dr Jingyuan Xia, Special Advisor to the FAO Director-General and Executive Secretary of the FAO Global Action on FAW echoed this view, highlighting the wider significance of ASEAN’s experience,
“ASEAN’s coordinated response to FAW offers valuable lessons for managing invasive pests globally — through partnership, science and strong regional leadership.”
Lessons Learned — and Remaining Risks
The Regional Report makes clear that progress has been substantial, but the work is not finished. High pesticide use remains a concern in several countries. The risk of insecticide resistance continues to require careful monitoring. And serious localised FAW outbreaks can still occur, particularly where scouting systems are weak, or when climate conditions favour rapid pest multiplication.
At the same time, new invasive species are emerging across the region, including Tomato Leafminer, Red Palm Weevil and other fast-spreading crop pests and diseases. Climate change, expanding trade routes and intensifying agricultural production are increasing the likelihood of future pest introductions.
The central lesson from the FAW experience is clear: transboundary pests require transboundary solutions — grounded in science, strong regional governance, farmer empowerment and long-term investment in IPM and biological control.
Transition to Phase 2: ASEAN Bio-innovation & IPM Action Plan (2026–2030)
The launch of the Regional Report also marks the formal transition from the ASEAN FAW Action Plan (2020–2025) to the ASEAN & Bio-innovation and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Action Plan (2026–2030).
While Phase 1 focused primarily on FAW, Phase 2 expands the approach to build a more holistic approach against other serious transboundary invasive pests, pesticide resistance and climate-driven outbreaks across multiple crops. Priority areas will include:
Scaling biological control and ecological approaches
Reducing reliance on highly hazardous pesticides
Strengthening digital surveillance and early-warning systems
Enhancing regional scientific collaboration
Supporting regulatory cooperation and bio-innovation
A first collaboration on Tomato Leafminer (Phthorimaea absoluta)
Exciting new strategic partnerships will be announced over the next 2 months.
A Regional Blueprint for Resilient Food Systems
The ASEAN response to Fall Armyworm demonstrates what is possible when governments, researchers, farmers, international organisations and development partners act collectively with urgency and purpose. What began as a regional crisis in 2018 has evolved into a model of cooperative, science-based pest management. The systems built over the last five years now form a foundation for managing the next generation of invasive pests and protecting Southeast Asia’s food security.
As climate pressures grow and agricultural risks evolve, the commitment to integrated pest management, bio-innovation and regional solidarity will remain central to building resilient, sustainable agrifood systems for the future.
Read the Report here:
2026: The Year of the Woman Farmer
To mark 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, the ASEAN Bio-innovation and IPM Action Plan will proudly launch a new series of gender-focused country studies highlighting the vital roles women and men play in crop production, pest management and farm resilience across the region.
Throughout 2026, one new country report will be released each month, showcasing the work of regional researchers and the leadership of farmers across ASEAN. The series begins next week, in celebration of Tết Nguyên Đán (Vietnamese Lunar New Year), with a spotlight on FAW management in Viet Nam. We look forward to sharing these important stories of leadership, resilience and innovation — watch this space!