‘Food sufficiency will not be just a dream’

Senator Cynthia Villar of the Philippines highlights sustainable soil management to achieve “Available and Affordable Food for the Filipino”.

In her keynote address at the 5th meeting of the ASEAN Expert Group on Soil and Nutrient Management (SNM) on 18-19 October 2016 in Manila, Senator Cynthia Villar cited the Philippines cooperation for the development of regional guidance to formulate national policies that encourage sustainable agriculture, crop production, and soil health.

Senator Cynthia Villar’s Keynote Address

“We warmly welcome to the Philippines the guests, delegates and participants to the 5th ASEAN Meeting on Guidelines on Soil and Nutrient Management.

Senator Cynthia Villar (Picture form Wikipedia)

It is indeed a very timely meeting by the ASEAN Expert Group because our new administration under President Rodrigo Duterte considers as priority the establishment of color-coded soil fertility map that our farmers can use as guide to boost agricultural production in our country. The Bureau of Soil and Water Management (BSWM) of the Department of Agriculture, this ASEAN meeting host, is in fact, in the midst of flurry of field activities to come up with color-coded maps relating to practical soil and nutrient guidelines for rice production areas, to meet the deadlines set by our president.

Department of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol has also ordered to complete the soil mapping analysis to accomplish the administration’s goal of achieving “Available and Affordable Food for the Filipino”. We have been focusing our attention on increasing rice productivity to feed our increasing population. And we are very well aware that without a sustainable and productive soil resources with which to anchor our production targets, food sufficiency will be just a dream. We acknowledge the important role of soil as a critical success factor to attain food security for this nation.

As defined by ASEAN soil experts, soil nutrient management is an integrated system to manage soils, nutrients, and crops in a sustainable manner to optimize crop production and improve soil health. To grow what we eat and to eat what we grow, we need healthy soils. We need to protect our prime agricultural lands from degradation which can come in the form of neglect as manifested by increased erosion or in the form of abuse such as over fertilization, excessive pesticide application, and intensive cropping system. We need to take the necessary steps to ensure that our soils remain healthy.

We are also alarmed about threats to healthy soils and we are taking action in reversing those threats. Among which is soil degradation, which has reached 33 percent globally and 38 percent here in the Philippines. Based on data from the Bureau of Soils and Water Management, out of the Philippines’ total land area of 29.55 million hectares, 11.45 million hectares are ‘vulnerable areas’ to land degradation or moderately to severely degraded, and 2.6 million hectares are ‘hotspots’ or in an advanced stage of land degradation and, as such priority areas for conservation measures.

Soil degradation is a threat globally, every minute we lose the equivalent of 30 football pitches of fertile soil. The threat is even more alarming in Asia, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Our region needs soil more than ever to satisfy the demands of the growing population. By 2050, we need to increase food production by at least 60 per cent to meet the needs of an additional two billion more people. Around 95 percent of our food comes from the soil. As per FAO data, most of the arable land in Asia is already fully utilized. Thus, it is imperative for us to save our soils, which is a non-renewable resource. It takes up to a thousand years for just one centimeter of topsoil to form.

This ASEAN soil experts meeting should be able to provide the necessary guidance that helps decision makers to formulate policies that encourage sustainable agriculture, crop production, and soil health. Giving emphasis on the creation of sustainable agriculture path improves the quality of life of our farmers, and ensures the productive capacity of our agricultural lands for our future generation. Any proposed new policies towards modernization and sustainable development of local agriculture need to be balanced by preserving our agricultural heritage systems that sums up centuries of wisdom and learnings on sustainable agricultural production.

Organic farming helps maintain the health of soils as it retains higher levels of essential organic matter. And there is more to organic farming than reducing the use of pesticides. It also includes crop rotation, intercropping and composting. Thus, we are intensifying our campaign in the promotion of organic farming.

Actually, our country has a National Organic Agriculture Program, which envisions the organic agriculture sector contributing to the overall agricultural growth and development of the country in terms of sustainability, competitiveness and food security. Under the said program, at least five percent of Philippine agricultural farm will be converted into organic by this year.

With this ASEAN experts meeting, which is expected to harmonize recommendation to improve soil and nutrient management, we are looking forward to learn more. And considering how soils differ, climate differs, vegetation differs, topography differs and culture differs from one are to another, we have set ourselves some ambitious goals for the ASEAN region. Thus, at this early, let me congratulate you in advance even for such efforts.

Regional consolidation of good soil and nutrient management practices, as well as standards, is a very important area of cooperation, and the Bureau of Soil and Water Management has much to share our ASEAN friends and neighbors with its past and current programs on balanced fertilization, organic agriculture, soil conservation, and sustainable corn production in sloping agricultural lands. It also has several researches not only in the area of soil fertility but also other basic soil science disciplines like soil chemistry, soil physics and mineralogy, and soil biology.

In closing, let me emphasize that the Philippines in general, is committed to the task of producing food for the nation, together with the Department of Agriculture, we would like to ensure that healthy soil is at the forefront of our policies and programs. And that the specific ASEAN task on soil and nutrient management is an important policy consideration and as cited earlier, it is among the priorities of the administration of President Duterte.

