Summary of CSO Inputs - 2nd AMAF-Private Sector Dialogue on Food Security

Summary of CSO Inputs (Cross-cutting)

2^nd AMAF-Private Sector Dialogue on Food Security

September 27, 2012

Vientiane, Lao PDR

Your excellencies from the ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF),  once again, on behalf of the CSO delegation, please accept our sincere appreciation for this opportunity to dialogue with you. Our strong presence here indicates our commitment to pursue this dialogue process through the PPD platform to pursue  a shared policy agenda among members of civil society in the Asean region,  in relation to our common fight for food sovereignty/security. We also come to hear updates  from the 1^st PPD in Jakarta in 2011,  and to reiterate our intent and actions to contribute to the progression of this important dialogue process.

The CSO delegation during the CSO Forum on ASEAN Engagement yesterday, our self-organized process to further prepare for the PPD,  reviewed and discussed the summary of CSO issues and recommendations that emerged during the Bangkok Preparatory Workshop.  In that process, we affirm three key messages around cross-cutting issues that we hope to convey to you today.  We believe that these recommendations are essential to the process of institutionalizing the AMAF-private sector partnerships.

First,  we call  on your support to strengthen the mechanism for regular dialogue between the Private Sector and AMAF.  An institutionalized mechanism, such as the PPD,  will help in creating a more integrative and multi-sectoral approach in addressing priority issues they themselves identify. We want to see this dialogue process strengthened by expanding it at the national levels where CSOs and private business groups and governments can sustain their confidence building process, and discussions or debates on prioritized issues coming from the regional PPD. We hope that this can done at least twice annually.

With a more sectoral focus, we take this opportunity to reiterate our major call during the 1^st PPD in Jakarta for ASEAN to support the creation of  a Small Farmers/Producers Council which shall be composed of representatives from small farmers and fishers/ producers organizations in ASEAN Member States. Strongly organized at the national and regional levels,  they can bring a representative voice and become one of ASEAN's strongest allies in pursuing a more sustainable agricultural development in the region.  Their support institutions and partners from the broader development community commit to support this agenda, in cooperation with existing and appropriate working group or body within ASEAN, through the national SOM-AMAF focal points, and the ASEAN Secretariat.

Secondly,   we call upon ASEAN to promote international guidelines and mandates by the United Nations and its attached agencies for food and agriculture, in particular, the Voluntary Guideline on responsible governance of Land tenure, forest, fisheries in the context of national food security and the Principles for responsible agricultural investment, for which the latter is still under discussion by the World Food Security Committee (CFS).  We request ASEAN to strengthen its role in monitoring the adherence to and in translating these mandates into regional operational guidelines. Building on what has been sanctioned my some, if not all ASEAN member states, is a good strategy towards institutionalization.  CSOs in the region have actively participated in pursuing these mandates at the global level and we would like ASEAN to partner with CSOs to help us in making these global guidelines or treaties really matter for our countries and the rural communities that we work with.   ASEAN should develop Common Standards and Monitoring system,  to protect and prepare smallholder agriculture especially in the context of the ASEAN 2015 economic integration and to create opportunities for communities to engage and benefit from fair intra-regional trade.  We would like to work with you, and the private sector,  in developing the following:

1. Regional Standards for Sustainable Agricultural Investments
2. Sustainability Reporting Guideline (developed by the Global Reporting Initiative)
3. Land Monitoring (land use and land rights)
4. Good Aquaculture Practices
5. Agribusiness Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Practices

In addition, we wish to call on ASEAN's attention to the International Year of Cooperatives (2012) in relation to the BKK Preparatory Workshop recommendations to strengthen agricultural cooperatives and the International Year of Family Farming (2014) in relation to the recommendations to promote and support smallholder agriculture.  We have two years to rally behind the UN sanctioned IYFF and we call on ASEAN and its member states to support efforts of CSOs to drumbeat and showcase the support for small men and women farmers, especially the rural youth, at the national levels.

