ASEAN Guidelines on Soil and Nutrient Management A journey towards sustainable management of soils and plant nutrition begins

After two years of development, the ASEAN Guidelines on Soil and Nutrient Management (SNM) come close to the finishing line. These truly regional guidelines for policy makers of ASEAN Member States are the fruitful results of concerted efforts and collaborations among the Regional Expert Group on Soil and Nutrient Management from the 10 ASEAN Member States.

The development of the Guidelines is facilitated by ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS).

About a third of the world’s soil is already degraded, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) who reported these unsettling news at the World Soil Day that falls on 5 December of each year.

‘Only 60 years of farming left if soil degradation continues’, Reuters cited recently in one headline.

To put it graphically: We are losing 30 soccer fields of soil every minute. The causes of soil destruction include, among others, overuse of chemical inputs in today’s farming methods. The earth under our feet is too often ignored by policymakers, based on the report.

The development of the ASEAN Guidelines took two years and they are now in the final stage of revision. A completed draft was recently presented at the 8^th Steering Committee Meeting of ASEAN SAS in Malaysia. Fourteen delegates from eight ASEAN Member States attended the Meeting on 7-8 December 2016. The Department of Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, Malaysia, GIZ and ASEAN Secretariat hosted the two-day event.

Chief Technical Advisor of ASEAN SAS, Dr. Thomas Jaekel said that the ASEAN Guidelines on Soil and Nutrition Management were a timely document for policy makers in ASEAN to help implement strategies and policies on soil and nutrient management at a national level.

“Currently, some of the damage to soil is already irreversible,” said Dr. Jaekel, “We have to recognise that we damage the soil, and we have to change things in view of better management.”

“Agriculture has to be productive and profitable. Otherwise, farmers could not sustain their business,” he said.

The Steering Committee supported the draft SNM Guidelines with comments provided and agreed to facilitate in country coordination for receiving approval of the Guidelines from respective ASEAN Member States.

The revised draft Guidelines will be circulated to the Steering Committee members by the end of February 2017 for the in-country consultations to provide feedback to the draft. Then, the revised draft will be submitted to the 9th Steering Committee Meeting of ASEAN SAS for consideration prior to submission to the 24th Meeting of the ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Crops (ASWGC) in April 2017.

The ASEAN Guidelines for Soil and Nutrition Management

The ASEAN Guidelines for Soil and Nutrition Management is a policy support document to national policy makers for guidance in developing national policies through the knowledge of ASEAN experiences and lesson learnt.

The Guidelines have been developed during various consultation meetings of expert groups on soil and nutrient management, at both, regional and national levels. ASEAN SAS’s Project Coordination Unit in Bangkok together with Thailand’s Department of Agriculture as host country facilitated the development process of the Guidelines.

Its scope includes a description of soil types in ASEAN, good soil management practices, good nutrient management, standard, regulations and market information of fertiliser and supplements, and recommendations targeted specifically at policy makers on how to set framework conditions for implementation of soil and nutrient management in their countries.

By Rojana Manowalailao, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems

06/02/201717/07/2017

‘Food sufficiency will not be just a dream’

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

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

Senator Cynthia Villar’s Keynote Address

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

Senator Cynthia Villar (Picture form Wikipedia)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

16/12/201610/07/2017

Sustainable Rice Platform Standard: The world’s first sustainability standard for rice

Sustainable Rice Platform Standard:
The world’s first sustainability standard for rice

Sustainable Rice Platform Certified Rice

Thailand’s Rice Department, Better Rice Initiative Asia project, OLAM International, and Bayer have jointly initiated pilot testing of the Sustainable Rice Platform Standard with farmer groups in the north-eastern province of Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.

The Sustainable Rice Platform Standard on Sustainable Rice Cultivation can be regarded as the world’s first sustainability standard for rice.

To strengthen Southeast Asia’s rice sector, Better Rice Initiative Asia (BRIA) project, a sister project of ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems, has facilitated various interventions in collaboration with different stakeholders. Beyond the project implementation, the BRIA Regional Secretariat engages in various rice forums which can support the project in achieving its objective of raising the livelihoods of rice smallholder farmers.

The Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) is one of the most prominent of these forums, in which GIZ-BRIA is also a member. With a mission to promote resource efficiency and sustainability in the global rice sector, SRP aims to offer the global rice supply sector a proven set of instruments to facilitate wide-scale adoption of sustainability best practices.

The SRP Standard on Sustainable Rice Cultivation – the world’s first sustainability standard for rice, defines an overall framework for climate-smart sustainable best practice in any rice-based system. The Standard was developed by a dedicated SRP Working Group and launched in October 2015. At the same time, a set of Performance Indicators (PIs) developed by IRRI (International Rice Research Institute), was launched as a quantitative tool to measure impacts of adoption of the Standard, or indeed any other farm-level intervention towards sustainability. SRP is now focusing on a multi-country field validation programme of the Standard, PIs, and assurance system, an activity to which BRIA is also actively contributing.

BRIA has supported the development and adoption of the SRP Standard in the four BRIA pilot countries, apart from on-farm activities for farmer empowerment. BRIA has been conducting pilot studies as part of the SRP’s multi-country field validation programme to assess the applicability, relevance and acceptability of the Standard to BRIA farmers as well as piloting the implementation of assurance schemes including the Internal Management System (IMS) for farmer groups in key rice producing countries. BRIA works with local authorities and private partners in these interventions.

BRIA Thailand and BRIA Indonesia have been actively participating in the SRP pilot testing. In Thailand, the pilot testing covers an assessment of the applicability of the standard, farmer training, establishment of an IMS, and a group assurance system. In Indonesia, BRIA is conducting a farmer survey to assess compliance of BRIA farmers to the SRP Standard.

Thailand’s Rice Department (RD), BRIA, OLAM International, and Bayer have jointly initiated pilot testing of the SRP Standard with farmer groups in the north-eastern province of Ubon Ratchathani. RD, Olam, Bayer are among the 55 SRP members. Besides, Olam, a major commodity trader, is also a partner in BRIA’s market linkages component. The pilot testing of the standard in Thailand is also considered as one of BRIA’s interventions to improve market access for rice farmers in this area.

This year, pilot testing of the SRP standard in Thailand has been verified through a 3^rd party audit. The audit results demonstrated improvements in farm performance compared against the baseline. Twenty-eight farmers from Bua Ngam Community Rice Centre (CRC) and 43 farmers from Klang CRC have been verified as “working towards sustainability” (as provided for in the SRP’s Communication and Assurance Guidelines (Pilot Phase). According to this independent 3^rd party assessment, the farmers’ compliance levels to the SRP Standard average 84% against the SRP Sustainable Rice Cultivation Standard. Since improvement at farm level may not be enough, BRIA believes the Standard will offer innovative business models to help strengthen business relationships among rice value chain actors and to enhance market linkages.

In Indonesia, an assessment survey was carried out by a local university at the end of August to early September. BRIA farmers from the three districts of Serdang Bedagai, Langkat, and Deli Serdang in North Sumatra Province, have been selected. According to this self-evaluation, BRIA ID farmers have complied at an average score of 68.7% against the Standard. The result of this study will later form the basis for further assessment by the Ministry of Agriculture on adoption of the SRP Standard in Indonesia.

The results of the pilot studies in this year will be collected and provided as feedback to SRP in order to improve the Standard and refine the assurance system. All in all, it can be concluded that the Standard has been proven as a helpful tool to assess sustainability performance of rice farmers and as an impact monitoring tool identify the risk and areas for improvement.

By Kamol Taukitphaisarn, Better Rice Initiative Asia

13/10/201604/08/2017

Cambodia’s Minister supports environmental friendly plant protection in promoting sustainable agriculture

H.E Veng Sakhon, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) recently received a visit of agricultural representatives from five International development cooperation projects and organisations to discuss constraints in promoting the sustainable agriculture systems in Cambodia.

The six representatives came from the German International Cooperation (GIZ), ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems in cooperation with SNV Netherlands Development Organization CHAIN project, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) through the Ecologically-based Participatory Integrated Pest Management for rice in Cambodia (EPIC) Project, Virigina Tech and World Vegetable Center.

The aim of the meeting was to discuss gaps and receive the Minister’s advice on how to promote the regulation, use and trade of biocontrol agents in Cambodian agriculture. The group met on 4 October 2016 at the Minister Hall of Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in Phnom Penh.

Referring to the meeting, there is a lack of specified registration and management regulations for environmental friendly crop protection which is seen as a barrier to trade and farmer to access to the biocontrol agent products.

The ASEAN Guidelines on Regulation, Use and Trade of Biological Control Agents (BCAs) which was supported by the ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) project although have been approved by the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) and translated into Khmer language, it needs to be finalized and adapted to fit the Cambodian context and regulation.

The application for registration of biocontrol agents is now drafted with supports of GIZ and in a process of seeking approval from the MAFF.

Agriculture is an important economic sector in Cambodia and plays a key role in the fight against poverty and hunger. However, its productivity is impeded due to the misuse of chemical inputs which cause poor soil conditions and lead to high incidences of pesticide resistances. Cambodia’s products are still competitive on the world market because they are acknowledged for having low chemical residues. But, the regulatory management of synthetic pesticide and fertilizer application need to be strengthened in order to keep this reputation.

Biocontrol agents are known as effective organism and are used for over hundred years throughout the globe to improve agricultural productivity, especially nowadays in Integrated Pest management (IPM) approaches to minimize the use of chemical inputs. There are a lot of research shown that biocontrol agents do not have a risk to human health and environment.

In Cambodia, there is an increased interest from the farmers to work with biological plant protection methods. And already a number of Cambodian companies offer biocontrol agents for plant protection and fertilization. However, the companies have experienced obstacles in the registration of such products, slowing effective distribution. The registration will also help farmers and users because currently some companies claim their products as natural even though they are actually chemical.

The followings were agreed among the international development cooperation projects and organisations for their urgent implementation in promoting the sustainable agriculture systems in Cambodia

Enhancement and improvements of knowledge and capability of official at department of agricultural legislation and general directorate of agriculture by providing training, exchange studies and field demonstration with biocontrol agents on different crops.
Working closely with private sectors in term of quality control and dissemination.
Establish working group to draft and finalize Cambodian regulation on use and trade of Biocontrol Agents (BCAs).
Evident-based to apply and see effectiveness of BCAs for controlling root rot disease in black pepper farm, Kirivong district, Takeo province by involving General Directorate of Agriculture and other experts

By Mr. Samorn Channa, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems

23/08/201607/08/2017

Calling for public-private partnerships in developing green agriculture

Sustainable Agrifood Systems urges for more public-private partnerships in improving environmental friendly food production in agriculture.

Nineteen representatives from eight ASEAN Member States and ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) project recently met at the 7th Steering Committee Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand to report on progress and seek advice on the project’s strategies and future activities.

Dr. Matthias Bickel, ASEAN SAS Project Director said a lot still needed to be done in reaching green agriculture and teaming with public and private companies would deem necessary.

During the Meeting, Mr. Quy Duong Nguyen, Deputy Director General of Plant Protection Department from Vietnam addressed an overuse of chemicals in agriculture in the country and suggested further trainings for both farmers and chemical retailers to be responsible pesticide users to achieve sustainable agrifood production.

Supported by Croplife International in Vietnam, ASEAN SAS cooperates with the Can Tho University and the Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute to develop training modules for farmers and retailers in a programme called “Promotion of Integrated Pest Management to address plant hopper outbreaks in Rice”. It is expected that a minimum of 15,000 farmers and 300 pesticide retailers will be trained in agro-ecological practices and the effective use and safe application of pesticides.

“Pest is the huge issue in the ASEAN countries, and so does the education for the pesticide dealers. We should take this [further] to PPP [public private partnership], because this PPP allows us to tap on additional funds and investments from the private sectors, whose concerns are also raised exactly on that kind of point,” said Dr. Bickel.

The ASEAN SAS steering committee also discussed a potential improvement of a Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) system in Myanmar particularly on Mango and other crops besides the project’s priority crops (rice, vegetable, and fruit) and facilities for pesticide residue examination which was suggested by Mr. Aye Ko Ko, Deputy Director General of Department of Agriculture from Myanmar.

To improve the GAP system in Myanmar, Dr. Bickel again emphasised the role and cooperation of the private sector would deem significant. In addition, internal discussion would be further conducted upon Myanmar’s request regarding guidance on technical knowledge and facilities for the pesticide residue examination.

“To link the various activities to PPP…that is exactly the approach we are trying to take stronger and stronger to incorporate the biocontrol, farm economies, nutrient management in supply chain.

“[Also] By being able to test the residue level on spot is to make longer sustainable chain, upgrading the supply chain, enabling the farmers and all the traders to really check on spot, and avoiding the cargoes to be rejected. That’s one of the most important issues in ASEAN region,” said Dr. Bickel.

Mr. Aye Ko Ko, Deputy Director General of Department of Agriculture from Myanmar

Mr. Aye Ko Ko from Myanmar also showed interests in improving crop insurance mechanism in the country. He said around 800,000 acres of rice field were destroyed by the change of climate last year.

Ms. Wilma Cuaterno, Chief of Crop Pest Management Division, Bureau of Plant Industry, Philippines shared a story about the crop insurance in her country. She said the crop insurance covered not just crops, but also fish and livestock, and it is being subsidized by the government.

“Two years ago, we talked with the insurance companies, and they doubted that they wanted to erase insurance on pests and diseases because they said that there were some strategies and technology that could really control our management in pests and diseases, and they just wanted to concentrate on natural calamity, because Philippines were very prone to disaster,” she said.

The 7th Steering Committee Meeting of the ASEAN SAS was held on 17 June 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand and attended by steering committee members (focal points) from the eight ASEAN countries with the exception of Brunei Darussalam and Singapore and representative from Project Coordination Unit (PCU) of ASEAN SAS project as members of Project Steering Committee.

Malaysia will host the 8th Steering Committee Meeting in December 2016.

By Rojana Manowalailao, ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems

07/06/201607/08/2017

Cambodia experts contribute to the drafting of Regional Guidelines on Soil and Nutrient Management

National expert group discussed issues of soil and nutrient management in Cambodia emphasizing adoption of good practices for current soil problems in contribution to the development of the ASEAN Regional Guidelines on Soil and Nutrient Management.

The consultative meeting in Phnom Penh jointly organized by the General Directorate of Agriculture (GDA) under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and GIZ through ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN SAS) project brought together 35 national participants from NGOs, public and private sectors to exchange their experiences on practical management of soil constraints, soil fertility, cropping system, and relevant law, regulations, and directives in Cambodia. The information would be submitted to ASEAN Expert Group for drafting the ASEAN Regional Guidelines (GLs) on Soil and Nutrient Management (SNM).

There is an alarming call for ASEAN to formulate a specific set of regionally coordinated policy recommendations in addressing soil degradation problems and encouraging and supporting productive use of agricultural crop lands to secure agrifood system in the region. In recent years, more attention has been given by ASEAN to an integrated approach to tackle soil degradation in the context of the environmental, economic and livelihood and against a background of harsh climate change, globalization and demographic shifts within the region. Such an approach involves policy development, legislation and regulation, and the application of comprehensive and coordinated measures to stabilize and remediate soil degradation.

ASEAN SAS supports the ASEAN member states (AMS) in formulating ASEAN Regional GLs on SNM. The development of the GLs is designed as a policy framework tool to create enabling condition for AMS for the promotion of sustainable food production at the national level.

Deputy General of GDA, Mr. Sron Sokhom who said during his opening remarks that the ASEAN economic integration that came to effect in December 2015 allowed combining effort among the member states to work together for improved food and nutrition security, and the results of the meeting should be valuable inputs for developing the GLs.

In Cambodia, rice farming is a major production which occupies around 3 million hectare equalling 80 percent of total agricultural land and 20 percent of national territory.

Mr. Tim Thon, representative from GDA told that the Cambodian royal government defined soil as a key factor to improve agricultural productivity. It is required to have better knowledge on the management of soil resources, especially farmer or extension works should be able to identify and analyse their soil type and its fertility before transplanting.

He furthered that in Cambodia deforestation for crop cultivation is observed in slopping land areas. As a consequence, high surface runoff takes place resulting in soil lose and nutrient depletion. In farmer fields where cultivate monoculture such as maize cultivation in North provinces, farmer practice also causes soil loss and water runoff, and soil degradation.

At present improper use of fertilizer and/or pesticide is widely observed, and soon to be a major issue occurring – in southeast of Cambodia, however he stated that Cambodia is one of its neighboring countries that consume lowest chemical fertilizer (N,P,K).

Mr. Thon highlighted that GDA would focus on the law drafting on agricultural soil management, designing of a map for cropping (Geography Crop Identification), increase of production and price of agricultural products, and development of irrigation system.

ASEAN Regional GLs contents are developed through regional and national consultations. The ASEAN Expert Group on SNM is responsible for writing contents of the GLs with support from national working groups in AMS. The Group of regional expert comprises of ten senior officers nominated by AMS government officials. In the implementation at the national level, ASEAN Expert Group member leads and directs the national task force in preparation of national contents on relevant topics based on the scope of contents of the GLs.

The 1^st and the 2^nd meetings of ASEAN Expert Group were held in Myanmar in 2014 and Singapore in 2015 consecutively where scope of contents of the GLs was finalised. The scope of guidelines on SNM covers:

Properties and issues of soils in ASEAN
Good Soil Management Practices

Good Nutrient Management Practices

Standards, Regulations and Market information of bio-fertilizer and supplements
Recommendations for soil and nutrient management

The guidelines will be derived from what has been suggested as best practices in AMS and aim to:

emphasise the importance of soil and nutrient management in attaining sustainable agriculture;.
provide guidance that helps decision makers to formulate policies that encourage sustainable agriculture, crop production and soil health;
provide guidance to practitioners to implement best management practices that underpin productive, profitable and sustainable soil and nutrient management;
harmonise recommendations across the ASEAN region in order to improve soil and nutrient management and support the rural sector to become resilient to climate change.

Currently, the development of the guidelines has reached the third review stage by the ASEAN Regional Expert Group. The latest review of contents was conducted last November through the 3^rd meeting of ASEAN Expert Group in Vientiane, Lao PDR.

The 4^th meeting of ASEAN Expert group on SNM was organized from 11 to 12 May 2016, in Brunei Darussalam to review the 3^rd draft of ASEAN Regional GLs on SNM.

ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems supports the ASEAN member (AMS) states in formulating the ASEAN Regional Guidelines (GLs) on Soil and Nutrient Management (SNM). The development of the GLs is designed as a policy framework tool to create enabling condition for AMS for the promotion of sustainable food production at the national level. The ASEAN Regional GLs contents are developed through regional and national consultations. The ASEAN Expert Group on SNM is responsible for writing contents of the GLs with support from national working groups in AMS. The Group of regional expert comprises of ten senior officers nominated by AMS government officials. In the implementation at the national level, ASEAN Expert Group member leads and directs the national task force in preparation of national contents on relevant topics based on the scope of contents of the GLs.

By ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems Team, Thailand

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

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

28/03/201610/07/2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Rojana Manowalailao, Sustainable Agrifood Systems

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?

“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,” said Mr. Noor from Department of Agriculture.

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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ข่าวภาษาไทย

เมื่อมนุษย์ไม่หยุด…โลกก็จะไม่อยู่

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