We assure you of the Philippines cooperation and we thank you very much for considering soil and nutrient management as an important area of collaboration in the region. Once more, welcome to the Philippines, I wish you success in your workshop-meeting. Have a good day!”

The 5^th meeting of the ASEAN Expert Group on Soil and Nutrient Management

The 5th meeting of the ASEAN Expert Group on Soil and Nutrient Management (SNM) was held on 18-19 October 2016 in Department of Agriculture Manila, Philippines. This two-day regional consultation meeting was attended by members of the ASEAN Expert Group on SNM from ten ASEAN Member States (AMS): Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The meeting was facilitated by Ms. Wannipa Soda, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems expert in Soil and Nutrient Management. It was hosted by Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Soil and Water Management (BSWM)

The meeting was officially opened by Ms. Sonia M. Salguero, Director of the Bureau of Soils and Water Management under the Department of Agriculture Manila, Philippines, followed by the Message by Hon. Emmanuel F. Piñol Emmanuel F. Pinol, Secretary Department of Agriculture. The opening ceremony was delivered by Senator Cynthia Villar.

The objective of this 5th^th Meeting was to review the final texts of ASEAN guidelines on Soil and Nutrient Management draft contents. The development of ASEAN guidelines on Soil and Nutrient Management to provide regionally coordinated guidance and to facilitate decision makers in formulation of policy recommendations on soil and nutrient management has been making progress towards its completion. It was expected that this two-day meeting would be resulting in critical and solid comments and feedback on the final draft, as well as future needs to foster the implementing of the guidelines in AMS.

In particular, the expert group discussion is dedicated for consideration of contents from a whole-of-ASEAN regional perspective, including accuracies of important facts and figures presented in these guidelines. As individual, AMS delegates need to focus on important issues related to their context if any key information has been left out. The group needs also to focus on opportunities and recommendations for future implementation of these guidelines.

The 4th ASEAN Expert Group Meeting was held in Brunei Darusslam on 11 – 12 May 2016 for a review of contents based on synthesis report of country inputs. A number of issues regarding finalization of the guidelines were highlighted including additional data requirement for improvement of the contents from AMS. The outcomes of the 4^th meeting were incorporated to a new draft of improved contents for finalization of exert group at the 5^th meeting in the Philippines.

02/02/201717/07/2017

Fortified rice and nutritional patterns for Indonesia

The Food and Nutrition Society (PERGIZI PANGAN) Indonesia in collaboration with Better Rice Initiative Asia (BRIA) Nutrition Component Indonesia and GIZ conducted a study on fortified rice production and a clinical impact study to gain evidence on the effectiveness of fortified rice for school children in order to reduce micronutrient malnutrition in Indonesia. BRIA is a sister project of ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems.

The general objective of this study is to gain evidence on the efficacy of fortified rice for female boarding school teenager students on improving nutritional status.

Evidence showed that consuming micronutrient fortified rice – 150g per meal, three meals a day for a period of fifteen weeks – increased haemoglobin level, ferritin level (3,31 ± 1,67 ng/mL) and folic acid level (1,62 ± 0,45 ng/mL) of teenage girls.

Indonesia is one of 17 countries with concerning nutrition problems (Global Nutrition Report by IFPRI). BRIA has stimulated the interest of the private sector to join the fortified rice business since the technology and production process have been tested and proven domestically. A number of small and big companies have become interested in producing premix kernels and fortified rice.

Rice plays an important role in Indonesians diet. About 97.7% of Indonesians consume rice every day (MOH 2015). The Indonesian population still consumes less than 50% of the amounts of vitamins and minerals required especially iron, calcium, vitamin B1, B2, B3, and B9 (Hardinsyah et al. 2012).

Iron Deficiency Anaemia (IDA) is a serious health issue that compromises the cognitive development of young children and increases the risk for maternal death at birth. According to Riskesdas 2013 (Indonesian Basic Health Research) of Ministry of Health, 37.1 % of pregnant woman, 28.1% of children under-five years and 26.4% of school children are anaemic. There is not much change in the prevalence of anaemia among children under-five and school children.

According to this study, it was also found that the participants in the urban area were interested in purchasing the fortified rice, however, under the following conditions: affordable pricing, good taste, fluffy and tender (pulen), and if there is no chemical smell.

The urban participants agreed that fortified rice is needed by each and every member of their family as a daily consumption at all times. However, this opinion will not translate into practice if they cannot afford the price. Some of them mentioned that the same condition applies to brown rice. Some of them are supposed to eat brown rice because they have diabetes. But they do not regularly buy brown rice because of the higher price compared to regular rice.

To most participants in the urban area, eating more nutritious rice for healthier lifestyle is not something they would aspire to. This may be caused by the relatively higher cost of living in the urban, compared to the rural areas. Also, the participants have limited understanding of the importance of micronutrients in the fortified rice. Thus, their preference towards fortified rice depends more on the price, texture, and taste of the rice, rather than the health benefits offered.

Read more about the study and its findings Click here

23/12/201617/07/2017

Horticulture trade held in Cambodia promotes self-sustainability and extra income among the locals

Public and private partners based in Cambodia shared their efforts to promote the better livelihood of local farmers as well as consumers through horticulture trade at a fair in Preah Vihear. About 600-700 visitors visited this one-day fair in Cambodia.

The Horticulture Trade Fair held on 30 November 2016 showcased knowledge products of approximately 20 institutions from international development cooperation, government, non-profit organisations, inputs retailers, vegetable traders, agriculture cooperatives and financial institutes based in Cambodia. About 31 booths were exhibited with a number of 108 exhibitors.

The fair was hosted by Cambodia Horticulture Advancing Income and Nutrition (CHAIN) and co-organised by the German supported ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) project, Action Against Hunger Organization, World Vision Cambodia, Private Sector including Ankor Green company, Eco Agri Co., Ltd, KENVOS company, Sinamyang company, SOKHAPOL company, HLM company, Micro Finance Institution, Idemistu Saison Micro Finance and ACELEDA Bank.

Its aims were to showcase the Cambodia’s horticulture sector and inform farmers on financial availability for agricultural investment and opportunities to expand their production area as well as to promote safe food and nutrition to farmers and consumers and give a platform for stakeholders for business dialogue and business matching.

Ms. Marieke Van Schie speech about CHAIN project

CHAIN project through SNV Netherlands Development Organization focuses on improving the value chain in horticulture on vegetable and fruit in order to improve livelihood of Cambodia’s farmers. It implements in four provinces in Preah Vihear, Steung Treng, Kratie, and Ordor Mean Chey.

The project works with all supply chain actors, but at the end of the day, Ms. Marieke Van Schie, team leader of CHAIN expressed her strong hope to see farmers being able to produce vegetable for their own consumption and make extra money from the surplus of family consumption. She said she hoped farmers got better access to agricultural supplies and inputs and turn their agrifood products to additional money through processing, packaging and grading.

“CHAIN has been implemented for two years and I observed the farmers have been changing, and private sector and new company have shown their interests in participating in horticulture. Also, traders have confidence to work together with farmer to improve horticulture in Cambodia,” said Ms. Van Schie.

Since 2015, Provincial Department of Agriculture has cooperated with CHAIN in seven districts in Preah Vihear province including districts of Preah Vihear, Tbaeng Mean Chey, Choam Khsant, Kuleaen, Chhaeb, Rovieng, and Chey Saen in oganising farmer groups for training, following up on technical support, providing demonstration on vegetable seed and assisting in market linkage.

Deputy of Provincial Department of Agriculture Mr. Kan Salorn said at the opening of the fair SNV supported the sustainable production of vegetable and fruit to increase income and nutrition for the local Cambodians.

During an opening remark, H.E Chek Heng, Deputy Governor of Preah Vihear told that in the province almost 90 per cent of its population mainly relies on agriculture sector and in that 82 per cent is rice farmers, 5 per cent is vegetable and fruit growers, 0.15 per cent is fisherman, 0.05 per cent raises animals such as chicken, cow, ducks and pig and others rely on forest product.

The total population of Preah Vihear province is approximately 170,000.

Deputy Governor said Preah Vihear is an upland area, therefore, the main challenge of growing vegetable and fruit is water. She asked CHAIN project to continue to tackle the water issue in agriculture by providing well or pond to the farmers in order to increase crop productive in the province.

During the trade fair, Eco-Agri Co. Ltd (EAC), an environmental friendly agricultural input provider, an initiation supported by ASEAN SAS, also displayed various types of vegetable seeds, biological crop protection Trichoderma, and organic fertilizer.

EAC staff urged the visitors about the effect of chemical food, and suggested organic agriculture for both production and consumer. In Cambodia the demand for organic products has become higher.

By Saody So, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems

07/07/201618/07/2017

Lao’s pesticide decree uplifted and to be finalised soon

Department of Agriculture of Laos has recently completed a series of “Government Hearing Consultation Meetings on the Pesticide Decree for Synthetic Chemicals and Biological Control Agents” participated by 115 representatives from 16 provinces.

Lao PDR has 18 provinces including Vientiane as a capital province.

Pesticides are dangerous to human, animal and environment both in short and long terms. Pesticide residues also lead to rejections of export of agriculture produces. To manage the pesticides in Lao PDR, the Decree therefore has been developed in order to ensure the safety of the living beings and environment.

The Lao government has issued a mandate stating that the current Ministerial Regulation on pesticides must be uplifted to Prime Minister Decree in order for providing more powers and measures to assigned authorities in control of the synthetic chemical pesticides while promoting the biological agents that ASEAN Member States have already harmonising its regulatory framework through the ASEAN Guidelines on the Regulation, Use, and Trade of Biological Control Agents.

Further, the Pesticides Decree will create coordination mechanism for relevant government sectors to involve and participate in controlling not only the use of the pesticides but other related activities in relation to pesticides as production, sale, transportation, importation and disposal.

