Agriculture officer from Malaysia talks about challenges in supporting sustainable agrifood systems

MAIN_Mr.-Ismail-Iberahim-rightand-the-other-delegates-from-Malaysia-at-the-6th-Project-Partn

Mr. Ismail Iberahim, Principal Assistant Director of Plant Biosecurity Division with Malaysia’s Department of Agriculture recently attended the 6th Project Partner Meeting of the ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) in Vientiane, Lao PDR where he gave this interview.

What is your role and responsibility at your agency?

“My role is supporting sustainable agriculture. As an agricultural officer, my role is to teach the farmers about good agricultural practices and sustainable agriculture is also included.”

Why do you think we need to support sustainable agriculture?

“We need to be looking for safety first. In agriculture production, what is the most important is not the quantity of the food produced but its quality. The food we produce must be safe to consume. And, everybody in the society no matter if he or she is rich or poor should get chances to similar safe food. There should not be any differences.”

What are the challenges in supporting sustainable agrifood systems in Malaysia?

“The major challenge in promoting sustainable agrifood systems in Malaysia is making everybody know what the sustainable agrifood systems are and why we need the sustainable ways to produce our food. When people understand, they will recognize and appreciate sustainable agriculture produce, and will be looking for it and willing to pay more for it.”

What would you explain to make people understand what the sustainable agriculture is?

“The sustainable agriculture is the natural way in doing agriculture, for example, we use the natural fertilizer, recycle the waste in the farm, and if possible try to minimize the use of chemicals. The most important thing is we need to conserve our environment and natural resources. When we change the nature, it has very negative effects to the environment.”

“In agriculture production, what is most important is not the quantity of the food produced but its quality. The food we produce must be safe to consume.”

How have the issues been tackled so far in your country?

Staff at the Good Agriculture Practice farm waters vegetables during ASEAN experts’ field visit, part of the 6th Project Partner Meeting and related meetings in Lao PDR.

“So far, in Malaysia only the farmers have been taught about sustainable agriculture. And the rest, the majority of the people, do not know about it. When this happens, the farmers do not get any recognition or any appreciation from the major society for doing sustainable agriculture farming. That is why it is very difficult to make the farmers follow or adopt the sustainable agriculture practices. To them, it does not make any difference whether they follow it or not. They do not get any profit, or any kinds of incentive. For example, although they get a certificate for Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), but if they will not get any higher price for their farm produces, the certificate will be no use for them. I think this issue must be tackled. All the people, not only the farmers, need to know what the sustainable agriculture is and complete the chain of the sustainable agrifood systems.”

If you could do anything, what would you like to do in supporting sustainable agrifood system?

“In my mind I would like to educate everybody. Let everybody knows what sustainable agrifood systems are. And, I wish that I could use whatever channel of media, TVs or newspapers, to make the information reach the target. If it is only just the farmers who are aware of these, we will not get success.”

“I wish some days in our ASEAN community people will change attitudes.”

Is there anything that you would like to say?

“I wish some days in our ASEAN community people will change attitudes. For example, in the developed countries people are caring for the environment, and concern about how they are doing agriculture. I am working with Pesticide Control Division, so I always compare. For example, between Malaysian farmers and farmers from the developed country the way they think, it is very different. Farmers in the developed countries are going for safe food. They concern about safety first, and they conserve the environment. If possible, they do not want to use the chemicals anymore. They go for the natural enemy, instead. But in the developing countries, especially in Malaysia, farmers are only just thinking to get the high volume of the produces and with the good looking ones. They also want the fast effect and they are not thinking about tomorrow, but just thinking for today. I wish one day, our farmers can change their attitude towards sustainable agriculture.”

If they do not change, what would happen in the next five or ten years?

“May be, during the time the soil will be deteriorating. The soil will not be fertile anymore. May be, farmers will use double or triple fertilizers compared to today, May be, during that time too many pests have been resistant to the pesticides. May be, during that time there is no more natural predator around and we only have to depend on the chemicals. It will be a very bad situation if these happen.”

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.

Interviewed and photos by Rojana Manowalailao, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems

Transcribed by Sabrina Kessler, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems

Delegates from Malaysia at the ASEAN SAS’s 6th Project Partner Meeting and related meetings in Lao PDR, November 2015.

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.

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.”

