CSO Side Event of the Investment Forum Manila 2010

Investments for Food Security in Asia-Pacific: For Whom and For What? - CSO Statement

2010-07-19T00:35:00.000-07:00

We, representatives from national and regional organizations and cooperatives of small scale women and men farmers, fishers, and indigenous peoples, rural youth and women, and development NGOs in the Asia-Pacific region, wish to present to the delegates of this investment forum organized jointly by Asian Development Bank (ADB), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) the following:

Away from “Business as Usual” Approach
Partnerships and investments to promote food security in the Asia-Pacific region cannot proceed in the “business-as-usual” approach. Our work and study with poor communities consistently show that large scale trade, technology and business practices of large agro-industrial corporations have marginalized and further displaced small holder producers, who lost their access to and control over productive resources and assets.

National and regional policies, particularly in financing and trade, have reinforced these failures and continuing food insecurity in many countries.

We welcome socially responsible private investments in agribusiness with the condition that they are benign and equitable and work for the betterment of the small scale farmers. We are totally opposed to business models that are exploitative and result in the marginalization and displacement of the small scale rural sectors.

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The Need for Change
There is a need to bolster investments in food security. But these investments should be within the framework of sustainable, pro-poor agricultural policies in the region and should correct the misguided priorities on export-oriented agriculture production, market solutions and industrial, chemical intensive agriculture. In line with this, we propose that investments should:

Adhere to the principles of Human Rights, Farmers’ Rights, Fishers’ Rights and Indigenous Peoples’ Rights. There must be recognition and institutionalization of the farmers’ rights to land and other productive resources in agriculture. This includes as well the rights to benefit sharing from the use of plant and animal genetic resources.
Support sustainable food production using integrated, diversified, organic and eco-intensification farming systems and approaches.
Increase public investments in irrigation, post-harvest facilites, rural infrastructure and research and technology.
Oppose monopoly control in domestic food and agricultural trade, and strengthen farmers’ participation in markets and in the value chain through farmers’ organizations and cooperatives.
Make the policy shift towards enhancing food self sufficiency and away from export –oriented agricultural production, and towards enacting appropriate land use policies, import control and tariffs, price support and subsidies.
Promote changes in the design of partnership agreements among stakeholders that will truly empower smallholders producers.
Urgently invest in disaster risk reduction and adaptation to protect farmers from the effects of climate change

Along this, responsible public and private investments and grants should be made to:

Governments, csos, small-scale farmers’, fishers’organization, small-scale private sector
Support public R&D
Quality and appropriate extension services and systems
Infrastructure which will improve access to agriculture and aquaculture resources to the poor women and men farmers, fishers, indigenous peoples, and that would enable them to produce food for communities and secure their livelihood systems
Promote ecologically sound farming, forestry and fisheries systems
Validate and upscale sustainable and farmers’ led pilot projects including community-based seeds and breeds initiatives
Support production, post-harvest and marketing services for the development of local value chains and give access to market
Promote and enhance farmers and fishers associations and cooperatives and social enterprises as the social economy institutions of these small scale farmers and producers.
Ensure that women are given priority in all investment on agriculture and food security and are meaningfully engaged in the designing, implementation, management, monitoring and evaluation of these sustainable agriculture and food security projects

Our Calls

We call for significant participation of CSOs in setting and/or reviewing the food security and sectoral policies of ADB
We call for ADB to ensure its commitment of 2 billion dollars a year and increasing it to support smallholder sustainable agriculture related to food security and sovereignty initiatives including concern on nutrition
We call on governments in Asia and Pacific region to devote at least 10 % of national budgetary resources to sustainable agriculture
We call on governments to ensure rationalized land and water use to ensure protection of natural resources for food production which guarantees access and control of small-scale farmers, fishers and indigenous peoples to these natural resources

On institutionalizing meaningful participation of social movements and civil society in processes related to investments for food security processes

The space provided for civil society in the Investment Forum is appreciated and is considered a basis for further improved dialogues, notably enhanced support for participation of small scale food producers. We call on ADB, FAO, IFAD and its member states to:

Create a permanent mechanism to facilitate the meaningful participation of smallholder agricultural producers, workers and enterprises that will guarantee that their interests are adequately represented at such fora and in accompanying processes building on existing initiatives, processes and institutions
Encourage and facilitate the participation of CSOs in on-going and future agricultural investment related programs on capacity building, research, extension, etc.

Our Commitments
We, the civil society participants in this gathering, are committed to working together to make our governments, intergovernmental bodies and the IFIs/ multilateral agencies, other donors and socially responsible private sectors to respond to the needs of the poor and marginalized.

We will continue our efforts to make these agencies and its member states--our governments--accountable to the needs of the region's peoples through constructive and principled engagement in various processes and the monitoring and evaluation of their work.

We will contribute our expertise in the deliberations on the substance and methodologies of the various agricultural investments for agriculture at national, regional and international levels;
We will cooperate with development partners who are respecting the principles set forth and are willing to work along the agenda proposed herewith.

We will intensify our efforts in empowering local communities to contribute towards and benefit from sustainable development efforts in the Asia Pacific region.

ANNEX 1: List of Specific Recommendations

1. Replication and Up-scaling of Sustainable, Organic Agriculture
These agicultural systems have been developed over the past three decades without or with little assistance. They have proven to increase productivity and smallholders’ income and quality of life. Technolgies such as integrated and diversified farming, System of Rice Intensification, bio-composting, vermiculture, low-input agriculture, integrated pest management, community seed banking, use of small-scale community based renewable energy such as bio-gas, charcoal briquette domestication of other livestock species (other than cows, pig, shep, chickens, goats), early warning systems and weather forecasting combining both traditional and modern science based knowledge.

It is time to increase investments and assistance to replicate and upscale them in the interest of sustainable food security and poverty alleviation through the following:

Agricultural research and development (ARD)

Agricultural research development and extension investments should be based on the needs of smallholders and should bring immediate relief as well as mid and long term solutions. Smallholders shall be involved directly in the identification, design, implementation and monitoring of research activities
Invest in the research and documentation of various traditional, local knowledge and practices on crop breeding, seed banking, integrated pest management, organic fertilizers, energy-efficient mechanisms (small scale bio-energy technologies ) and other technologies and practices; in knowledge sharing, information dissemination
Prioritize public research on soil fertility, pest & disease management, seeds and breeds for low input and organic agriculture
Investments in ARD shall be increased and be shifted from agro-chemical agriculture systems to agro-ecological organic systems. Other priority areas in ARD should include protection of the environment, promotion of biodiversity, natural resources management, climate change adaptation.
We are gravely concerned about the growing interest on the focus and resource allocation on GMOs, and the growing pressure on governments of developing countries to devote the meager R&D funds to capital intensive and high input technologies.

We urge ADB, FAO and IFAD to conduct a study on the cost-benefit analysis of public investments on GMOs and agro-chemical farming systems, as compared to low-input, agro-ecological agricultural systems.

The precautionary approach as adopted by the Rio Convention on Sustainable Development should be used in ARD.
ADB, FAO and IFAD shall seek cooperation with additional research initiatives and institutions promoting agro-ecological organic research institutions, rather than limiting its support and activities to its traditional partners such as IRRI, CGIAR.
Strengthen links between research, advisory and extension services to promote sustainable agriculture; strengthen partnerships between research institutions, extension workers and organizations of smallholder farmers, particularly women.

Support services and infrastructure
Invest in the important support services that directly benefit small farmers : community-based irrigation, accessible and affordable credit, farm -to-market roads, crop insurance, early warning and weather forecasting systems , post harvest facilities.

Connectivity
Invest in the development and improvement of traditional, local markets including wholesale markets owned and managed by local government in partnership with organized small-scale food producers

Invest in enhancing the position of small-scale farmers in sustainable agricultural food value chain to become significant player in the management and coordination of the sustainable value chain through:

Farmer-friendly market information mechanism to help small-scale farmer make informed decision (price, demand, market standards/requirement)
Promote collective/group marketing by investing in formation, organizing of commodity-based producer’s association/cooperative support service providers that will assist in capacity building (organizational development, skills e.g. negotiation, etc) and networking of producer’s cooperative/association as well as consumer groups
Soft loan for Start-up capital for trading and marketing
Subsidy for basic infrastructure – pre and post harvest facilities (drying, milling, etc), stable energy source

2. Sustainable Management of Land and Natural Resources
Access and control of land, water and common property resources by small scale farmers, fishers and indigenous peoples are critical in enhancing food security and leads to sustainable natural resource management.

Land and natural resource management is nowhere in the priorities or core areas of operation of ADB's Strategy 2020. We call on ADB, FAO and IFAD to ensure that all of their investments will facilitate promotion and protection of the rights of farmers, fishers and indigenous peoples, including their right to lands, water, forests and seeds as contained in the UN Voluntary Guidelines on the Realization of the Right to Food, Article 9 of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, UN Declaration of the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples as basis.

ADB, FAO and IFAD should assess large agricultural investments on how these rights are respected and promoted. Investments that could alter the natural balance of the environment or the ecosystem should be prohibited.

Civil society organizations supported by a diversity of development partners, including FAO and IFAD have developed models and systems on community based agro-forestry/ coastal resource/watershed management, as well as integrated, diversified, organic farming systems and System of Rice Intensification which are worth replicating and upscaling. They should be more aggressively advocated and promoted towards private sector and governments.

3. Participatory Governance and Management
Along these lines, we recommend ADB, FAO and IFAD to:

Use participatory approaches in decision making and management of projects. Mechanisms for consultations which have a real bearing on subsequent decision-making and management processes should be institutionalized.
Review of the food security and sectoral policies of ADB with the participation of the CSOs
We call on FAO and IFAD to continue the reform process of the Committee on Food Security, particularly at national and regional levels
We call for independent mechanisms for monitoring investments in agriculture across the region including CSOs and development partners

4. Focus on Women Farmers, Fishers and Indigenous Peoples
At the UN Millennium Review Summit this year, it was highlighted that supporting women farmers must be the focus of coherent, appropriately budgeted national plans to make a five-year breakthrough against hunger. This is because in Asia and Pacific, women are in charge of putting food on the table, and do 50-80% of agriculture work. Investments can go on labor-saving devices for women, improving their crops and varieties, training and extension work with them, securing their rights to land and access to financial services. Researches and experiences have shown that projects and activities managed and implemented by women generate more success.

5. Invest in Activities that Motivate the Rural Youth to Engage in Agriculture
Young farmers are the future of agriculture. Capacity-building and enhancement programmes for rural youth to engage in sustainable food production and agriculture and rural employment shall be supported.

6. Invest in Organizing and Capacity Building with Farmers, Fishers and Indigenous Peoples
Massive replication and promotion of technologies will be more efficient and rapid if we work with organized groups of small rural producers. Emphasis can be placed on developing peoples’ organizations and cooperatives along geographical and crop / commodity lines, as well as in investing in business associations and scientific organizations supporting the needs of small scale producers and entrepreneurs to capture and add value to on-farm, post harvest and off-farm enterprises .

Adopted by the following participants to the CSO Side Event and the CSO Special Event during the Investment Forum for Food Security in Asia and the Pacific (Manila, 7 to 9 July 2010):

Agribusiness Action Initiative (AAI)
Aliansi Petani Indonesia (API)
Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP)
Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA)
Asian Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas (AsiaDHRRA)
Center for Agricultural Extension Volunteer (CAEV-VietDHRRA)
Cambodia Farmers’ Association for Agricultural Development (CFAD)
Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC)
Cambodian NGO Alliance for Cooperation (CNAC-CamboDHRRA)
Farmer and Nature Net (FNN)
Farmers' Federations' Association for Development in Thailand (SorKorPor)
Farmers' Life Improvement and Future Light Youth Organization
Indonesian Farmers and Fishers Society Organization (WAMTI)
International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP-Asia)
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM)
National Cooperative Union of India (NEDAC) and NEDAC-Asia
Organic Agriculture Association of Thailand
Pacific Islands Association of NGOs (PIANGO)
Pambansang Kilusan ng Mga Magsasaka (PAKISAMA)
Peoples Service Organization
Philippine Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas (PhilDHRRA)
Philippines Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF)
Regional Network for the Development of Agricultural Cooperatives in Asia and the Pacific
Save the Children-Philippines
Social and Economic Developers Association (SEDA)
STAR Kampuchea
Taiwan National Pingtung University of Science & Technology (NPUST)
Vietnam Farmers Union (VNFU)
Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resources Management (WOCAN)
World Vision International
World Fair Trade Organization (WFTOA)

Day 1 Updates: CSO Side Event

2010-07-06T08:42:00.000-07:00

Civil society organizations convene today to deliberate on concrete proposals for the promotion of responsible investments in agriculture to address world hunger, by ensuring that the smallholders who are food producers do not themselves experience hunger and undernourishment by enabling them to become active, viable, empowered partners of governments, donors, international communities, and various other sectors, through responsible and responsive rural investments.

More than 60 delegates from CSO and people’s organizations from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, India, China, India, Tonga, Pakistan, Taiwan and the Philippines are attending the meeting from July 5 to 6 in Crowne Hotel, Ortigas, Pasig City Philippines. Entitled “Investment for Whom or What?,” the meeting is a CSO side event to organize their meaningful engagement at the joint ADB/FAO/IFAD Investment Forum for Food Security in Asia and the Pacific which will be held in Manila from July 7 to 9.

The forum opened with the sectors briefly presenting their situations as food producers to properly situate the two-day discussions. The sectors expressed hope and openness to the possibility of real changes that could happen in the countryside as a result of a more engaged dialogue with ADB/FAO/IFAD on rural investments.

The co-organizers affirmed the same optimism in their opening messages. Katsuji Matsunami, ADB’s Advisor for Agriculture, Food Security, and Rural Development, hoped that “this is going to be the platform for all of us to look at some possible framework, for addressing the task at hand in a multipronged manner.” The same message is reiterated by Thomas Price, chief of the FAO Partnership Branch, and by IFAD’s Country Manager for the Philippines, Sana Jatta.

The first session consisted of thematic plenary presentations on the following: (1) Enhancing Productivity, (2) Building Resilience Against Vulnerability, (3) Innovative Financing; and (4) Connectivity Solutions from the Private Sector Food Security through Regional Cooperation.

Jacqueline Haessiq-Alleje of IFOAM, presenter for the theme “Enhancing Productivity,” stressed the imperative of a paradigm shift to organic agriculture as “the only way to solve the growing problem of hunger in developing countries. She cited studies that confirm how the world can be adequately and sustainably fed, and ecologically regenerated, through organic agriculture. She further commented on ADB’s Operational Plan for Sustainable Food Security and put forward proposals which include, among others, encouraging policies that call for a shift in public spending for chemical agricultural research in favor of organic production research.

On Innovative Financing, Afab Khan of the Action Aid explained that in order to reverse the dire situation of small agricultural producers and bring the region closer to reducing the number of poor people, 10% of national budgets should be allocated to smallholder agriculture. Khan added these investments should go to the improvement of land ownership, access to water and other natural resources of small farmers and fishers, agricultural research and development to upscale farmers’ pilot projects, and the promotion of ecologically-sound farming and fishing systems.

Elpidio Peria of TWN, panel presenter for “Natural Resources Management” observed that natural resources is nowhere in the priorities or core areas of operation of ADB’s Long Term Strategy (2009-2020) or Strategy 2020. He said ADB has categorized agriculture under “Other Areas of Operation.” In 2009, ADB allotted only 7 loans totaling to a measly $443M, which is “a dismal failure” considering that ADB targeted to increase its lending for agriculture and rural development to more than US $2 B. He proposed to put Farmers Rights at the center of NRM projects and investments, which is based on Art. 9 of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources on Food and Agriculture of the FAO, and from the UN Human Rights instruments which includes the Right to Food.

The presenter on “Building Resilience Against Vulnerability,” Souly Quackchangkham of AFA highlighted climate change as the situation that has caused the most vulnerability to food-producing sectors who live close to nature for their survival. She noted that it is the energy and chemical intensive agriculture that accounts for the huge GHG emission, primarily as a result of overuse of fertilizers, land clearance, soil degradation and intensive animal farming. She discussed proposals on investment to build resilience, which includes, among others, community-based reforestation programs, and upscaling of sustainable agri/aquaculture systems done and managed by and with small scale women and men farmers, fishers and indigenous peoples.

Before the morning session ended, the delegates convened into workshop groups following the four themes and proceeded to a working lunch to analyze ADB’s existing investment policies and projects and propose concrete investment policies and projects to advocate for adoption by the Bank.

Opening statements: Farmers Sector

2010-07-06T08:34:00.000-07:00

Opening Statements from Oun Soupal, Asian Farmers Association (AFA), Cambodia

About the CSO Side Event of the Investment Forum for Food Security in Asia and the Pacific

2010-07-04T00:27:00.000-07:00

Rationale

The two-day preparatory CSO meeting aims to organize the meaningful engagement of CSOs at the joint ADB/FAO/IFAD Investment Forum for Food Security in Asia and the Pacific (Manila, 7 to 9 July 2010). It is an important follow-through activity of the Ad Hoc Committee organized last February 24-25, 2010 in Manila during the Regional Consultation on Food Security in Asia and the Pacific Region sponsored by FAO and co-hosted by AsiaDHRRA. The said consultation brought together various Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) representing regional formations of rural sectors – namely, farmers, fishers, indigenous peoples, women, youth, cooperative, NGOs, and INGOs to review and agree on thematic priorities affecting food security in the region and respond to the need to broaden and strengthen ranks among them towards a stronger movement for responding to hunger and poverty among the marginalized sectors. The CSOs decided to form the regional Ad Hoc Committee (AHC) to anchor the planning process focusing on agreed regional priorities for the next two years, and accordingly craft a concrete plan of action that considers upcoming major regional events such as the Investment Conference on Food Security in Manila on July, the 30th FAO-APRC Meeting in Korea in September, and other processes including the reform process of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) in Rome, 12 to 16 October 2010.

The Investment Forum on Food Security is an important event for various regional platforms and initiatives where the voices of the grassroots particularly the small-scale producers, indigenous peoples, fishers, rural women and youth can be heard by intergovernmental bodies like ADB, FAO and IFAD whose investment policies and programs greatly affect the lives of rural people. It is imperative that the perspectives of the rural sectors, based on learnings and insights from the banks' programs and policies, are factored in the new strategies for advancing food security at the national, regional and global levels.

An event planned for by the AHC, its members recognize the funding support received from the USAID, ADB, FAO and IFAD.

Objectives Outputs Outcomes

Specifically, the CSO Meeting aims to achieve the following:

CSOs have better understanding of the existing policy frameworks and thrust of ADB, IFAD, and FAO on investment in food security in aid of their various policy advocacy roles in the region.
Common CSO agenda identified and concrete investment policy proposals and program recommendations developed relative to the Investment Forum for Food Security
Firmed up Asia-Pacific regional CSO medium-term agenda in relation to engaging various regional and international intergovernmental bodies working on food security/food sovereignty and sustainable rural development
Improved coordination among regional CSO partnership mechanisms especially in relation to upcoming key regional and international events beyond the Investment Forum, e.g. 30th FAO APRC in the Republic of Korea and CFS processes in Rome.

The expected outputs of the CSO preparatory meeting are as follows:

Analysis of ADB/FAO/IFAD principles and investment thrust on food security
Common CSO statement highlighting the views and recommendations of CSOs, especially of the grassroots sectors, on Investments for Food Security
Concrete policies proposals and project investment calls responsive to the needs of most vulnerable and affected sectors
Finalized medium term CSO agenda for food and agricultural governance in the region
Clear plan of action for CSO participation during the 30th APRC in Korea in September 2010

It is envisioned that the 2-day preparatory meeting will inspire and lead to a more effective policy engagement during the Investment Forum resulting from improved analysis by the CSOs' of ADB/FAO/IFAD principles and investment thrusts on food security, manifested by their coherent proposals for policy reforms and specific concrete calls for investment on food security in Asia and Pacific region.

A collective voice among CSOs will also signal the seriousness of the sector to make ADB, IFAD, and FAO and their development partners more accountable of their policies and programming towards the agenda of a food secure region and reduced poverty in the rural areas.

III. Participants and Organizers

The participants of the CSO Side Event include the members of the regional Ad Hoc Committee and the Korean CSO Working Committee for the FAO-APRC, the IFAD Medium Term Cooperation Programme Steering Committee Members from China and the Southeast, and CSOs from the region who registered for the Investment Forum.

A volunteer working group from among the AHC members supports the preparation of the program design and content. A Steering Committee from among the participants shall be created to help direct the CSO side event proper and to prepare the final conclusion and statement from the meeting which will be presented during the Investment Forum. AsiaDHRRA, as AHC focal point, provides the secretariat and coordination support to the event and coordinates with FAO who acts as CSO liaison for the Investment Forum organizers.

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