After the gathering of comments and recommendations gained from Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Offices, the Pesticide Decree will be considered by the committee.

Department of Agriculture with the support of the regional cooperation project “ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS)” organised two Government Hearing Consultation Meetings on the Pesticide Decree. The first meeting was conducted on 26^th April 2016 in Bokeo province attended by 35 participants from six provinces of the northern part of Lao PDR, and the second meeting was conducted on 24^th May 2016 in Bolikhamxay province with 80 participants from ten provinces in the central and southern parts of the country.

The participants requested the committee to look into comments and recommendations of the two consultation meetings to review technical words in the Pesticide Decree such as the words ‘Pesticide Decree’ and ‘Pests’ and check the whole contents in the Decree because there are overlapped in some Articles. Comments and inputs as technical support were also provided by experts from the ASEAN SAS.

The key recommendations from the two government hearing consultation meetings will be considered and incorporated into the final draft of the Pesticide Decree that will be finalised at the round table committee meeting to be organised in the near future.

After that, the final draft of the Pesticide Decree agreed by the Committee will be considered and approved by the Council for Science and Technology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry before a signature endorsement by the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry.

By ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems Team, Lao PDR

03/05/201610/07/2017

From organic farmers to organic customers

Recently opened in Phnom Penh, the Eco-Agri Center provides complete services to link organic farmers to markets. The centre is connecting networks of biological input suppliers, knowledges, practitioners, farmers, and markets in order to fill the gap in the organic value chain needed to promote organic products. It trains farmers on organic farming at no cost, supply chemical-free products to eco-friendly production, and create market channels for healthy products.

“I did not know much about organic food and where to buy it. So I had been eaten vegetables from conventional markets which, normally, contained high levels of chemical. It had indeed affected my health badly, and I went to health check-ups two to three times per week sometimes because I felt very weak,” said Ms. S. Chan Ut, 29, who works at an organic farm in Chroy Svay Village, Koh Kong Province, Cambodia.

“Now that I work at the organic farm, I do not have those health problems anymore, and I learn about organic farming techniques which I can apply on my family organic farm directly.”

Agriculture is one of the cornerstones of Cambodia’s economy. Almost a third of the land area in Cambodia is dedicated to agricultural activities. Slightly more than half of the country’s population is employed in the agricultural sector which generates 33.5 percent of the overall GDP (World Bank, 2013). Despite crop production nearly doubling since 2006 and an overall increasing food production, the sector still faces a number of severe challenges. One of them is low-quality products and even fertilizers with toxic ingredients inundate the Cambodian market due to the absence of unified standards and weak control mechanisms of agri-inputs.

The Eco-Agri Center is a joint initiative of GIZ Cambodia (through ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems–ASEAN SAS), and the Khmer Organic Cooperative. ASEAN SAS is a regional project that operates under the German-ASEAN Program on Response to Climate Change (GAP-CC). The overall objective of the project is to develop regionally coordinated policies and strategies addressing sustainable agriculture and food production and food security, and to strengthen sustainable agrifood systems.

By Yotsawin Kukeawkasem and Rojana Manowalailao, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems

20/04/201610/07/2017

Food and nutrition security is a true challenge

One in ten people in ASEAN is hungry and 9.6 per cent of people living in Southeast Asia are under-nourished, according to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Though many ASEAN countries improved significantly in poverty reduction, and securing adequate food, many are still struggling in producing safe and nutritious food that meets dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life, according to a definition agreed at 1996 World Food Summit.

A high level policy dialogue on Food and Nutrition Security and the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework in Myanmar was organised in Nay Pyi Taw in September 2015.

Food and nutrition security has been put into the global agenda for decades; however, putting sufficient, affordable, nutritious, and safe food on the table for all populations remains a true challenge. This does not include the fact that food production will need to increase by at least 60 per cent to provide food security for the 9 billion people over the next 35 years.

Aiming at improving food and nutrition security in the region, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) has been providing technical supports to ASEAN Member States on policy framework, implementation of production technologies, and market linkages over the past two years since started.

The project gears to increase awareness and understanding of food security and nutrition and the ‘ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework’ among the Member States and pushes for an implementation of national policies and strategies in line with the AIFS Framework as a solution for long-term food security in the ASEAN region. The AIFS Framework was adopted by the ASEAN leaders in 2009, and was reiterated in 2014.

Food production will need to increase by at least 60 per cent to provide food security for the 9 billion people over the next 35 years.

Having this aim in mind, policy dialogues on food security and nutrition and the AIFS Framework in Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Thailand were organised to give platforms for relevant ministries and concerned parties to discuss key challenges, issues, roles and responsible of the agencies concerned, and the contribution of the Sustainable Agrifood Systems towards food security.

Mr. Cheattho Prak from Cambodia (right) said he was now better aware that food and nutrition security was not only about producing a sufficient amount of food for the country.