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

15/02/201607/08/2017

Cambodia Rice Federation features ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems in supporting safety and sustainable food production

Rice is one of the major crops both for Cambodia and South-East Asia. Since the agriculture sector struggles to meet the demand, the use of chemical inputs is increasing. Farmers believe that chemical inputs can foster productivity, eliminate pests and boost profit. However, improper use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizer may contribute to various problems including farm losses, ecological risks and health hazards. In addition, detected chemical residues in food can threaten export opportunities. Between 2006 and 2010, the value of synthetic pesticides imported into Cambodia and used for rice cultivation increased by 285 times (FAO 2012).

To address this concern, the ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN-SAS) project by GIZ aims to provide solutions for long-term food security in Cambodia as well as in the whole ASEAN region through the development of regionally coordinated policies and strategies for sustainable agriculture. This also includes promotion of cross-border value chains in cooperation with public decision-makers, agricultural enterprises as well as farmer and private associations. Agrifood systems are sustainable when they are profitable along the value chain. The project focuses on three components comprising policy framework, production technology and market linkage.

In order to reduce the use of hazardous synthetic pesticides the project developed the ASEAN Guidelines on the Regulation, Use and Trade of Biological Control Agents (BCA) with regional experts. This Guideline was endorsed by ASEAN in 2014 which the projects supports to implement in Cambodia.

In 2015, two National fora on regulation, use and trade of Biocontrol Agents (BCA) were organized with cooperation between Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery(MAFF), GIZ and Cambodia Harvest implemented by Fintrac Inc with the aim to provide an opportunity to different stakeholders for sharing successful experiences in agricultural production by using BCA, which are living organism, nontoxic mechanism and specify target enemy. Biocontrol Agents were group into 4 product categories as state as below:

Macro-organisms (macrobials),
Semiochemicals (mostly pheromones, kairomones, etc.)
Natural products (plant extracts or ‘botanicals’, fermentation and other products)

They are most applicable in the context of appropriate Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies that emphasize preventative pest management: with regular observation of the crop and timely, targeted intervention only where required.

Trichoderma is one of BCA that can help farmers grow better crops and have higher income while protecting the soil environment. They are living freely in soil in agricultural and natural environments and permitted in organic farming according to international regulations. The best use of Trichoderma can be used as soil amendment, foliar spray and seed coating. It grows rapidly below 30 C temperature and 5-6.8 of pH soil.

Trichoderma species are effective against soil-borne fungal pathogens , especially causing root rot, damping off , and wilting

In 2014, ASEAN-SAS supported field demonstrations of Trichodema with rice which was evaluated by the General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA) under MAFF (see table). As a result, using Trichoderma in combination with compost or manure can significantly boost yields up to 6 tons per hectare, healthy roots and resist to rice blast disease and drought.

Further it can premature harvest comparing to the control plot. GIZ developed a Manual on Trichoderma and can facilitate trainings on the application and advice where the product is available.

In 2016, the project plans field experiments with Matarhizum, which is found as effective BCA against the brown plant hoper, especially in rice production. The third national forum on regulation, use and trade of biocontrol agents in Cambodian Agriculture is planned in the beginning of 2016 in Phnom Penh. (www.crf.org.kh)

Contact:

Claudius Bredehöft

National Project Coordinator Cambodia

ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS)

claudius.bredehoeft@giz.de

Source: Cambodia Rice Federation Magazine, October-December 2015

14/01/201607/08/2017

Head of Crop Protection from Brunei Darussalam stresses building close relationship with farmers would lead to sustainable agriculture future

Mr. Noor Azri Bin Haji Mohamad Noor from the Department of Agriculture talked about issues and challenges in sustainable agriculture and the role of his unit in tackling them. Mr. Noor recently attended the 6th Project Partner Meeting of the ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) in Vientiane, Lao PDR where he gave this interview.

Mr. Noor Azri Bin Haji Mohamad Noor prepared a presentation with his ASEAN expert colleagues at the 6th Project Partner Meeting of the ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems in Lao PDR

Can you please tell us about the role of Crop Protection unit?

“Our role is basically to advise and help farmers and the public to deal with problems in controlling pest and disease problems on all crop commodities”

How do you see that sustainable agrifood systems are important?

“I think now that people are talking about food security everywhere around the world, so it is quite important that we need to give awareness or improve farmer’s perception on sustainable agricultural systems. Eventhough we focus on high production and higher yield, we just cannot forget that these are resources and if we damage them, it will not sustain. Then, where are we going to plant in the future if we damage our soils, if we damage our environment and if we just keep producing and we do not care about the systems?”

Are there any issues or challenges in your country?

