In cooperation with a variety of international organizations, TWAS has since 1999 sponsored a series of workshops and encouraged the formation of networks focussing on critical science-related development issues in the South. The goal has been to highlight innovative experiences in the application of science and technology to address fundamental social and economic problems in the developing world. The initiative has been a central feature of TWAS's larger efforts to promote South-South cooperation.
The Medicinal Plant Network is a result of these efforts. It consists of a number of centres of excellence in the South that are active in medicinal and food plants research. The Network has produced the "Medicinal Plant Network Newsletter" since 2004, distributing it among members as Word documents.