In contributing to food security and nutrition policy, trainings on food and nutrition security for regional practitioners, and government officers in Lao PDR, and Thailand were also conducted in 2015 to raise awareness and understating on food and nutrition security and strengthen capacity of the personnel at regional and national levels in developing and implement effective policies and strategies addressing food and nutrition security.

Mr. Cheattho Prak, Deputy Director-General of the General Directorate of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in Cambodia said before the regional training he initially only concerned about producing sufficient food to meet the demands of the country when talking about food and nutrition security.

“I am now better aware that food security is also about having a sustained variety of nutritious and safe food. For example, children should know about the kind of food they eat, how to select and cook properly,” he said.

Organic vegetables are displayed at a shop in Taman Simalem Resort supplied by local farmers living nearby the resort.

ASEAN SAS has in addition implemented pilot projects with public and private sectors to showcase successful crop protection and pest management models through the use of Biological Control Agents (BCA) and Integrated Pest Management that sustain the livelihoods and competiveness of local agriculture for the future development of regionally-coordinated and national policy and strategy recommendations.

Indonesia, for example, the Project has partnered with the agro-tourism Taman Siamalem Resort (Tsr) together with the Islamic University of North Sumatra in providing knowledge and skills to local farmers on the use of bio-inputs, and giving certification support for organic production. About 70 farmers adopted organic practices and received ‘Organik Indonesia’ certification. Income of organic farmers was increased by 180 percent for growing organic fruits and vegetables since the establishment of partnership.

Ersemina Munthe, farmer from Treasure of Farmers Group – Organik Indah Lestari said: “We have yields increased and earn higher incomes because we change from traditional farming with chemical inputs to organic practices. And, we have farming contract with Tsr which provides us supports needed for organic farming and also receive our produces at a guaranteed price.”

Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. (1996 World Food Summit)

Besides the continuing support of policy and strategy development at regional and national levels, in 2016-2017 ASEAN SAS will be particularly focusing on public-private partnership to complete the sustainable value chain needed to promote the use of bio inputs, soil and nutrient management, best production technologies, and successful business models that contribute to sustainable agrifood systems in the future.

By Rojana Manowalailao, Sustainable Agrifood Systems

11/04/201610/07/2017

Public-private partnership cooperation boosts biocontrol market in ASEAN

When Cambodian biocontrol supply agent met Indonesian biocontrol producers and suppliers, cash will flow, and Cambodian farmers will earn benefits from the use of Indonesian made biocontrol products.

Eco-Agri Centre representatives visits the HETTS Biolestari which produces biological rodent control.

A recent trip of Eco-Agri Centre (EAC) representatives from Cambodia to Indonesia promised a bright future of biocontrol market between the two countries. The EAC representatives spent a half day with delegates from Indonesia Bio-Agro Input Association (ABI) in Medan, North Sumatera, Indonesia on 22 March 2016 at a know-how workshop on “Cambodia-Indonesia Market Initiation for Bio Agro Input Products” to discuss possibilities for further collaboration to promote sustainable agriculture practice through biocontrol products as a solution for long-term food security.

Biological control input suppliers from Cambodia are having discussion with biocontrol input producers from Indonesia to seek future collaboration to support sustainable agriculture practice.

Vice Director of EAC Cambodia, Ms. Mao Canady, said: “The Eco-Agri Centre (EAC) is looking to build a network of bio-agro input producers and suppliers in Indonesia, and strengthen the value chain needed to provide and promote such products in Cambodia. The EAC will go a step further to sell the chemical-free pesticides to farmers to support the growing trend of organic products and farming techniques.”

Opened in March 2016 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the EAC is a joint initiative of GIZ Cambodia through ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) project, and the Khmer Organic Cooperative. The centre provides complete services to link organic farmers to markets by training farmers on organic farming at no cost, making chemical-free products available for sales, and creating market channels for the healthy products.

Mr. Elianor Sembiring from Bio-Agro Input Association, Indonesia (left) and Ms. Mao Canady, Vice Director of Eco-Agro Centre, Cambodia (right)

The half day bio-agro input market initiation workshop was participated by bio-input producers and suppliers who are members of ABI Indonesia, and two Malaysia’s bio-input producers who produce Electronic Fertilizer and Slow Release Fertilizer Product. ABI was established in 2008 with support from a Commercialization of Biopesticides in Southeast Asia project in promoting biocontrol products for crop protection. ABI provides assistance to small-and-medium-size bio fertilizer and bio pesticide producers and suppliers on registration and legal consultation and promotes the use of bio-agro input products to farmers. To date there are 51 registered bio-agro input products from 18 companies under ABI.

The workshop tied a good cooperation between the two parties in jointly promoting cross-border value chains of bio-agro input products.

On behalf of ABI Indonesia’s members, Secretary General of ABI, Mr. Elianor Sembiring expressed his gratitude to the EAC delegates upon the visit and a business opportunity and cooperation in the future in the field of biological farming input products.

Chief Operation Officer of PT. Indo Acidatama Tbk, Mr. Hartanto who expressed his willingness to invest and expanding his factory in Central Java to produce bio-organic fertilizers in Cambodia said: “I hope this mutual partnership initiation will provide relevant benefits and develop the economies of both countries between Indonesia and Cambodia in particular, and in ASEAN countries in terms of keeping in view the environment aspect.”

A visit to the biocontrol producer in Medan, Agro Tani Marisi that produces granule and liquid organic fertilizer

After the half-day workshop, the EAC representatives visited a bio-fertilizer factory of PT. Agro Tani Marisi in Medan that produces granule and liquid organic fertilizer. Owner, Mr.Tulus Sitorus introduced a chain process of production including sourcing of raw material from coffee waste, sugarcane waste, manure of cows, and magnesium from mining. The EAC representatives expressed interests for the future cooperation and offered to supply these biocontrol products to Cambodia.

“I will provide a good quality product with competitive price, as well as samples of product to be tested and demonstrated to organic vegetable farmers in Cambodia.” said Mr. Sitorus.

The EAC representatives also visited PT HETTS Biolestari which produces biological rodent control. The product is rat bait that contains living stages of the single celled parasites Sarcocystis singaporensis. Naturally, the parasite lives in certain snakes and rodents and is harmless for its hosts.

The “Cambodia-Indonesia Market Initiation for Bio Agro Input Products” trip was facilitated and supported by GIZ’s ASEAN SAS Indonesia and Cambodia.

“It was a great experience indeed what we have gained from the trip to Indonesia for the market initiation on bio-agro input products with members of ABI Indonesia,” said Ms. Canady from the EAC.

By Giri Arnawa, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems Indonesia

28/03/201610/07/2017

A better multi-sectoral collaboration and coordination mechanism to reach food security and nutrition is needed in the region

One in ten people in ASEAN is hungry and 9.6 per cent of people living in Southeast Asia are under-nourished. These figures of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) were presented at the “ASEAN Inter-sectoral Consultative Conference on Food Security and Nutrition” recently held between 23 and 24 February 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Although many countries in ASEAN improved greatly in poverty reduction, many are still struggling with child malnutrition. As lessons learned from the Millennium Development Goal framework specific to nutrition, it is realised that the focus on undernutrition was too narrow, and that synergies between nutrition and other sectors were underexploited

In handling these food and nutrition security issues more effectively, the recent ASEAN Inter-Sectoral Consultative Conference on Food Security and Nutrition brought together 90 delegates from nine ASEAN Member States, namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam particularly in seeking better inter-sectoral collaboration and coordination between relevant ASEAN Sectoral Bodies related to agriculture, rural development, health and social welfare for achieving food security and nutrition. Representatives of UN Agencies, International Organizations, and Development Partners also attended.

This multi-sectoral consultation meeting in food and nutrition security was the first of its kind in ASEAN. It underlined the importance of promotion of nutrition-enhancing agriculture by creating awareness and understanding among ASEAN sectoral bodies as well as sustaining cooperation through multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder engagement, including the improvement of public expenditure for food security and nutrition and additional investment and financing.

The Conference also echoed the importance of the exchange of the experiences and lessons learnt from the ASEAN Member States.

This event was organized with support of FAO in collaboration with German International Cooperation (GIZ) and World Health Organization (WHO).

Mr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn, a Senior Regional Advisor to ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems project

ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) as part of the ASEAN-German Programme on Response to Climate Change in agriculture and forestry represented GIZ at this event. ASEAN SAS supports policy makers and stakeholders to implement the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework by focusing on the promotion of sustainable food production at the national level.

“Sustainable agriculture and food systems can be seen as central core for the partnership. Food security and nutrition is a complex and cross-cutting set of issues. In achieving food security and nutrition it requires inter-sectoral and multi-sectoral cooperation and partnership,” said Mr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn, ASEAN SAS’s regional advisor.

Food security as foundation should have sustainable agrifood systems to promote means of livelihood, competitiveness and ensuring staple supply of food. Towards long-term food security in the ASEAN region, Sustainable Agrifood Systems is regarded as the long-term sustainable approach (in its social, economic and environmental dimensions). ASEAN SAS project recognizes the importance and contribution of sustainable agriculture systems as a core strategy in achieving the food security and nutrition goals and targets.

By Rojana Manowalailao, Sustainable Agrifood Systems

23/02/201610/07/2017

Philippines expert stresses the need for governments to formulate and implement a cohesive policy based on real situations

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Mr. Gerald Cammagay, a Science Research Specialist with the Philippines’s Organic Agriculture Division recently attended the 6^th Project Partner Meeting of the ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) in Vientiane, Lao PDR where he gave this interview

What is the role and responsibility of your agency?

“We are the Bureau of Agricultural and Fishery Standards and responsible for the formulation of standards related to food safety and also regulation of organic agriculture. So, in supporting the sustainable agrifood systems, we would introduce the best practices in doing sustainable agriculture, especially and specifically on good agricultural practices and organic agriculture. It is sustainable in a sense that it will follow the international guidelines on farming.

“We face problems like the overuse of the agricultural lands. We plant every season without considering giving back what is taken from the soil. The excessive use of chemical fertilizsers and chemicals is the natural calamities.”

In the aspect of organic agriculture, we consider the three components, which are livelihood or the economic status, environmental friendly and also farmers’ health very important. We are buying by the principle that if a farmer is not healthy, he will not benefit from his livelihood. It will be used for medication. So, it is useless. And, the environment will be at stake. The neighbors will get sick. The river systems will be contaminated. So, we believe that in doing this [sustainable agriculture], it would sustain the three factors, especially for farmers that they can do their job well and the soil is being conserved. It would result into sustainability.”

Staff at the Clean Agriculture DevelopmentCenter II during ASEAN experts’ field visit, part of the 6th Project Partner Meeting and related meetings in Lao PDR.

What are the issues and challenges in promoting sustainable agrifood systems in your country?

“For sustainable agriculture in the Philippines, we face problems like the overuse of the agricultural lands. We plant every season without considering giving back what is taken from the soil. The excessive use of chemical fertilizers and chemicals and also the challenges we face is the natural calamities. The Philippines is the way of Typhoon, and Monsoon. I think those are the major problems we face. So, it is really going into the point that the farmers are not doing this sustainable farming. So, we try to educate them, train them, send them to workshops, and give seminars to them for them to be aware of the problems what may happen if they do not do the sustainable way.”

To you, why is sustainability important?

“Sustainability is very important because what you have today might be lost tomorrow because of the wrong practices, and wrong techniques.”

Mr. Gerald Cammagay presents the updates of sustainable agriculture activities in Philippines at the 6th-Project Partner Meeting.

In order to promote the sustainable agrifood systems, can you give some examples of the activities that your organisation do?”

“In relation to sustainable agriculture, we do information dissemination and we collaborate with our local counterparts who do the actual jobs. We do the policy formulation. But, on the ground works it is the local counterparts who implement it. We really have to make the best guidelines or practices for them to really apply it in the field.”

What do you think the information dissemination can do?

“This is to raise awareness of what we have developed at the national level. It will be passed on to the lower levels, and farmers will know if they follow this standards or guidelines, it will result to better things. They will not stay with their old practices, so it is like an innovation and we are informing them, educating them, and passing the information to the ground level.”

Organic vegetables at the Clean Agriculture DevelopmentCenter II in Lao PDR.

Has there been any progress?

“The progress right now is that the introduction of specifically this Good Agricultural Practice [GAP] is gaining popularity and many farmers are getting involved in it. This GAP certification is important in marketing and export possibility. It is developed at a national level. Also, it has been developed at a local level like GAP certification but at a local level for their products to be able to compete in the market either local or international. So, it gains so much interest and many are getting involved in it.”

How do you do that?

“We have a very strong campaign so we have conducted GAP caravans. We go around provinces and regions for the simultaneous seminars and information dissemination. We meet with the local farmers directly. That is the strategy we implement. For example, in a case of onions in the Philippines which are the commodity for export for Indonesia and some parts of the world, we make sure with the onion producers that Indonesia and the world market require the GAP certification, so with these the farmers have to have their farms being certified by GAP, so they would be able to export. I think it is quite successful.”

“Government has to do his job to really know what the real situation is. And upon knowing the real situation they will base those real experience, real situations in formulation of good policies and that would be very good for the farmers [and everyone].”

Agricultural experts from Philippines at the ASEAN SAS’s 6th Project Partner Meeting.

What else can be done in your opinion in promoting sustainable agriculture practices?

“I would suggest that it is really about going down to the farmers’ field and let them speak of what are really the hurdles, and what are the problems they face. And, that information will need to be used in the planning, and development of policies. So, it is based on the actual situation, not mainly based on theory, but it must be based on true facts.”

Is there anything you would like to say?

“The government has to do his job to really know what the real situation is. And, upon knowing the real situation they will base those real experience, and real situations in formulation of good policies and that would be very good for the farmers. It is like a bottom-up line. We call it the bottoms up because from the bottom we have farmers. It will be related on the national level.”

Over 70 experts from ten ASEAN Member States recently met in Lao PDR to mark the ASEAN SAS project’s mid-term milestone and discuss emerging issues and challenges to food security, including environment and climate changes in order to develop strategies for project activities post 2015. ASEAN SAS, since the inception of the second phase in 2014, has implemented activities under three priority areas namely policy framework, production technologies and market linkages to encourage regional cooperation in promoting sustainable food production at the national level as well as enhancing synergies and boosting greater impact in respective countries. The 6th Project Partner Meeting and related Mmeetings run on 17-20 November 2015 co-hosted by the Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR.

Delegates from Philippines at the ASEAN SAS’s 6th Project Partner Meeting on 17-20 November 2015 in Lao PDR.

Interviewed and photos by Rojana Manowalailao, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems

Transcribed by Sabrina Kessler, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems

23/12/201511/07/2017

She is happy and proud (both at home and farm): A story of woman in Cambodia shows everyone has the rights to better livelihood

Him Sothea, 49, a mother of three daughters, living in Chum Teavchreng Village, Tang Krous commune, Kampong Chhnang Province. Her older daughter is 21 years old, studying at university in Phnom Penh while the youngest is studying at grade 7 in the community. Ms. Sothea has been working in agricultural farming since she was young. Her parents and so do her grandparents were farmers. After her graduation at grade 6, she married and cultivated rice on one and a half hectares of land in the same way her ancestors had been doing.

“Before joining this project of CEDAC/GIZ, I was too shy to be in meeting. When attending the meeting people did not listen and pay attention to me while I was talking and sharing information. May be they see that I am poor and illiterate,” she said.

Ms. Him Sothea is an example of the woman who could change her life from nobody to a well-recognized organic rice farmer.

Since 2006, Ms. Sothea has participated in the CEDAC (The Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture) /GIZ (German International Cooperation) project where she could learn more about agriculture technique to improve production, and she was assigned as a leader of an organic rice producer group that requires a lot of time for the participants to be in the meetings, trainings, and various facilitation and monitoring activities while her husband was working at the field.

At that time, her husband was unhappy because a neighbor told him that women should not go out of a house to attend the meeting, or training. They should be at home for cooking and farming. But, this could not stop her from doing her out-of-the-house work. She started to share what she learnt from the meetings with her husband and it made him gradually understand and let her continue what she was doing.

In her normal days, Ms. Sothea wakes up at 4 am for cooking, doing home gardening, feeding pigs and cows and during rice production seasons doing some field works including ploughing, transplanting, harvesting and threshing on the family’s four hectare of land. During the day time in the production season, she only make time for 30-minute-rest while in the off production season she manages to have one hour rest. Right now, she has four hectares in total for organic agriculture.

“In the beginning, the villagers did not concern much about health care, sanitation and any input source for agriculture. They spent a lot of money for chemical fertilizer. But today things are getting better,” Ms. Sothea said.

The source of food for her daily consumption comes mostly from her own farm. From the surplus of family consumption, she makes 2,500 US dollar annually from selling organic rice with 15 percent above the conventional market price. Apart from agriculture, she earn 40 US dollar monthly from her part time job in rolling as a village statistical collector, women and children health and gender promoter at the village.

“In the beginning, the villagers did not concern much about health care, sanitation and any input source for agriculture. They spent a lot of money for chemical fertilizer. But today things are getting better,” she said.

In the family, she is mostly responsible in decision making. Her husband mostly leaves it to her as he does not want to deal with family related matters and only wants to work in the farm.

“My husband does not speak or communicate much with others or even me. He is not very active in farming activities and he drinks wine every day,” she said.

Through her own observation, men in the community do lesser activities associated with the immediate care and maintenance of the households such as children caring. Women are usually concerned with issues relating to family, health, food, child’s study and social work. In farming, she sees that women have the primary responsibility for the care and maintenance of the rice seed, livestock and home garden.

“I think women benefit directly from the CEDAC/GIZ training and meeting. I think men may see it is not important for them. However, the men are constantly updated about results of the trainings and meetings,” she said.

Ms. Sothea now knows very well about chemical pesticides which pollute water, soil quality, and beneficial insect and human health. She said recently a neighbor farmer in the village died at the field because he was not instructed well to use pesticides against insect crab in rice field. With this reason, she and some other farmers in the village stop using chemical pesticide. Instead, she uses compost, cow dung, field residue and green manure to fertile soil and natural pesticide to against insect.

“The villagers now feel confident on me and trust me on the information. They have seen that I have changed positively not only in terms of my livelihood, but also in terms of training facilitation, public speaking and social responsibility.”

For her future plan, Ms. Sothea wants to scale up the organic production and apply biocontrol agents to her rice farming.

For her future plan, Ms. Sothea wants to scale up the organic production and apply biocontrol agents in case there is any problem with soil borne and foliar disease in her farm. Ms. Sothea is an example of the woman who could change her life from nobody to be a well recognized organic rice farmer in the community through her activities in transferring the knowledge from the training to other farmers and improve various social contributions.

The training and meeting consists mainly women participants who are acting as multipliers to transfer their gained knowledge to farmers and other cooperatives. Based on the training, a survey analysis showed that knowledge of women farmers increases in terms of production techniques, biological plant protection as well as the usage of pesticides and organic cultivation methods. It also gave awareness of the effects on the environment such as degradation and water pollution as well as the effects on human’s health by using chemicals and pesticides.

The study also showed that women got empowered through capacity development measures provided by the CEDAC/GIZ project. The acquired knowledge increased the self-confidence and the role of women in the agricultural sector and in society. Besides, the confidence of women increased in terms of public speaking, social responsibility and decision making capacity in family.

The CEDAC/GIZ project in Cambodia promotes organic cultivation among farmers in the country. It trains farmers in implementing biological plant protection based on Trichoderma fungi, a specific form of biological plant protection. In cooperation with the USAID project HARVEST, the aim is to improve the yield in rice and vegetables of a total of 500 smallholder farmers. About 6,000 could be reached indirectly.

By Channa Samorn, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems