The Global Agribusiness set to support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Chris Brown, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility and Environmental Sustainability for Olam, a member of the Sustainable Rice Platform, delivered a video message to the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya. The second session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2) began in Nairobi on Monday 23 May 2016, with a call for concerted efforts to revitalize the green economy and sustainability agenda. Environment ministers and representatives from over 170 countries, scientists, industry executives and campaigners are attending the five day global environmental assembly, UNEA is the world’s highest-level decision making body on the environment.

In a message sent to the meeting, UN chief Ban Ki-moon called for UN member states to hasten implementation of instruments that advance low-carbon and inclusive development.

OLAM International is one of the partners of Better Rice Initiative Asia, a sister project of ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems

25/05/201607/08/2017

‘Integrated Pest Management Training for Retailers’ makes responsible pesticides business

Retailer training is one part of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) training courses in Viet Nam in promoting safe and sustainable agriculture environment which is the collaboration between the Sub Plan Protection Departments and GIZ from 2015 to 2017, and co-funded by Croplife International.

In the line of project, a minimum of 300 retailers in three provinces of Hau Giang, Kien Giang and Dong Thap would be trained in 2016 to August 2017 by Master Trainers, who are Sub Plant Protection staff members attending the ‘Training of Trainers (ToT)’ at the Southern Regional Plant Protection Center in February 2016, also organised as part of the project.

In the recent four-day training for retailers held between 14-15 and 22-23 March 2016, 130 retailers from the three provinces attended the course. In the eight-module course (see table), the master trainers engaged the participants in the contexts of farmer’s rice production and discussion on “how to identify good advice for farmers as responsible application of pesticides”. The retailers received the IPM training certificates delivered by the Directors of Sub Plant Protection Departments and the Southern Regional Plant Protection at the end of the four-day training.

No.	Training modules
1	Introduction to responsible pesticide use
2	Understanding pesticide products and their labels: giving the best advice to customers
3	Pesticide application, equipment and calibration
4	How to be an effective crop doctor
5	Issues with pesticides
6	Transportation and storage of pesticides
7	Maximizing the safe use of pesticides and PPE
8	Better pesticide handling, first aid and conclusion

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, the Deputy Director of Hau Giang Sub Plant Protection Department, also one of the Master Trainers said: “The training helps retailers to get updates on IPM knowledge, to make responsible business of pesticides and guide them how to become doctors for plants.

“More benefits for their business will also be gained through providing good advice and consultation to their clients,” she said.

Ms. Thuy also suggested that the retailers should regularly visit farmer’s fields after the training. As a matter of fact, they can give good idea for farmers to make better decision at their rice fields.

Mr. Ho Ngoc Liem, an agricultural retailer in Long Binh Village, Long My Town, Hau Giang Province, one of the participants said: “The IPM training course provides updates on new knowledge, and approach on pesticide application via different active ingredients relating to insect resistance management. I am confident in the knowledge transferred by the IPM project and the master trainers and will use these experiences and knowledges for my business after completing the training course”.

Mr. Le Quoc Cuong, Director of the Southern Plant Protection Center under Plant Protection Department said he strongly supported retailers to apply the IPM knowledge and transfer to farmers.

“IPM and responsible pesticide application are one of the best ways to sustain retailer’s business,” he said.

GIZ/Croplife International IPM project will continue supporting the trainings to over 150 retailers during until September 2016.

By ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems Team, Vietnam

23/05/201607/08/2017

Lao experts contribute to the ASEAN Regional Guidelines on Soil and Nutrient Management

Lao national expert group exchanged good practices on soil and nutrient management as a contribution to the development of the ASEAN Regional Guidelines on Soil and Nutrient Management (ASEAN Regional GLs on SNM) at the 3rd National Expert Group Meeting on Soil and Nutrient Management conducted on 24 March 2016 at the Agriculture Land and Nutrient Management Center in Vientiane.

Based on the differences among the ASEAN Member States (AMS), the Regional Guidelines on Soil and Nutrient Management is needed for regionally coordinated guidance to facilitate decision makers in formulation of policy recommendations on soil and nutrient management in promoting sustainable agrifood systems at national and regional levels. In achieving this, consultation meetings at regional and national levels supported by ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems have been conducting regularly since 2014 to discuss concerned problems and recommendations, and exchange information and lesson learnt on implementation of management practices on soil and nutrient.

The recent national meeting dedicated for discussion on improvement of the content of country inputs as a result from the 3^rd regional meeting of ASEAN Expert Group organised in Lao PDR. At the national meeting Lao experts focused the discussion on Chapter 2 of good soil management practice and Chapter 3 of good nutrient management practice. This one day meeting mainly emphasized on soil problems and their management practices. The experts were grouped based on the discussed topics: the first group of experts worked on good soil management practices; whereas the second group dealt with good nutrient management practices.

On the good soil management practices, the experts discussed how to find the best solutions for soil acidity, soil alkalinity, slopping land, sandy soil, rice irrigation and soil structure improvement. In particular, the expert group concentrated on rain water management, upland rice and land preparation.

Regarding the good nutrient management practices, the key points of discussion included types and resources of soil nutrient management, current priority crop and fertilizer recommendation, integrated plant nutrient management, practical soil testing technique, specific nutrient indicators for farming and innovative nutrient management technology.

These key outcomes from the Lao meeting would be contributed to the 4^th ASEAN Expert Meeting on Soil and Nutrient Management to be conducted between 11 and 12 May 2016 in Brunei Darussalam.

The development of ASEAN Guidelines on Soil and Nutrient Management are facilitated by ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems.

By ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems Team, Lao PDR

19/05/201607/08/2017

Steps to inclusive sustainable agriculture in ASEAN through a value chain seminar

A ValueLinks seminar with participants from six countries in ASEAN took place recently in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Developed by GIZ as an action-oriented approach promoting economic development with a value chain perspective, ValueLinks provides essential know-how on ways to increase employment and income of small-and medium-sized enterprises, and smallholder farmers by promoting the value chains they are operating in.

Mr. Alfons Eiligmann (right) from IDC Unternehmensberatung, Germany, and Claudius Bredehöft, National Project Coordinator, ASEAN SAS Cambodia

The seminar was attended by 29 participants from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Philippines, and Thailand between 25 and 29 April 2016 and facilitated by Mr. Alfons Eiligmann from IDC Unternehmensberatung from Germany, and Claudius Bredehöft, National Project Coordinator of ASEAN Sustainable Agriifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) Cambodia.

“A clear market demand and value proposition for customers is the key drivers of inclusive sustainable agriculture development strategy. A multi-stakeholder partnership and leadership within the supply chain are needed to overcome challenges to link smallholders to markets and to integrate them into value chain, through promoted and upgraded value and risks more equitable and fairly along the value chain,” Mr. Eiligmann from IDC said.

Mr. Giri Arnawa (second from the right), National Project Coordinator of ASEAN SAS Indonesia, a co-facilitator, shared his experiences in the cross broader value chain of biocontrol agents between Cambodia and Indonesia.

The seminar gave a comprehensive introduction of 12 ValueLinks modules consisting of the project design, methods for value chain analysis and strategy formulation, solutions for upgrading in different fields, and tools for facilitation and monitoring.

The five-day training was conducted through a mix of presentations and group work sessions. Participants learned to combine the business logic with the development logic; and value chain development with process facilitation; look for opportunities when starting their businesses, not for problems; and link value chain development with regional economic development and other approaches. Four working groups were assigned to work on examples of value chain promotion in fresh vegetables, cashew nuts, coffee, and bamboo furniture.

Participant from GIZ Laos, Dr. Nittana Southiseng said she directly gained benefits of the Valuelinks model through the group work on the development of Lao Specialty Coffee Value Chains. This project used for discussion is currently established in Laos under GIZ partnership with private companies and Government of Lao.

The expectation of the seminar were for the project staff and key partners from different organisations to be familiarized with the value chain promotion approach and get a better understanding of instruments and tools used in promoting the value chain.

Ms. Thlang Sovann Pisey, Director of Khmer Organic Cooperative

Director of Khmer Organic Cooperative, Ms. Thlang Sovann Pisey, who attended the training said: “ValueLinks introduces a very interesting tool to be used to develop and link production to the market.”
A particular advantage was that the participants from the GIZ’s Improvement of Livelihood and Food Security (ILF) Programme in Cambodia and ASEAN SAS Partners including the Eco-Agri Center (EAC) and the Khmer Organic Cooperative (KOC) could establish a starting step of creating cooperation for organic vegetable deliveries from the cooperatives to the shops in Phnom Penh.

Mr. Giri Arnawa, National Project Coordinator of ASEAN SAS Indonesia, a co-facilitator, shared his experiences in the cross broader value chain of biocontrol agents between Cambodia and Indonesia in supporting the development of sustainable agrifood systems on the three pillars of sustainability value chains: planet (environmentally), people (socially), and profit (economically).

The participants also took a field visit to GRET Project in Siem Reap Province that initiated vegetables project for communities’ better livelihood. Field findings during the field visit were used to develop existing groups work to practice formulating vision, and overcoming constraints of interventions.

By Giri Arnawa and Claudius Bredehöft, ASEAN Sustainable Agriifood Systems

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

29/04/201607/08/2017

From 300 to 100,000 green farms: From Trilateral Cooperation to Lao PDR

Lao PDR expects an increase of Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) farms to 100,000 in 2020 from a current figure of 300 in 2016. This shows a clear sign of priority given by the Lao government to reach food security within the nation and a will to secure a solid slot in the international market.

In supporting the country to reach the goal, a “Strengthening National Good Agricultural Practice in Lao PDR (Lao GAP) project” was jointly developed under the framework of Lao-Thai-German Trilateral Cooperation Programme and ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) to introduce and develop functioning national GAP system in line with ASEAN standard. It was expected that farmers would produce fruits and vegetables to meet the GAP standard according to the domestic and regional demand, and also increase its competitiveness in the regional market.

After almost five years of implementation, the project now came to an end.

“The Lao-Thai-German Trilateral Cooperation is considered important because its scope of work is in accordance with the Lao PDR’s strategic plan, particularly in relation to the establishment of a Lao GAP Certification Body in preparation for integration with the AEC [ASEAN Economic Community], said Mrs. Inthanongsith Kommamuang, the Deputy Director General of the Department of Agriculture (DOA) of Lao PDR at the final Project Steering Committee Meeting on 30 March 2016 in Vientiane.

“With the efforts of the Lao Department of Agriculture alone, success might not be achievable,” she said.

Thai-German Trilateral Cooperation is a joint partnership programme initiated by Thailand and Germany to support development cooperation with the neighboring countries of Thailand such as Cambodia, Lao and Vietnam. With pooled resources of technical know-how, expertise and finances from such a close cooperation of like-minded partners, it is expected that added value and optimal results as well as effectiveness in aid delivery can be created. The priority areas of cooperation include education/vocational education, rural development including agriculture, micro-finance and SME development and health.

The Lao GAP project was made possible by the Lao DOA, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) and GIZ. Under GIZ, ASEAN SAS supported the project in phase II (October 2014 – March 2016).

The final meeting discussed a transition of gained knowledge and practices to ensure the sustainability. The discussion included identifying areas of change or improvement for the continuity activity, which further leaded to the development of strategies and proposed activities in the roadmap for a good agriculture practices in Lao PDR.

This roadmap involves the transformation of DOA’s strategy (2015-2025) to concrete action, which will help key players to determine guideline for GAP implementation to increase the number of farmers and areas receiving Lao GAP certification by three per cent, accounting for 100,000 farms by 2020. The draft roadmap, which is primarily set as a mid-term five-year plan (2016-2020), focuses on the following five main activities.

Determination of Lao GAP certification areas
Upgrading Lao GAP to national standards
Upgrading Lao GAP to meet international standards
Dissemination of Lao GAP knowledge
Measures or policy to promote Lao GAP

These five aspects will guide the development of concrete activities to further the goal of successful implementation of Lao GAP as aimed by the DOA, which will lead to the sustainable food security in the future, not only in Lao PDR or ASEAN, but also at a world level. With the tripartite cooperation, the aim of reaching 100,000 GAP farms or even beyond should not be a far-fetched concept.

By Pimpilas Nuntiphon Khoeiram, Thai–German Trilateral Cooperation, Patamasiri Hoonthong and Rojana Manowalailao, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems

25/04/201607/08/2017

West African rice stakeholders get exchanged on Thailand’s value chain coordination

Better Rice Initative Asia (BRIA) collaborated with Competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI) to organize a study visit programme on Rice Value Chain in Thailand, on 14-20 February 2016, for project partners from West Africa (WA) to directly learn from stakeholders in the Thai rice value chain, what it takes to be a leader in the global rice industry. BRIA is a sister project of ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood system.

Participating in this visit were 14 professionals selected from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Tanzania and Nigeria, who represent a range of professions from producers, service providers, to workers for government extension and advocacy organizations. They have good knowledge about rice supply chains in their country.

This CARI-BRIA Exchange Programme allowed the stakeholders in the rice value chains in those countries to exchange experience with their Thai counterparts. CARI participants were eager to understand the role of each stakeholder, support from the Thai Government, and rice production system that includes quality improvement, farm mechanization and technology as well as standards.

The participants visited stakeholders in the BRIA project site in Ubon Ratchathani in the Northeast as well as private companies and government agencies in the rice industry in Bangkok including the following:

Baan Umsaeng in Rasisalai District of Sisakhet Province

The participants learned from this self-sustaining farmer group how it manages and controls supplies of organic and Fair Trade rice for export. Registered as a Community Enterprise in 2006 with support from local DOAE (Department of Agricultural Extension), the group consists of 1,250 farmers with 20,075 rai (est. 3200 ha) in rice growing areas. It has its own milling facilities which are also shared with other organic producers in the area. Its jasmine rice is famous and has been granted “Thung Kula Rong-Hai” Geographical Indication under Thailand’s and European Commission’s standards.

The group were keen to learn about comparisons of costs and profit between transpanting and seed broadcasting techniques as they are promoting transplanting to their farmers. They were very interested in the small-scale packing house, agricultural machines and how to make compost.

Det Udom Siri Choke Miller Partnership Ltd., in Ubon Ratchathani Province

This is a private family run mill, currently managed by the 3^rd generation. The group were shown around its large compound, which consists of a cold storage warehouse filled with 20,000 tons of paddy with a basic cooling system underneath. They also observed how rice was received with some basic facilities used to reduce field heat. The participants learned about buying mechanisms and rice grades in relation to moisture content. Its 2^nd generation owner, Mr. Huangseng Sae Li, is also the president of Ubon Ratchathani Rice Miller Society.

In Thailand, millers buy paddy from local assemblers. Big rice millers pile their stocks during harvest season and keep paddy in the warehouses waiting for purchase orders from central big brokers before they mill it. Exporters are large traders who carry out refining processes and handle wholesale or retail packaging.

Capital Rice Trading

At this top rice exporter of Thailand, the participants toured one of its factories on the outskirts of Bangkok where jasmine rice is processed and loaded into rice barges or ships docking at its own wharf. Capital Rice Co., Ltd, established in 1977 under the STC Group, currently exports rice to Nigeria, South Africa, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, UAE, Jordan, Spain and France.

Capital Rice buys milled rice from both the Government’s stock and private companies. The company checks rice quality at every step of the process such as before and after loading with fine dusts and stones removed, polishing, separating broken grains, color sorting, grading, etc. The factory operates 24 hours a day, 6 days a week, all year round to fulfill its capacity of 200,000 tons a day. Sixty percent of their rice is to be processed into parboiled rice. Every single package then passes through a metal detector. The participants were impressed by the quality control. Some even recognized retail packages from this factory found in their home countries.

Thai Rice Exporters Association

The Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA), with 220 exporters as its members, was founded in 1918. This private association plays a vital role in the rice value chain in the country. Together with the Government, the association promotes worldwide recognition of Thai rice and Thailand as the most reliable supplier of quality rice. The association has the vision “to maintain the lead in world-class rice exports for Thailand.”

Participants paid attention to what African rice farmers can learn from Thailand’s experience with market liberalization and international free trade, which have attracted foreign investors and traders with technology and knowledge to the country. For example, in Niger State, NGOs and agribusiness firms are allowed to invest in development projects and farmers can learn from foreign investors. However, significant changes can occur only when the government policies support market liberalization.

TREA obtains a USD 0.5 contribution on every shipment made by its members.

Rice Department (RD)

As a government agency, one of its duties is research and development of rice varieties suitable for growing and eating. Seed production and dissemination is the main duty of the department. Rice cultivation technology generation is also undertaken by 27 Rice Research Centres situated nationwide. Besides, there are 23 Seed Centres located in the major rice producing areas. RD sells certified seeds to private seed producers, agricultural cooperatives as well as the Community Rice Centre (CRC), a registered farmer group, promoted by RD to produce commercial seeds for general farmers. RD is also responsible for farming innovation.

In 2015, RD sold 3,855 tons of seeds to farmers and bought back 4,047 tons of commercial seeds. Since the quantities demanded are greater than the quantites supplied, the private sector satisfies the rest of the market.

Lessons learned:

WA participants had an overall impression that the Thai Government supports the rice supply chain with various programmes. Several public and government-supported institutions consider rice as an important crop, not only for exports but also for improving the livelihood of rice farmers. Rice will continue to be a major crop for the country’s food security reason although it may become less competitive.

The participants felt that free market and free trade are key to develop a competitive rice industry. Allowing more players from production, processing, marketing, and exporting to come into the rice value chain will contribute to a competitive market and farmers will respond to the market demand, supported by relevant institutions.

As Thailand is a major exporter of quality rice, the Government has set clear standards for different types of rice traded on the world market. It is important that stakeholders comply with those standards, especially for quality rice, to produce quality products.

Since financial support is also vital, participants thought that financial institutions are effective to provide services, loans, and programs to rice farmers in Thailand.

Finally, public-private partnerships (PPP) with investment and assistance programmes from the private sector and academia should be promoted to support farmers and augment the Government’s efforts to enable the supply chain to function effectively and promote the rice secor.

Phillips, Fred Odame is an agribusiness and rural development specialist with over 12 years’ experience providing business and technical assistance to agro-based industries. Fred is the Country Coordinator for CARI Ghana implemented by TechnoServe. He commented that the visit created a learning platform to enable exchange of ideas on best practices to improve rice production, marketing and rice based nutrition. He had the opportunity to meet and interact with seasoned experts within the rice industry in Thailand. He gained a better understanding of the BRIA project and would use the lessons learned to improve the CARI programme in Ghana.

Kassim, Suwedi Rajab in Tanzania does farming in Mtunda village, Rufiji District. He faced great challenges from the start due to poor or unavailability of advice and assistance from concerned agricultural related organs and local authorities. Thus, he had to look for literature and the only reliable resource was the internet. He was eager to learn about water management in farms. He expected to apply the lessons learned to his farm and transfer them to local communities.

Competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI), BRIA‘s sister project in Africa, is a programme commissioned by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ in cooperation with Technoserve, Kilimo Trust, and John A. Kufuor Foundation. Its objective is to significantly improve the livelihoods of rice farmers living on less than 2$ a day in Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Tanzania by increasing the competitiveness of domestic rice supply to meet increasing regional demand. In most of West Africa, rice production has not been able to match the increases in demand triggered by population growth, rapid urbanization, increasing incomes and consumers’ preferences in terms of cost and cooking quality. Despite significant increases in rice production, WA still procures half of its rice needs through imports, which account for about 20% of the world’s rice exports. Asia (particularly Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, and India) is the major source of these imports. To date, increases in African food production, including rice, have been achieved largely through extending the area under cultivation. Unlike Asian countries, African countries have not invested in developing efficiencies that permit a low-cost rice system. Strategic investments in research & development, production and trade infrastructure and the establishment of an enabling environment that stimulates private sector initiative proceed at a slow pace.

Contributed by Kamol T. and Juejan Tangtermthong, based on the report “CARI-BRIA Exchange Visit on Rice Value Chain in Thailand” by Orachos Napasintuwong

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

20/04/201607/08/2017

ASEAN cooperation puts biocontrol national legislation on the table while boosting livelihood in the farm

When asked if Elianor Sembiring of Bio-agro-input Association, Indonesia had anything to say to farmers, he quickly replied: “Change”. Mr. Sembiring said farmers in Indonesia usually overly used chemical products in farming so that they got rid of pests quickly. And, as consequence, a lot of people were ill because they had been contacting and consuming toxic food from the toxic land in a long period of time, Mr. Sembiring said.

A similar situation is found in Cambodia. Peov Meas, a Chief of Biotechnology Laboratory of National Agriculture Laboratory said farmers in Cambodia also used a lot of chemical pesticides and fetilisers because they wanted fast results.

Excessive use of fertiliser and pesticides by farmers is one of the major challenges in the ASEAN region. Since inception, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) as part of the ASEAN-German Programme on Response to Climate Change in Agriculture and Forestry has supported sustainable eco-friendly value chains in agriculture with involvement of public and private sectors both at regional and national level.

Since 2014, the Project has provided technical assistance in developing regionally-cooperated policies and strategies and pushes for an implementation of national legislation, while promoting the use of sustainable inputs and crop management practices via biocontrol crop protection and integrated pest management, and establishing public and private partnership linkages to cover gaps in reaching sustainable cross-border value chains.

Policy at the forefront

In the past two years, ASEAN SAS has accommodated the development and incorporation of the ASEAN Guidelines on the Regulation, Use, and Trade of Biological Control Agents (BCA) into the national policies and strategies of the ASEAN partner countries. The Guidelines are the first of its kinds in ASEAN attempting to bring a holistic solution to the issue of sustainable agricultural practices. Supported by ASEAN SAS, the Guidelines were completed and underwent the endorsement process by the ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry in 2014.

As a result, the government of Lao PDR is currently developing amendments to its Pesticide Management Law that will deal with the registration of biocontrol agents while the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Cambodia is planning to develop the first national BCA guidelines within 2016. For Myanmar, ASEAN SAS will work towards the inclusion of policy recommendation on BCA regulation into national legislation in 2016.

Vietnam and the Philippines announced the inclusion of the ASEAN regulatory guidance into the national pesticide legislation in 2015, whereas in Thailand a drafting committee for developing a national action plan was established, and potential areas in improving the regulatory framework and the use of BCA were identified. Also, in 2015 the Ministry of Agriculture of Indonesia implemented the ASEAN Guidelines in a form of Decree No. 39, which was released in December.

Better livelihood in the farm

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

Indonesia not only has been active in improving its policy framework, but also in implementing concrete steps to foster the use of BCA and other bio-inputs to farmers. With technical assistance of ASEAN SAS, 150 ‘BCA Clinics’ were established across the country. The Clinics educate farmers and growers on the use of bio-inputs in agriculture. ASEAN SAS has also partnered with the agro-tourism Taman Simalem Resort together with the Islamic University of North Sumatra in Indonesia in providing knowledge and skills to local farmers in 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 inception of partnership.

Ersemina Munthe, farmer from Treasure of Farmers Group – Organik Indah Lestari said: “The profit we see here today marks the good impact of organic farming technology in our village. Through establishment of contract farming with TSr, adoption and implementation of organic farming practices, where we knew that GIZ is helping and sharing supports, we have yields increased and earn higher incomes.” Ms. Munthe, 51, has been a farmer for more than 30 years.

To promote organic cultivation among farmers in Cambodia, the CEDAC (The Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture)/GIZ (German International Cooperation) project trained farmers in implementing biological plant protection based on Trichoderma fungi, a specific form of biological plant protection. In cooperation with the USAID ‘HARVEST’ programme, the CEDAC/GIZ project focused on the diversification of the cropping system while conveying economic understanding to farmers in order to make appropriate decisions. The Project introduced cost-saving, yield-increasing, and climate change-mitigating technology Trichoderma (BCA) which aimed at improving income for 56,000 farm households.

Plant protection staffs in Vietnam were trained in Integrated Pest Managemet technical knowledge and application skills. They will serve as Master Trainers for both the training of farmers and retailers in 2016.

Him Sothea, 49, who participated in the CEDAC/GIZ project, said she now knew very well about chemical pesticides, which were hazardous to water, soil, 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. Since then, she and some other farmers in the village stopped using chemical pesticide. Instead, she used bio-inputs such as compost, cow dung, field residue, and green manure to fertile soil, and natural pesticide to control insect.

These days, Ms. Sothea makes 2,500 US dollar annually from selling organic rice from the surplus of family consumption with 15 percent above the conventional market price. She is also a leader of an organic rice producer group, which is her new title besides a mother and wife after having trained with the CEDAC/GIZ project. A survey analysis showed that due to the new knowledge gained during the training female farmers feel better confident and empowered.

In Vietnam, since November 2015 the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) project supported by GIZ and Croplife International has started knowledge and skill training for government extension staffs, farmers, and pesticide retailers in order to make appropriate decisions for the responsible and safe use of pesticides. So far, about 40 plant protection staffs were trained in IPM technical knowledge and application skills, and these specialists will serve as Master Trainers for both the training of farmers and retailers in 2016.

In Thailand, two field trials on the use of biological crop protection in comparison with application of chemical pesticides have been conducted. The objective is to demonstrate that the use of biocontrol agent is beneficial for farmers and provides them with the crops that satisfy their needs and expectation.

Mr. U-Tai Songsaeng (far back), a trader who bought the Chinese cabbage at the ASEAN SAS field trials said it is hard to believe to see such a good quality vegetable without using chemicals.

U-Tai Songsaeng, 39, a trader who came to buy the Chinese cabbage at the ASEAN SAS field trials said: “It is hard to believe to see such a good quality vegetable without using chemicals. I grow vegetable myself and I used chemicals but my vegetables did not look as good as these ones,” he said.

The results of the field trials were used to develop application guidance for environmentally friendly and safe management of pest and disease and economic models in support of future capacity development activities in other ASEAN countries.

In all, some 700 ministry officials and agricultural experts and over 15,000 farming households have been trained so far in using sustainable agricultural practices in the past two years since the inception of the Project. Cooperation with the private sector in particular has been expanded to the extent that over 50 international and local companies have invested in project activities benefiting the public interest.

German-ASEAN SAS came to its mid-term milestone in 2015. The team recently met to review the project progress, and discuss emerging issues and possibilities and challenges of the post 2015 activities.

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