Finally, we strongly encourage ASEAN to strengthen its role as a Learning Platform for  smallholder agriculture development.  Where good practices both from the public and private sectors (CSOs and business groups) are harnessed to optimize opportunities for cross-learning, as input to policy making, and to build farmers/fishers capacities to improve agricultural productivity, access to credit, and women's economic role in agriculture. ASEAN should facilitate  and support  regional knowledge and learning exchanges on priority areas for action, such as:

·         Farmer – private sector partnership models

·         Women Empowerment in Agribusiness

·         Enabling legal frameworks (e.g. cooperative laws, social credit policy, organic agriculture act)

·         Small farmers/producers access to markets

·         Agriculture Financing Services especially for small farmers/producers

·         Sustainable Land use and Land Reform Models

·         Sustainable Agriculture Technologies including Post-harvest management

·         Crop insurance and other Social Protection Programs for Small Farmers

These are some of our priority recommendations which we hope ASEAN through the AMAF could act on in the immediate future.  Among us CSOs,  we also task upon ourselves to strengthen our ranks and our bases of unity, to build our capacities for constructive engagement, and to rally behind the efforts of those in the frontline of development work, our partner Farmers/Producers' Organizations.  We extend our hands to sustain the dialogue with the business sector and together let us aim to fulfill our sustainable development bottomlines of people, planet, profits, and peace. 

 Thank you.

CSO Forum on ASEAN Engagement - September 26, 2012, Vientiane, Lao PDR

CSO Forum on ASEAN Engagement

September 26, 2012

Chanthapanya Hotel

Vientiane, Lao PDR

Provisional Agenda and Program

Background
Civil Society Organizations in recent years have sought opportunities to strengthen their ranks to engage ASEAN more effectively and constructively.  Regional and national CSOs have come together to share information and experiences, to coordinate and jointly strategize in relation to their  shared advocacy agenda in ASEAN ---  from the cross-cutting agenda of democratizing space for  participation, to access to information,  and to various thematic or sectoral issues. 

The CSO community engaging ASEAN on food security, climate change, agriculture and forestry, and rural development issues have had the opportunity to come together in relation to the ASEAN-U.S. Market Project which is supporting the continuity of the dialogue process between ASEAN's public and private sectors on the issue of food security.  In particular, the 1st and 2nd AMAF-Private Sector Dialogue, which took place in October 2011 in Jakarta and on September 27, 2012 in Vientiane, Lao PDR, respectively.  A number of national and regional CSOs participated in the Preparatory Workshop for the 2nd AMAF-PPD in Bangkok.  The preparatory workshop was meant to help the CSO sector distill priority issues on three prioritized themes of  agricultural productivity, access to credit  and  women in agribusiness and come up with shared inputs during the dialogue with AMAF.  It was also an opportunity to relate with and interact with the private business groups in the region and the SOM-AMAF representatives. A smaller representation of CSOs, identified from among the BKK participants and those interested to engage in the process, were invited to the 2nd AMAP-PPD in Vientiane.  It is along this that the one day CSO Forum was proposed and planned, by the CSO participants to the PPD.


Objectives
The CSO Forum aims to:

1. Review the context and take stock of  CSO engagements in ASEAN in relation to their over-arching advocacies on food security, climate change, and other rural development issues, and in view of the upcoming ASEAN economic integration by 2015.
2. Prepare for the 2nd AMAF-PPD by reviewing its shared priority issues and planned inputs coming from the Bangkok preparatory process, and other related and priority issues from on-going CSO engagement and cooperation in the Asean region.
3. Identify ways forward at the regional and national levels to follow through on the PPD process and to further strengthen CSO cooperation vis ASEAN engagement, especially, highlighting the role of the FOs and basic sectors.

Expected Outputs
1.    Improved framework and understanding of CSO engagement in ASEAN, which could serve as guidepost to all stakeholders  of sustainable rural development development in the region.
2.    Prepared collective CSO inputs to the 2nd PPD and prepared CSO pax to the PPD in general, given opportunities for inputs from the floor.
3.    Shared operational way-forward to pursue ASEAN engagement priorities for 2012-2013.
4.    Networking opportunities at regional and national levels among those engaging ASEAN.

PLEASE READ THE TWO DOCUMENTS SENT TO ALL PARTICIPANTS:
Summary of  Issues Preparatory Workshop in Bangkok, Sept 6-7
Summary of Planned CSO Inputs to the 2nd PPD

Program Flow

Summary of Proposed CSO Inputs to the 2nd AMAF-Private Sector Dialogue on Food Security - Vientiane, Lao PDR, Septembe 27, 2012

Summary of Proposed CSO Inputs
2nd AMAF-Private Sector Dialogue on Food Security
Vientiane, Lao PDR
September 27, 2012 

From the summary of issues and recommendations that emerged during the Bangkok Preparatory Workshop, the following is a summary of possible inputs from the CSO delegation.   Based on this reference document, and in the context of its on-going policy engagement with ASEAN, the CSO delegation shall meet separately on September 26 prior to the 2nd AMAF-PPD to prepare its collective message, suited to a dialogue format advised by the organizers of the PPD. 

Cross-cutting Recommendations

1.  Developing a responsive mechanism for regular dialogue between the Private Sector and AMAF.  

There was agreement to further develop the framework and mechanism for a regular dialogue between the Private Sector and AMAF. Private businesses and CSOs have  the intent and willingness to improve the dialogue process with the government but this will require a proper channel and mechanism, especially at the national level.   The dialogue mechanism will help in creating a more integrated/comprehensive approach involving relevant sectors in addressing priority issues they themselves identify.

An effective PPD mechanism at the national level will prepare national stakeholders in consolidating their respective and collective views and recommendations prior to the regional ASEAN AMAF-PPD.

More concretely,  the 2nd AMAF-PPD  should be followed up by selected national consultations to deepen the discussions or debates on priority issues or action areas identified in the Bangkok Preparatory Workshop and the Lao PPD.  The national PPDs should also serve as venue for regular dialogues on priority or urgent issues  in-between the ASEAN PPD.


2. Institutionalization of Space for Small Farmers/Producers Participation. 
(a reiteration of CSO calls during 1st AMAF-PPD)

Creation of an ASEAN Small Farmers/Producers Council composed of representatives from small farmers and fishers/ producers organizations in ASEAN Member States.   The Council shall provide advise and inputs to ASEAN in dealing with issues that concern smallholder agriculture. It will serve as a platform for dialogue, consultation, and cooperation among national and regional Farmers/Producers' Organizations to build their capacities in dealing with both opportunities and challenges resulting from the ASEAN economic integration.

A regular ASEAN Farmers' Forum in conjunction with an AMAF meeting,  inspired by the Global Farmers' Forum supported by IFAD, where many Asean FOs are participating,  can be explored as another concrete mechanism to strengthen policy dialogue between and among FOs and ASEAN and private businesses.

3. ASEAN as a Learning Hub for  smallholder agriculture development

As a regional body,  ASEAN should strengthen its role in facilitating and supporting regional knowledge and learning exchanges on priority areas for action, as follows:

• Farmer –private sector partnership models
• Women Empowerment in Agribusiness
• Enabling legal frameworks (cooperative laws, social credit policy, organic agriculture act)
• Land use and Land Reform Models
• Sustainable Agriculture Technologies
• Post-harvest management
• Crop insurance and other Social Protection Programs for Small Farmers
• Regional Standards – safeguards and mechanisms

4. ASEAN Adoption and Promotion of International Guidelines/Treaties

ASEAN should strengthen its role in monitoring adherence to and in translating international guidelines, treaties, mandates into regional guidelines towards a more sustainable agricultural development. Some of the priority issues include:

• Voluntary Guideline on responsible governance of Land tenure, forest, fisheries in the context of national food security
• Principles for responsible agricultural investment that enhance food security and nutrition
• International Year of Cooperatives (2012) in relation to the workshop calls to strengthen agricultural cooperatives and the International Year of Family Farming (2014) in relation to the recommendations to promote and support smallholder agriculture.

5. ASEAN to develop Common standards and Monitoring system,  to protect and prepare smallholder agriculture in the context of the ASEAN 2015 integration and also to strengthen opportunities for intra-regional trade. Some of the proposed systems include:

• Good aquaculture practices
• Land monitoring (land use, land rights)
• Sustainability Reporting Guideline (developed by the Global Reporting Initiative)  as a collaboration between private business  and  CSOs
• Standards for Sustainable Agricultural Investments

The thematic issues identified by the CSOs can be annexed to this cross-cutting summary input.  These are starting points for the follow through PPD at the national levels.

The CSOs are encouraged to discuss these proposals with their respective national  SOM-AMAF focal points, prior to the 2nd PPD and after Vientiane.  The SOM-AMAF Focal points are also enjoined to be pro-active in creating venues for dialogues at the national level and for AMAF and ASEAN to provide the necessary mandate and conducive environment that will harness long-term partnerships at the national and regional levels.

Preparatory Workshop for the 2nd AMAF Private Sector Dialogue on Food Security

Summary of Issues on the 3 themes from the CSO Representatives Workshop

On Agricultural Productivity 

The CSO representatives arrived at a consensus that agricultural productivity is a complex challenge because it is not limited to yields but includes people, productive resources, markets, policies and the environment. The current challenge is now even greater with the declining resources (e.g. land, water) and the changing rainfall and climate patterns.

View or download the full text of the Summary of Issues on the 3 themes from the CSO Representatives Workshop

Summary Day 1

The Preparatory Workshop for the 2nd AMAF Private Sector Dialogue (PPD) on Food Security began  with 26 participants representing farmers organizations, cooperatives, and civil society organizations from the national and regional levels. Representatives from the FAO and national governments also joined to observe. The Preparatory Workshop was organized by the ASEAN Secretariat in collaboration with ASEAN-US MARKET Project.

AsiaDHRRA assisted the ASEAN Secretariat and the US-ASEAN MARKET Project in mobilizing a strong CSO participation in the Preparatory Workshop so that CSO perspectives are appropriately incorporated in the action agenda for the 2nd AMAF-Private Sector Dialogue (PPD) on Food Security scheduled on September 27, 2012 in Vientiane, Lao PDR.

At the opening, Mr. David R. Dyer, MARKET Project Chief of Party, said that the Workshop is   aimed at preparing the private Sector inputs to the 2nd PPD.  The event was to serve as a platform to meet, discuss, and consolidate food security issues  towards arriving at focused and clear recommendations to the AMAF during the dialogue.  He noted that the dialogue process which is meant to  allow more space for participation by the private sector, will not end in Vientiane, with the MARKET Project's commitment to seeing through the deepening of the discussions or debates on relevant issues between CSOs and business groups, and other stakeholders, at the national level.  It is part of the process that has been discussed with AsiaDHRRA who serves as focal point for a broad-based CSO participation in the PPD.

The workshop is part of the continuing process of ASEAN dialogue with the private sector which started in the ASEAN Food Security Conference: Role of the Private Sector held in Singapore in June 2010.  This was followed by the Public-Private Consultation on Sustainable Fisheries in ASEAN in June 2012 in Bangkok, then the ASEAN Food Security Conference: Improving Access, Advancing Food Security held in Manila in July 2012 and the 1st AMAF Private Sector Dialogue on Food Security held in Jakarta last October 2011.   For the CSOs, the dialogue process with  ASEAN through the PPD is a continuity of their various engagements with ASEAN the past five years on issues confronting food security, agriculture, and rural development.

A separate workshop among private business groups commenced in the afternoon of the first day with the same agenda of identifying key issues, potential areas of cooperation, and recommendations on the three workshop themes of agricultural productivity, access to agricultural credit and role of women in agribusiness.  The highlights of the parallel private sector workshops were presented  in the concluding plenary for an initial sharing of views and perspectives.  While there were differences on where each sector is coming from, commonalities in some of the understanding and calls to government and ASEAN were also observed.

Summary of Issues from the CSO Representatives Workshop

On Agricultural Productivity

The CSO representatives arrived at a consensus that agricultural productivity is a complex challenge because it is not limited to yields but includes people, productive resources, markets, policies and the environment. The current challenge is now even greater with the declining resources (e.g. land, water) and the changing rainfall and climate patterns.

On Agricultural Credit

Access to agricultural credit by small farmers and small producers in some ASEAN countries is constrained by legal restrictions of banks. There is a need for a legal stature that would govern credit support to small farmers. There are available funds from both public and banks but these banks are not able to extend credit to small farmers because of the absence of responsive policies.

The loan collateral system is “loan barrier”  for most small farmers and producers. This system perpetuates an environment that promotes the loss of productive assets of small farmers and producers especially in agriculture where risks are very high. There is a need to find innovative collateral system for agricultural credit. 
There is a need to minimize risks (climate change) by increasing opportunities for agricultural insurance (to include insurance for fish cages and other fishing gears, animals which are not covered by mainstream crop insurance), credit subsidies and rebates, including incentives for food production.

Minimizing risks and enhancing higher rate of success of agricultural credit would also mean government providing infrastructure, effective training and extension services and post-harvest facilities.

Farmers organization can help banks (private and public) process and administer agricultural credit and ensure that loans are utilized for farmers investments in agricultural production. Viet Nam Farmers Union provide banks assistance by certifying farmer-members the compliance of appropriate requirements, e.g. undergone training, formulated plan, and utilizing low risk in agricultural production technologies qualifies for a loan. VNFU submits this certified endorsement and proposal to the Bank so loans can be processed and approved.

In many cases, government loan/financing packages include items that are not needed or appropriate for small farmers. The small farmers are forced to accept these packages if one needed money to finance production. There is a need to find innovative and farmer-driven loan packages, where farmers will have a choice. ASEAN can provide a sharing-learning opportunities on innovative credit modalities where farmers will have a choice.

On Agricultural Credit

 On the Role of Women in Agriculture

The original concept of agribusiness has a specific nuance/connotation  because agribusiness is a concept which perpetuates the marginalized role of women. In the discussion, however,  it is appreciated in the context of women empowerment. It is also not simply about mainstreaming gender, but putting women at the center of economic activities in agriculture.

 According FAO study (FAO at Work, Women Key to Food Security) if women are given the same access to productive resources as men, they would produce 20-30 percent more food and their families would enjoy better health, nutrition and education. If women are given equal access to agricultural resources and services, food security would be greatly improved.  If men and women had equal access to productive resources in agriculture, food output in developing countries would increase by between 2.5 and four percent – enough to pull 100-150 million people out of hunger and help achieve the Millennium Development Goal number 1 on hunger and poverty reduction.

 

Day 2 Summary

On the second day, September 7, 23 representatives from ASEAN Senior Officials and Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (SOM-AMAF) from eight (8) ASEAN member States (AMS) joined the representatives of private sector to discuss and learn about the issues that were identified by participants from previous day’s workshops.

Ms. Sylvie Doutriaux of  the US Agency for International Development welcomed the participants to the workshop.

Dr. Tahlim Sudaryanto of SOM-AMAF gave a brief introductory remarks and provided the participants an overview of AMAF’s Private Sector Dialogue initiatives that started two years back in June 2010 held in Singapore.

Dr. David Dyer, again presented the rationale of the Preparatory Workshop to the 2nd AMAF Private Sector Dialogue scheduled on September 27, 2012 in Ventiane, Lao PDR.  He reiterated that a well-prepared participation to the 2nd AMAF Private Sector Dialogue will result to more meaningful and responsive outcomes.

Mr. Andrew McConville, Head of Corporate Affairs Asia Pacific of the Sygenta Asia Pacific Ptc. Ltd. gave inputs on Sygenta’s initiative on Rice Bowl Index.  The Rice Bowl Index is a tool that assesses how robust a country’s capacity is to address the challenges of food security and identifies areas for intervention as food security is high on governments’ policy agenda and is increasingly complex while food production landscape in Asia is rapidly changing.

Current food security debate is fragmented, problem-centric and opinion-driven. The Rice Bowl Index facilitates a shift of focus of the debate from problem-focused to solution-driven supported by an evidence-based dialogue, supports positive and productive multi-stakeholder dialogue, collaboration and action and as a platform to support partnerships with government, food value chain, NGOs etc.

The Rice Bowl Index consists of 1) a quantitative component: a modular diagnostic platform examining key enablers and disablers of food security  and 2) a qualitative component: a ‘white paper’ which interprets the data and identifies areas which require increased attention in terms of:

• Development of appropriate policy solutions;
• Investment in technology and infrastructure to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability;
• Creation of economic opportunities for farmers as well as food- and agribusinesses.

Given time constraints, there was no opportunity to give comments on the presentation from the participants. After Mr. Conville’s  presentation, the second day’s activities proceeded with the presentations of the results of the previous day’s separate CSO and business sector workshops.

Mr. Roel Ravanera and Mr. George Fuller, workshop moderators for the CSO and Business Groups processes, respectively, presented the highlights  of the break-out sessions before the SOM-AMAF representatives.

The national and regional participants of the  CSO grouping came from:

• Non-Governmental Organizations
• Agriculture and rural based cooperatives
• Farmers and fishers organizations

On agricultural productivity

Mr. Ravanera, opened his presentation by sharing some of the initiatives of CSOs in addressing challenges on the area of agricultural productivity. CSOs work in areas that include:

• Ensuring control over productive resources (land tenure, titling and ownership)
• Promoting sustainable technologies to reduce vulnerability
• Strengthening farmer/producers’ organizations
• Facilitating marketing support
• Advocating for supportive agricultural policies

The CSO group has identified the following issues, possible ASEAN Member States, and ASEAN Support

• Protection of lands for food production; implement land use policies, asset reform
• ASEAN learning exchange on sustainable agriculture policies and programs
• Enabling legal framework for farmer organizations/cooperatives
• Regulatory function on contracts, etc.
• Technical support e.g., pricing, marketing information
• Adoption of regional standards

Possible cooperation between CSOs and agribusiness sector

• CSR to support farmers/small producers efforts to adopt and enhance sustainable agricultural production technologies, and “partnership farming” contracts, etc.
• Explore pilot cooperative projects between farmer cooperatives and corporations
• Explore adoption of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) by CSOs and US-ASEAN Business Council

On access to agricultural credit

Some of CSO Initiatives on agricultural credit

• Cooperative micro-credit programs (e.g., Philippines, Vietnam, etc.)
• Training of Farmers’ orgs to manage and maximize investment/credit, governance, sound management

Possible Govt & ASEAN support

• Make credit more accessible to small farmers with lower interest rates (comparative to many countries in other continents)
• Guarantee Fund
• Production insurance for farmers/fishers due to vulnerability from climate change
• Capacity Building and Monitoring

1. Provision training and technical support for credit management and organizational development
2. The need for Monitoring of updates and status of Policy Recommendations and Implementation

• Knowledge Sharing of Working Models

1. Document successful and innovative experiences in micro-finance/micro-credit in agricultural production
2. Initiate learning exchanges on innovative micro-financing on agriculture 

 

 On Role of Women in Agribusiness

• Re-affirmation of the important role of women in broader agriculture context
• Important role of women should be translated into meaningful participation of women in decision-making
• Doing agribusiness in the context of women empowerment

Recommendations:

1. Recognize right of women over land, credit, decision-making and need for social protection for women and families (i.e., settlements, education)
2. Document and share various initiative of governments on role of women –e.g. programs, policies, budget allocation for women, setting specific monitoring indicators
3. Capacity building for women, especially women in agri-extension.
4. Recognize and strengthen the role of women in agriculture value-chain, making them at the center of economic activities, where possible.

Mr. George Fuller, moderator for the business sector group presented the following:

Private Businesses & Associations were represented by:

•    Private Companies
•    Regional Business Groups
–    CropLife Asia
–    US - ASEAN Business Council
•    National Chambers of Commerce
•    National Food Business Associations

The results of the workshop discussions were based on the following key questions:

1. What are we doing to enhance agricultural productivity
2. How can government and ASEAN enhance our work with farmers in improving agricultural productivity
3. what possible cooperation strategies can be considered with the civil sector

What are we doing to enhance agricultural productivity
•    Provide Basic inputs
-    Fertilizer
-    Seeds
-    Pest control

• Training
-    Safe and effective use of pest control technologies
-    Best use of available technologies in holistic cropping system approaches

• Technology and innovation to increase yield per hectare and make best use of existing land
-    Safer and more effective pest control
-    Higher yielding seeds and seeds that resist biotic and abiotic stresses
-    More effective use of water and more efficient irrigation systems

• Partnerships with growers - moving beyond win-lose contract farming

How can government and ASEAN enhance our work with farmers in improving agricultural productivity?
• Services
-    Ensure that government supplied are good varieties of high quality
-    Upgrade extension services, including with PPPs
-    Facilitate farmer cooperatives
-    Reliable information to track production for productivity (PPP)

• Policies
-    Review laws and policies that hinder development of new technologies and seed varieties.
-    Enable greater access to all technology that could help farmers become more sustainable and productive with appropriate regulation to protect health and the environment.
-    Better coordination among government departments and ministries
-    Prioritization of ASEAN coordination among ministerial groups

What possible cooperation strategies can be considered with the civil society organizations?
•    Need all sectors to solve complex food security issues
•    Need to include buyers
•    Need to recognize national interests
•    Need collaboration throughout value chains
•    Work for agreement prior to ministerial level meetings
•    Emphasis on farmer flexibility and choices

Breakout Sessions

By 11 in the morning, the participants were divided into four breakout groups.  The breakout groups were created to facilitate a more intimate and deeper discussion on the issues and recommendations that were presented on the plenary session. Senior Officials of SOM-AMAF joined the group discussions and interact with the CSO and business sector participants.

The moderators were the following:

Mr. Roel Ravanera    - Group 1
Mr. John de Silva    - Group 2
Ms. Sylvie Detriaux    - Group 3
Mr. George Fuller    - Group 4

In the afternoon, the same groups came together to further discuss the issues and recommendations with another set of SOM-AMAF Senior Officials. The breakout group discussions provided opportunities for  meaningful interaction among  participants.  It also allowed opportunity for networking to some.

In the culmination of discussions, each group was asked to select at least three (3) priority issues that the sectors would like to bring to the 2nd AMAF Private Sector Dialogue. These were shared during the concluding panel composed of the break-out moderators.  One group shared three  priority areas for action to include: 1) Institutionalization of an ASEAN Small Producers Council which will be composed of representatives from small farmers and fishers/ producers organizations; 2)  Agricultural credit programs that are accessible and affordable or farmer-driven packages that will increase the competitiveness of small farmers, fishers and producers for both intra and extra trading within the ASEAN region; and 3) ASEAN and AMS to  strengthen support to joint cooperation and programs that would enhance small farmers, fishers and producers access to markets.

It is expected that representatives from SOM-AMAF in the workshop will report/feedback the issues and recommendations discussed to their respective Agricultural Ministers/Secretaries. As such, Ministers comprising the ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture  and Forestry will be able to prepare meaningful response to the issues and recommendations that will be raised during the Dialogue.

On the other hand,  the CSOs were also encouraged to meet their respective SOM-AMAF representatives at the national level, to prepare for the 2nd PPD.   More importantly,  there was a general understanding that the dialogue between and among government  and private sectors is a continuing process at different levels.  The Bangkok workshop was meant to generate an atmosphere of openness among various partners and create a mechanism for continuing dialogue and cooperation at national level.  The CSO participants are in full agreement to the relevance of  sustaining the process at the national levels, where the perspectives on issues raised and the recommendations put forward can be further be elaborated and discussed.

List of Participants

List of  Participants - c/o AsiaDHRRA       
2nd AMAF Preparatory Workshop       
06-07 September 2012 / Bangkok, Thailand       
       
CSO AMS       
1    Mr. Uon Sophal - Cambodia  FNN
2    HE Srun Darith - Cambodia FNN
3    Mr. Morn Vanlyda - Cambodia CFAP
4    Ms. Dwi Astuti - Indonesia BnD
5    Mr. Bounpone Luangphimmajak - Lao PDR    CDEA
6    Mr. Thongdam Phongphichitch - Lao PDR    SAEDA
7    Mr. Rattapraseud Nhouyvanisong - Lao PDR    AGPC
8    Mr. Saythong Vilavong - Lao PDR Normai
9    Mr. Salamat Bin Surib - Malaysia  Sireh Homestay Coop
10    Mr. Manivannan Kandasamy -  Malaysia    DHRRA Malaysia
11    Mr. Niran Buasiri - Thailand  Sorkorpor
12    Mr. Efren Arroyo - Philippines  Pakisama
13    Mr. Rafael Gayaso - Philippines Norlu
14    Ms. Vuley Voan - Vietnam VNFU
15    Mr. Truong Quoc Can - Vietnam  CSRD

REGIONAL CSO       
16    Ms. Marlene Ramirez - Philippines  AsiaDHRRA
17    Ms. Salome Ganibe - Philippines  AWCF
18    Mr. Jayson Cainglet - Philippines AAI
19    Mr. Arsenio Tanchuling - Philippines SEAFISH
20    Ms. Maricel Tolentino - Philippines ANGOC

ASIADHRRA SUPPORT STAFF       
21    Ms. Elena Regabay - Philippines AFA
22    Mr. Florante Villas - Philippines AsiaDHRRA
23    Ms. Lorna David-Philippines AsiaDHRRA