“In our country, with regard to sustainable agriculture, I think people are aware of it but it is just that the Department needs to focus more on telling them to use IPM (Integrated Pest Management). Although we have been doing things like talking to farmers, and talking to Department staff about different methods of control, and different methods of soil and nutrition [conservation], we need to keep telling them that there is no one specific answer in the field that when you do your crops if you have problems, this is the only way that you can tackle it. There are always ways and methods to combine, so IPM is a very important issue although people are not really aware of it anymore. People just care about only using pesticides and they do not realize that they are using too much pesticide or they use a lot of inorganic fertilizer and the soil will in the end not be so fertile anymore.”

“I do hope that farmers and also private sector can come to an agreement someday that sustainable agriculture is the way to go. So we can always get their supply without damaging the environment.”

Is there a lot of overuse of chemical substances?

“I am not sure about the soil part, but in terms of pesticides, there are cases that we do know that farmers although they do not really admit to it but we do know certain times they use over excessively. And we just need to go out there. The Department needs to go out there at certain times in one month just to refresh their memory that they do not really need to use it all the time. And then, we do want to focus them actually to shift their use instead of using pesticides excessively, we want them to depend on their natural enemies that are in the fields. We have done surveys a couple of years ago with a consultancy project and we found that in our paddy fields and in our vegetable fields, there is actually more natural enemies in the paddy fields up to harvest because there is no use of pesticides at that period, but in our vegetable field and in our vegetable farm we can hardly get natural enemies. It shows clearly that the farmers are using pesticides. So we need to give awareness to them.”

How does the government deal with the issues so far?

“So far, in terms of if it is used excessively and if it is somehow caught in the crops like from MRL [Maximum Residue Limit of pesticides], MRL residue or excessive, then the Department will give farmers a talk and give them a warning. That is part of where we monitor whether these farmers are actually using this excessively but only through their harvest products. That means we do say spot checks to random spot checks to test their products whether they are MRL safe or not.”

If you could, what would you like to do to solve the problem or to tackle the issues?

“I would like to do a lot of things but it is not an easy task. If I could, I would love the farmers to actually shift their practice to use more IPM rather than using chemicals. But that is the thing that ‘Pesticides need to be used in case there is an outbreak’ and we have cases of outbreaks where pest and disease if they were not controlled in the end, they did become an outbreak and it could cost the farmers to have no yield at all. So, that is why we cannot enforce them to just use IPM. We need them to make decisions for themselves. So I, myself would think that our agriculture system to be sustainable for let say the next 50 years, we would definitely need to educate them more on the importance of not using chemicals excessively but still can rely on them when we need to.”

Delegates from from Brunei Darussalam at the 6th Project Partner Meeting of the ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems in Vientiane, Lao PDR

When people are saying that they want farmers to shift their practices, how can this be done?

“I think one thing would be that we need to show them if it works or not. Then, because seeing is believing so by giving them a practical advice like a demo plot where we can show them that even with this kind of practice, you can still achieve your yield and may be negotiate like how the can actually adopt the practice. We cannot just tell them how to do it and then you get this yield. No, because it will depend on that demo plot if it is just this demo plot. Sometimes, in the field it is a different case because pest and disease are different in different locations. So for me it is not just doing this and doing that but practically tell them and also constantly going out just discussing with them what they can do to improve their yields and what they can do to improve their systems. So, there is a sustainable system.”

Does your Department have any role in doing what you just said?

“Yes, we do that. We do go out. If there is a problem where the farmers need to see, we go out and that is when we do have a closer relationship, more close consultation whether that just giving them talks, or just showing them slides. We go out to the fields, talk to them, discuss with them.”

Last question; is there anything else you would like to say?

“I do hope that farmers and also may be private sectors can come to an agreement someday that sustainable agriculture is the way to go. Let say, I am the private sector and I want produce from the farmer. I hope that the private sector will also think sustainable, so we can always get their supply without damaging the environment.”

Over70 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 Meetings run on 17-20 November 2015 co-hosted by the Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of 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

21/12/201507/08/2017

When will you stop? Or the world will end!

Experts in sustainable agriculture development urge for a change in agrifood system production. Or, a future lies blind.

Representative from a private biological control company in Thailand joins the field trip at the Clean Agriculture Development Center as part of the recent 6th Project Partner Meeting of the ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS).

Policy is needed, private company must agree, consumer have to value and farmer can just start, these were voiced by the experts during private interviews at the recent 6^th Project Partner Meeting of the ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) in Vientiane, Lao PDR.

Policy based on actual situations must be formulated and implemented.

“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 is the natural calamities,” said Mr. Gerald Cammagay, a Science Research Specialist from the Philippines. “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],” said Mr. Cammagay from Organic Agriculture Division.

Responsible agriculture has to be seen as the sole option for sustainable future and all parties in a value chain need to acknowledge and change their attitudes and practices, said the experts from ASEAN countries.

Staff waters vegetables at the Good Agriculture Practice Demo Plot in Lao PDR during the visit of the 6th Project Partner Meeting of the ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS)’s experts.

“What is most important is not a big quantity production of agriculture food, but the food we produce must be safe to consume to everybody,” said Mr. Ismail Iberahim from Department of Agriculture, Malaysia. “Farmers [and people] in developed countries are going for safe food and environment conservation. If possible, they do not want to use chemicals. But in developing countries, farmers are just thinking to get the high volume of a produce with good looking products. They also want the fast results and not thinking about tomorrow. They only think for today. I wish one day our farmers [and people] can change their attitude towards sustainable agriculture,” said Mr. Iberahim, Principal Assistant Director of Plant Biosecurity Division.

Head of Crop Protection unit from Brunei Darussalam shared similar ideas. Agriculture these days focus on high production and making higher yields, but we cannot forget it is our natural resources we are using, Mr. Noor Azri Bin Haji Mohamad Noor said. “If we do not care about the ecosystems and we damage the soil and our environment, then where are we going to plant in the future?

Staff at the Clean Agriculture Development Center Demo plot in Lao PDR are preparing the land for the next cycle of cropping.

People should learn from mistakes and take a better care of the earth, said Vice Dean of Faculty of Agriculture from Indonesia. Dr. Syaiful Anwar said: “People must aware of negative impacts from exploiting the environment”. In the food system, because we have to produce enough food for people, and then we create technologies that will support us to produce more. We add fertilizers and pesticides and using of machinery that are using the fossil fuels and they cause global warming.

“These are some mistakes. As human beings we have to care about the earth we are living in. If not, the earth will become much worse and one day it will be the end of the world,” said Dr. Anwar.

Recently, over70 experts from ten ASEAN Member States 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.

“To achieve sustainable agrifood systems, it requires close collaboration among stakeholders along the value chain, including governments, farmers, civil society, consumers, and last but not least, the private sector,” said Dr. Matthias Bickel, Project Director of ASEAN SAS at the 6^th Project Partner Meeting and related meetings in Vientiane. The Meetings run on 17-20 November 2015 co-hosted by the Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR. Readmore

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ผู้เชี่ยวชาญด้านการพัฒนาเพื่อการเกษตรอย่างยั่งยืนได้เรียกร้องให้มีการเปลี่ยนแปลงระบบการผลิตอาหาร-เกษตรก่อนจะสายเกินไป โดยผู้เชี่ยวชาญต่างย้ำในทิศทางเดียวกันถึงการจัดทำนโยบาย ความเห็นพ้องจากภาคเอกชน ความตระหนักของผู้บริโภค และการเริ่มสร้างวิถีของเกษตรกร ระหว่างการเข้าร่วม ‘ประชุมภาคีความร่วมมือของโครงการระบบอาหาร-เกษตรแบบยั่งยืนแห่งอาเซียน ครั้งที่ 6 ณ. นครเวียงจันทน์ สาธารณรัฐประชาธิปไตยประชาชนลาว เมื่อเร็วๆนี้

โดยการจัดทำนโยบายนั้นต้องอิงกับสถานะการณ์ที่ดำเนินอยู่และเกิดขึ้นจริงและต้องนำไปปฏิบัติใช้อย่างจริงจัง คุณ เจอรัลด์ แคมมาเก นักวิจัยวิทยาศาสตร์ชำนาญการ แผนกเกษตรอินทรีย์ จากประเทศฟิลิปปินส์ ให้ความเห็นถึงปัญหาในปัจจุบันที่เกิดขึ้น คือการที่มนุษย์ไม่ตระหนักในการตอบแทนคุณค่าของดิน ใช้พื้นที่เพาะปลูกโดยไม่เว้นช่วงให้ดินพัก ไม่ฟื้นฟู หรือบำรุงดิน และมีการใช้ปุ๋ยเคมีและสารเคมีในปริมาณสูง ซึ่งเหล่านี้ก่อให้เกิดความหายนะแก่ธรรมชาติ คุณ เจอรัลด์ กล่าวว่าภาครัฐต้องศึกษาและเข้าใจสถานการณ์ที่เกิดขึ้นอย่างถ่องแท้ และเมื่อนั้นภาครัฐจะสามารถจัดทำนโยบายที่ดี ที่เป็นประโยชน์ต่อเกษตรกรและประชาชนทุกคนได้อย่างแท้จริง

บรรดาผู้เชี่ยวชาญยังได้แสดงความคิดเห็นว่าการทำเกษตรแบบรับผิดชอบนั้นเป็นเพียงหนทางเดียวที่จะนำไปสู่อนาคตที่ยั่งยืน คือ เกษตรกรทุกคนจะต้องมองถึงความยั่งยืนทางเกษตรในอนาคต และคนในทุกหน่วยงานที่เกี่ยวข้องต้องตระหนักและเปลี่ยนทัศนคติและวิธีปฏิบัติให้สอดคล้องเพื่อความยั่งยืนนั้น

คุณ อิสเมล ไอเบอราฮิม ผู้ช่วยผู้อำนวยการ แผนกความปลอดภัยทางชีวภาพด้านพืช จากกรมวิชาการเกษตร ประเทศมาเลเซีย กล่าวถึงสิ่งที่สำคัญที่สุดในการผลิตอาหาร-เกษตรว่าไม่ใช่ปริมาณที่สามารถผลิตได้ แต่คือความปลอดภัยของผู้บริโภคทุกคนที่บริโภคอาหารนั้นๆ จะเห็นได้ว่าเกษตรกรในประเทศที่พัฒนาแล้วจะมุ่งเน้นการผลิตอาหารแบบปลอดภัยและอนุรักษ์สิ่งแวดล้อม และลดการใช้สารเคมีแต่ในทางกลับกัน เกษตรกรในประเทศที่กำลังพัฒนากลับมุ่งเน้นที่ปริมาณผลผลิตเป็นหลัก เน้นถึงการให้ผลเร็ว และผลผลิตที่ดูสวยงามไม่มีตำหนิรอยหนอนเจาะ โดยไม่คำนึงถึงผลเสียที่จะเกิดขึ้นในอนาคต คุณ อิสเมลกล่าวถึงความหวังที่จะได้เห็นเกษตรกรในประเทศที่กำลังพัฒนาเปลี่ยนทัศนคติและวิธีปฏิบัติเพื่อทำการเกษตรแบบยั่งยืนสักวันหนึ่ง

ส่วนคุณ นอร์ อัศศริ บิล ฮาจิ โมฮัมเหม็ด นอร์ หัวหน้าหน่วยอารักขาพืช จากกรมวิชาการเกษตรและพืชอาหาร ประเทศบรูไน แสดงความคิดเห็นที่คล้ายคลึงกันว่าการทำเกษตรทุกวันนี้มุ่งเน้นที่ปริมาณผลผลิต ทำอย่างไรให้ได้ผลผลิตมาก โดยไม่คำนึงถึงทรัพยากรธรรมชาติที่มนุษย์ได้ใช้ไป และหากมนุษย์ไม่ใส่ใจระบบนิเวศน์ ยังทำลายดินและสิ่งแวดล้อมให้ทรุดโทรมอย่างต่อเนื่อง อนาคตมนุษย์จะเพาะปลูกพืชได้อย่างไร คุณ นอร์ กล่าวว่า สิ่งที่อยากจะให้เกิดขึ้น คือเกษตรกรและภาคเอกชนเห็นพ้องต้องกันว่าการทำเกษตรแบบยั่งยืนเป็นแนวทางที่ต้องก้าวเดินไปเพื่อให้ได้ผลผลิตแบบไม่ทำลายสิ่งแวดล้อม

ดร. ไซยอิฟูล อันวาห์ รองคณบดีภาควิชาเกษตร จากประเทศอินโดนีเซียกล่าวว่า มนุษย์ควรเรียนรู้จากข้อผิดพลาด และดูแลรักษาโลกให้ดีขึ้น มนุษย์ต้องตระหนักถึงผลกระทบจากการใช้ประโยชน์จากสิ่งแวดล้อมแบบไม่ถูกทาง ในการผลิตอาหาร เราจำเป็นต้องผลิตอาหารให้เพียงพอ จึงอาศัยเทคโนโลยีเพื่อมุ่งผลิตอาหารให้ได้มาก ใช้ปุ๋ยและสารเคมีกำจัดศัตรูพืช และนำเครื่องจักรที่ใช้เชื้อเพลิงจากฟอสซิลในการทำการเกษตร ซึ่งเหล่านี้ คือสาเหตุที่ทำให้เกิดภาวะโลกร้อน และในฐานะที่เราเป็นมนุษย์ที่อาศัยอยู่ในโลกใบนี้ เราต้องดูแลโลกใบนี้ ไม่เช่นนั้นก็จะไม่มีโลกให้เราได้อยู่

