Trust and Control – Consumer Field Trip to where the food is grown

Kampong Chhnang – Forty-one costumers of Natural Agri-Products shops (NAP), a social-business branch of the Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC) in Phnom Penh, joined a one-day field trip to Kampong Chhnang province to see where their food is sourced. The field trip, including local media, visited organic vegetable produces in Thnoung Kambot village; Svay Chhroum commune and Thmor Reap village; Dok Kroung village; and Pong Ror commune of Rolea Baear District.

The visit is part of CEDAC’s Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) – a locally focused quality assurance system. The consumers certify producers based on active participation and foundation of trust, transparent relationships and dialogue as well as knowledge exchange.

Consumers learned the behind-the-scenes of organic farming and biological control approaches to agriculture. The Cooperation between CEDAC and the GIZ project ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (Biocontrol) supports farmers to strengthen their knowledge on irrigation techniques, organic fertilizer production, protection of useful insects (predators) and application of other useful Biocontrol Agents (BCA) like Trichoderma Harzianum.

The customers of the NAP shops in Phnom Penh enjoyed the trip out of the city and actively discussed organic agriculture, health and environmental issues with farmers and the advisors from CEDAC and GIZ.

The participants of this field visit are now 100% confident of product origin and quality of the organic vegetables available in eight NAP shops in Phnom Penh. They want to share their impressions with their friends and relatives as well.In addition to the consumer field trips, CEDAC and GIZ are introducing a new Documentation Handbook for farmers, which is based on IFOAM Standards – an internationally applicable organic standard that can be used directly for certification. The farmers have to document every input and activity for their production. The data is controlled and verified first by commune leader, then by the internal inspector, and finally by the ICS Supervisor in CEDAC Headquarters. Trust and Control are going hand in hand.

Visit NAP on facebook: www.facebook.com/CEDACNAP

Contact:

Claudius Bredehöft

National Project Coordinator Cambodia

ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (Biocontrol)

Mobile: +855 12 21 54 30

Email: claudius.bredehoeft@giz.de

17/11/201311/08/2017

4th Project Partner Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from 11-13 March 2014

ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN Biocontrol) 4th Project Partner Meeting Highlights Achievements and Discusses 2nd Phase Project Prospects

The Fourth Project Partner Meeting (PPM) of the ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (ASEAN Biocontrol) Project, the 4th Project Steering Committee Meeting and the 5th Meeting of the ASEAN BCA Expert Groups on Application and Regulation took place from 11-13 March 2014 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. More than 50 participants from ten ASEAN Member States and other partners attended the meeting. Mr. Adelbert Eberhardt, Country Director, GIZ Office Phnom Penh and Mrs. Birgit Strube, First Secretary, Deputy Head of Cooperation, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Phnom Penh represented GIZ and BMZ respectively and delivered the remarks. The meeting was opened by Dr. Hean Vanhan, Deputy Director General of the General Directorate of Agriculture on behalf of H. E. So Khan Rithykun, Director-General of the General Directorate of Agriculture, and Director of the National IPM Programme, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Cambodia. The PPM highlighted the project’s achievements and discussed the project’s future prospects in facilitating effective implementation of the 2nd Project Phase.

Back-to-back with the PCM, the 5th ASEAN BCA Expert Groups on Application and Regulation, and the 4th Project Steering Committee Meeting convened on 12 March 2014. The ASEAN BCA Expert Groups Meeting deliberated the final draft of the ASEAN Guidelines on the Regulation, Use and Trade of Biological Control Agents (BCA) prior to its submission for consideration and endorsement by the ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Crops (ASWGC). The Project Steering

Committee Meeting meanwhile considered and approved a number of key issues for project implementation.

On the last day of the meeting, MAFF organized a field trip for participants to Kandal province to visit the demonstration plots of cucumber and tomato farmers under Cambodia’s National Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Programme. The farmers applied Trichoderma, which is a biological control agent to control pests. The results were more satisfactory than in the plots using only chemical pesticides.

The objectives of the meetings were fulfilled with active deliberation and fruitful outcomes as well as follow-up actions for project implementation. The ASEAN Guidelines on the BCA will be submitted for endorsement to the 21st Meeting of the ASWGC in May 2014 in Cambodia. The events received special attention from the local media and were attended by a dozen reporters. The meetings were successfully organized by German International Cooperation (GIZ) in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Cambodia.

27/04/201311/08/2017

3rd Project Partner Meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam from 22 May 2013

On May 22, 2013, ASEAN Biocontrol organized the 3rd Project Partner Meeting at Sofitel Plaza, Hanoi with support from the Plant Protection Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam. The purpose of the meeting, which was hosted by the Plant Protection Department, was to share an overview of project achievements and challenges, progress on the development of regional guidelines on BCA application, trade and use and the preliminary results of the Project Progress Review including the proposed project set-up of the second phase (2014–2017).

It also sought strategic guidance from the 3rd Steering Committee Meeting, which followed the Project Partner Meeting. ASEAN Biocontrol also held back-to-back meetings of the two Regional BCA (biocontrol agents) Expert Groups at the same venue. The Regional BCA Expert Group on Application met from May 19-21 to discuss the development of the regional guideline on BCA application and share country experiences and scientific evidence in plant protection with biological control.

Sequentially, the meeting of Regional BCA Expert Group on Regulation was organized from May 23-25. The experts held active discussions on botanical pest control products and the minimum requirements for the regional guideline on BCA regulation.

20/11/201211/08/2017

2nd Project Partner Meeting in Bali, Indonesia from 20-22 November 2012

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The ASEAN Biocontrol for Sustainable Agrifood Systems Project organized its second project partner meeting in Indonesia from November 20-22, 2012. The meeting was hosted by Directorate General of Horticulture, Ministry of Agriculture, Indonesia. The objective of the meeting were to provide an update of what the been achieved over the last six month, establish two regional Expert Group ( for regulation and application of biocontrol agents or BCAs ) and develop regional guidelines on BCA application, use and trade as well as to seek strategic guidance in the 2^nd Streeting Committee Meeting.

Participants were treated to a special field trip organized and supported by the Indonesian Directorate General of Horticulture. The group visited the Jatiluwih Organic red rice, which has received “Organik Indonesia” certification. The red rice plants are claimed to be naturally resistant to infestations of disease and parasites can grow up to 1.6 metres in height . The Jatiluwih red rice is rich in vitamins, minerals, folate and dietary fibre.