เมื่อเร็วๆนี้ ผู้บริหาร และผู้เชี่ยวชาญจากประเทศสมาชิกอาเซียน 10 ประเทศ จำนวนกว่า 70 คน ได้พบกันที่นครเวียงจันทน์ สาธารณรัฐ ประชาชนลาว ระหว่างวันที่ 17-20 พฤศจิกายน 2558 เพื่อเข้าร่วมใน ‘การประชุมภาคีความร่วมมือของโครงการระบบอาหาร-เกษตรแบบยั่งยืนแห่งอาเซียน ครั้งที่ 6’ ในการแลกเปลี่ยนสรุปผลการทำงานของโครงการในระยะเวลา 2 ปีที่ผ่านมา และวางแผนร่วมกันสำหรับอีก 2 ปีที่จะก้าวต่อไป ในการประชุมนี้ได้มีการพูดคุยในประเด็นท้าทายและปัญหาที่เกิดขึ้นในด้านความมั่นคงทางอาหาร ตลอดรวมไปถึงด้านสิ่งแวดล้อมและการเปลี่ยนแปลงสภาพภูมิอากาศ เพื่อปรับเตรียมกลยุทธ์ในการทำงานของโครงการต่อไปในอนาคต

โดย ดร. แมธเธียส บิกเคล ผู้อำนวยการโครงการฯ เน้นในที่ประชุมภาคีความร่วมมือครั้งนี้ว่าในการส่งเสริมระบบอาหาร-เกษตรแบบยั่งยืนแห่งอาเซียนให้เกิดความสำเร็จนั้น ต้องมีการทำงานร่วมกันอย่างใกล้ชิดของหน่วยงานทุกภาคส่วนที่อยู่ในห่วงโซ่การผลิต ทั้งส่วนของภาครัฐ เกษตรกร ชุมชน ผู้บริโภค และภาคเอกชน โดยการประชุมครั้งนี้กรมวิชาการเกษตร กระทรวงเกษตรและป่าไม้แห่งสาธารณะรัฐประชาธิปไตยประชาชนลาวร่วมเป็นเจ้าภาพ โครงการฯ ดำเนินการภายใต้กรอบหลัก 3 ด้านคือ ด้านนโยบาย เทคโนโลยีการผลิต และการเชื่อมโยงตลาด เพื่อกระตุ้นให้เกิดความร่วมมือระดับภูมิภาคในการส่งเสริมการผลิตอาหารอย่างยั่งยืนในระดับประเทศ โดยมุ่งหวังให้เกิดการทำงานร่วมกันเพื่อให้เกิดผลในวงกว้าง

เรื่องและภาพโดย รจนา มโนวลัยเลา โครงการระบบอาหาร-เกษตรแบบยั่งยืนแห่งอาเซียน

By Rojana Manowalailao, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems

15/12/201507/08/2017

Training of Trainers on Integrated Pest Management in Tien Giang, Vietnam

Sustainable agriculture development is the main strategy for the Government of Vietnam. The Vietnam Government have been supporting the national project “Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development 2011-2020” as well as improvement of farmer livelihood through technical investment, production technologies and market orientation. At ASEAN level, Vietnam has been participating in implementing the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework which contribute to its national strategy in addressing sustainable rice production.

ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) collaborates with Vietnam Plant Protection Department to ensure sustainable rice cultivation. One of the project’s main focuses is Integrated Pest Management and Biological Control.

In collaboration with Croplife International, GIZ and Southern Regional Plant Protection Center, the courses on ‘training of trainers on Integrated Pest Management’ for local Sub Plant Protection Department staff were conducted in three provinces in Dong Thap, Hau Giang and Kien Giang.

These provinces contain large rice area at the Mekong Delta Region in Vietnam. The training course emphasizes on Integrated Pest Management practice under new tendency of rice cultivation at farmer and regional scale. It consists of 12 technical modules for Integrated Pest Management designed by experts from Croplife International, Southern Regional Plant Protection Center and Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute. The 12 technical modules presented various stages of rice growing from seedling, development, growing and ripening focusing on rice ecosystem analysis, farming technology, main pests and diseases management, pesticide application and spaying techniques, personal protective equipment and farmer’s decision making for spaying chemical.

By ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems Team, VietnamThe trainings were conducted at the Southern Regional Plant Protection Center, Long Dinh Village, Chau Thanh District, Tien Giang Province on 5-11 October and 9-13 November 2015 with an aim to update Integrated Pest Management technical knowledge and improve the facilitation skills of trainers. Thirty-nine trainers (23% women) selected by Sub Plant Protection Department provinces and districts attended the course. The participants learned to improve training tools, teaching methods as adult education and participatory and personal skills. When they go back to the project areas, they will carry out training courses for farmers at their provinces according to 12 technical modules. It is expected that trainers will transfer the new concepts to core farmers for their rice cultivation as well as project activities in the future. Furthermore, trainers will become a key resource for farmer training in the next period of the project.

23/11/201508/08/2017

Meeting in Lao PDR discusses sustainable and inclusive agricultural development in ASEAN Member States

Mr.-Xaypladeth-Choulamany-Director-General-of-the-Department-of-Planning-and-Cooperation-2-6

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the German Regional Cooperation project’s ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS) implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, together with Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR organized the 6th Project Partner Meeting and related meetings on 17-20 November 2015 at Vientiane Plaza Hotel in Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR.

ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) as part of the ASEAN-German Programme on Response to Climate Change in Agriculture and Forestry (GAP-CC) being implemented by GIZ is now in its second phase from 2014-2017. As Food Security in ASEAN requires national sustainable agrifood systems that sustain, the livelihoods and competitiveness of agriculture and supply sufficient staple food throughout the region, ASEAN SAS supports development of regionally-coordinated policies, strategies and dialogue concepts for a sustainable agrifood sector; promotion of the use of sustainable inputs and crop management practices through capacity development; and promotion of sustainable cross-border value chains in collaboration with the private sector.

This 6th Project Partner Meeting is another important milestone for ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems to review past achievements and discuss challenges to develop strategies for project implementation beyond 2015.

Dr. Matthias Bickel, Project Director of ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems

Considering the progress and achievements of project activities over the past years, these meetings provides a platform for project partners from the ASEAN Member States and private sector to discuss challenges and lay out work plans and strategies for project implementation in the coming years.

Mr. Xaypladeth Choulamany, Director General of the Department of Planning and Cooperation and Leader of the Senior Official Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (SOM-AMAF) for Lao PDR, officially opened the meetings. He highlighted the commitments and efforts of all ASEAN Member States and the support from Development Partners and international organisations contributed to the success of the realisation of the ASEAN Community by the end of December 2015. He reiterated the commitments of the ASEAN Member States made at the 37thAMAF Meeting in the Philippines to continue the cooperation and deepen regional integration beyond 2015 to improve ASEAN’s agriculture, forestry and fisheries sectors and to achieve regional sustainable food security and nutrition. He recognized the efforts of the Member States with the support from the Federal Republic of Germany through ASEAN SAS to enable ASEAN Member States to implement the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework at national level and to strengthen the promotion of sustainable food production in the region.

In her Welcoming Remarks, Ms. Sri Dyah Kusumawardhani, Senior Officer of Agriculture Industries and Natural Resources Division of the ASEAN Secretariat underlined the importance of regional as well as global cooperation and partnerships for achieving food security and nutrition particularly through engaging civil society, private sector and research institutions. She emphasized the importance of sustainable food production through sustainable agrifood systems as addressed by ASEAN SAS and its contribution to food security. She also stressed that the meetings shall highlight emerging threats to food security such as environmental and climate-related changes and identify sustainable approaches for securing food production in the ASEAN region.

Dr. Matthias Bickel, Project Director of ASEAN SAS underscored in his Introductory remarks the German efforts to strengthen food and nutrition security through the promotion of sustainable agrifood systems to ensure food security at national and regional levels under the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework. He highlighted the progress made through the productive collaboration with the Member States to address sustainable food production in three intervention areas of policy frameworks, production technologies and market linkages. Considering ASEAN recognized World Economic Forum (WEF) and supported Grow Asia Partnership, which was officially launched in April 2015 to facilitate multi-stakeholder collaboration to enable sustainable and inclusive agricultural development in 10 ASEAN Member States, he emphasized that collaboration and partnership with private sector is the core factor for a success in achieving our goal. At his end note, Mr. Bickel concluded that this meeting is another important milestone for ASEAN SAS to review past achievements and discuss challenges to develop strategies for project implementation beyond 2015.

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13/11/201508/08/2017

Partnership project to promote organic value chain in Vietnam

A strategic alliance between German organic companies and private-sector actors in Vietnam, so called Organic Value Chain Partnership (OVCP), is soon to be set up with the mandate of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) – Sector Project “Agricultural Trade and Agricultural Value Chains”. Its aim is to realize multi-year projects promoting different organic value chains in Vietnam.

In the context of growing organic markets in Europe as well as developing and emerging countries, the organic sector in Germany is becoming increasingly interested in sourcing from the BMZ partner country Vietnam. These private-sector actors have a need for reliable, sustainable and certified sources of production. Promoting organic value chains including the trade of these products in Europe can contribute to income growth, promotion of employment, sustainable management of natural resources, local value added as well as improved food safety and quality.

As part of the project initialization, GIZ – Sector Project “Agricultural Trade and Agricultural Value Chains”, with support from the ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) project in Vietnam recently conducted two market studies on the Vietnamese organic sector and one German organic company visiting tour from July to October 2015 in the south of Vietnam. The objective of these activities is to get a reliable assessment of the current conditions of the organic sector in Vietnam and to identify potential entry points for value chain development in the sector.

organic coconut intercroping with cocoa orchard

The next steps concerning OVCP in Vietnam include:

Follow-up possibility discussion with German organic companies about which impressions they got during the mission within their companies then report back to the Sector Project where they see the most interesting opportunities for a project.
Based on their feedback, the Sector Project will prioritize and decide which projects will be developed further. By mid-November, project concepts will be sketched which will define what are the specific roles, responsibilities and inputs of both the private partners and GIZ will look like. This should then provide a good basis for further discussions with the local partners.

The aim is to get the final permission for the Strategic Alliance from BMZ until the end of this year (2015) and beginning of next year in order to being able to start with the implementation of the project(s) early 2016.

05/11/201508/08/2017

Farmers greet Indonesia’s DG for food crops with pest discussion

When Indonesian Agriculture Ministry’s Director General for Food Crops visits a Farmer Field School in North Sumatra’s Nagur Village, Indonesia, farmers are discussing about pest and diseases they regularly spot in their rice fields among their farmer classmates. The class is part of the Better Rice Initiative Asia (BRIA), a cooperation of public private partnership and a sister project of German ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS).

Dr. Hasil Sembiring, Director General for Food Crops (right) and Mr. Isnaini, BRIA Deputy Manager for Agriculture Component (left) at the Farmer Field School in Nagur Village, North Sumatra.

“Coming to learn about the BRIA activities today is very important for both the Indonesian government and farmers,” said Dr. Hasil Sembiring at the Farmer Field School in Sedang Bedagai District. “The government encourages farmers to adopt innovative agriculture technology to increase productivity to fulfil food security for our population and the BRIA training helps us to be able to achieve the goal.”

Dr. Sembiring’s visit to the Farmer Field School is part of the monitoring activities from Indonesian government to BRIA activities as part of MOU signed between Ministry of Agriculture and GIZ Indonesia.

There are 15 Farmer Field Schools in North Sumatra and East Java under BRIA currently. Participated leader farmers exchange their traditional farming practices and experiences with BRIA Field Facilitators and in the mean time learn about innovative and environmentally friendly agriculture technology for better and higher yields to increase their profits for a long term solution for food security. The 14-topic module consists of, for instance, land preparation, seed technology, soil and nutrient management, pest management, post harvest, farmers organization strengthening as well as market access.

Farmers draw pictures of pest and diseases that they spot in their rice paddies and present to their classmates.

Each school consists of 25 farmers including female farmers, young generation farmers and community leaders. They meet approximately once a week for half a day learning one topic each time. For example, in the topic of pest and disease control and management, the day of Dr. Sembiring’s visit, farmers are assigned to work in groups to identify pests and diseases they regularly spots in the rice fields and draw pictures and make presentation to their classmates. The class discusses about the causes and symptoms and how to effectively treat them with safety.

The participated farmers do not receive any financial supports or any incentives to attend BRIA’s Farmer Field School, but the attendance rate is up to 80 to 90 per cent.

Abdul Aziz Hasibuan, 34-year-old farmer at Nagur Village says he wants to learn about the best farming practices in this BRIA School. “I want to increase the productivity in the rice field. But I don’t have knowledge and skill. So I am interested although there is no cash incentive.”

Another farmer participant, Sugiati, 42, adds: “Knowledge is an incentive. When you have knowledge to increase productivity, cash will come later.”

Dr. Sembiring visited the BRIA Farmer Field School in Nagur Village, North Sumatra on 14 June 2015.

Story and photos by Rojana Manowalailao, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems