Summary on going FAO/EC projects (Financially open) DG External Relations

GCP/RAS/164/EC - Integrated Pest Management for Cotton in Asia

Project Rationale and Justification

Cotton is the world’s largest insecticide-consuming crop. This project includes three of the four largest cotton-producing countries that grow 46 per cent of the world’s cotton. The likely impact of this project will be a substantial decrease in the frequencies and amounts of insecticides applied, as well as increased cotton production.

It is foreseen that at least 90,000 small-scale cotton farmers in the Asian countries participating in the project will benefit from the programme and its implementation.

The project presents an articulated internal structure. In each participating country, FAO will establish a Project Management Unit (PMU) which will be delegated the operational day to day responsibility for programme implementation in all respects. Additionally, a Programme Management Unit (PGMU) will be created in order to assure the necessary co-ordination at the regional level. To that effect, the PGMU will be headed by a programme co-ordinator that will provide overall Programme coordination and technical backstopping to the National Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Programmes. These national IPMs will be the main entities to actually implement the programme, and their activities will be supported by national and/or international experts.

Finally, the programme will establish a Programme Steering Committee (PSC) consisting of representatives form EC Headquarters, FAO and the participating countries, which will act as a consultative body and meet on a yearly basis to provide advice on the programme implementation and planning.

Description

The development objective of the programme is to reach a sustainable, profitable and environmentally sound production of cotton in the participating countries, through the development, promotion and practice of IPM by farmers and extension staff.

The project has three immediate objectives. In the first place, it focuses on the development of a cadre of IPM cotton trainers from existing extension or field plant protection staff, to train farmers in Farmers Field Schools.

Secondly, the project intends to promote cooperation for cotton IPM among governments, research institutions, development agencies, extension services and farmers’ and other non-governmental organisations, and to improve access for all interested parties to information from within and outside of the Programme area.

Finally, it aims at supporting the formulation of national policies on plant protection in cotton, re-oriented to support IPM development in the six programme countries.

Activities and main Results

The Implementing Agreement was signed in February 1999, but the project started operations only in October of the same year since funds were transferred on that month.

Following a consolidation phase in the year 2000, the Programme moved to a full implementation mode in 2001. In relation to the first objective, 12 Training of Facilitators have been organised and 338 Farmer Field Schools were set up since the Programme started.

In relation to the second objective, the Cotton IPM website and newsletter are under preparation. Activities to help farmers carry out cotton evaluation have been initiated in China. Other farmer field research activities are being planned in China, Philippines and Vietnam. An APO was recruited to support farmer field research in India.

Collaboration with the FAO Global IPM Facility was firmly set up during a meeting on IPM 2015 in May 2001.

Staff on the global facility was subsequently involved in the regional meetings held by the Programme. Related IPM websites already exist within FAO. Exchanges of IPM Expert Facilitators between countries also serve to share valuable field experiences between countries.

In addition the Programme has supported the organisation of a Workshop on Impact Assessment in March 2001 and a Planning and Evaluation Meeting in September 2001, both held in Ho Chi Minh City, following which impact assessment studies have been initiated in several member countries.

Administrative and Financial Matters

- Commission Reference: ALA/96/04

- Administrative Overhead: 11.2 per cent. Overhead reduced because implemented using existing IPM administration facilities funded by other donors.

- Year Instalment: initial disbursement of US$ 2,074,818, equivalent to the estimated amount of the first year as per Implementing Agreement; further disbursement of 100 per cent (minus the balance on the previous instalment) upon approval of work plan; 20 per cent of the final annual instalment upon approval of final report.

- EC Contact point: Mr G. Barton, Head of Unit, AIDCO D5

- FAO Contact point: Janos T. Lehel, Chief, TCAP.

GCP/RAS/173/EC - Information and Analysis for Sustainable Forest Management: Linking National and International Efforts in South Asia and Southeast Asia

Project Rationale and Justification

South Asian and Southeast Asian countries have a high population density and a low forest cover, which is mainly concentrated in the mountains and highlands and is under intense pressure. These forests provide a vital contribution such as protecting watersheds, wildlife and bio-diversity; contributing employment, income and public revenue through logging and forest industries; and supporting the basic needs of rural communities by serving as source of food, fuel and medicines.

Despite this multiple role, the South Asian and Southeast Asian forests have experienced some of the world’s heaviest logging on record. Moreover, although some countries are still endowed with natural forests, high pressure on forests, poor forest management and high cutting intensity jeopardise the sustainability of that valuable natural resource. Within this context, timely, easily available and accurate information on forest resources and their utilisation is a precondition for sustainable forest management based on economically, environmentally and socially balanced forest policies. In some countries, useful information on forest resources may exist, but it is not readily available to national decision-makers or forest industries as they make strategic decisions regarding the forestry sector. A vital objective of this project is thus to increase the availability and transparency of national forestry data and policy analysis.

The countries considered for FAO/EC partnership in project activities are 13: six in South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka), and seven in Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam). FAO contribution to the project amounts to US$ 951,456, in addition to EC contribution.

It is important to note that this project runs parallel to other normative projects focusing on sustainable forest management, such as GCP/RAF/354/EC, GCP/INT/679/EC and GCP/RLA/133/EC.

Description

Within the overall objective of promoting sustainable management of trees and forests in the tropics of South Asia and Southeast Asia founded on policies that integrate and balance relevant economic, environmental and social aspects of forestry, the project focused on the specific objective of strengthening national capacity to collect, compile and disseminate reliable and up-to-date information on forestry, to analyse the forest sector and to make that information available to policy decision makers.

The first of the three main components of the project is “problem oriented data gathering and updating of information”. The project intends to improve the coverage, timeliness, quality and availability of data needed for sustainable forest management by focusing on forest resources, forest plantations, wood-supply and trade, fuel wood production and consumption, trees outside the forest, and non wood forestry products.

Within the second component “Pilot studies” the project intends to collect and analyse data (including new data) in selected countries in order to: a) develop a framework to collect essential data, policy and institutional information which are not yet commonly available, and b) carry out policy and institutional analysis and policy formulation.

Finally, the last main project component “Forestry policy review” aims at conducting forest policy analysis, identify appropriate policies and examine the need for policy or institutional adjustment.

The output of the project will be, for South Asia and Southeast Asia, an improved national institutional and man-power capacity, a methodology to collect information, improved analytical tools to review and formulate forestry policies appropriate for sustainable forest management.

Activities and main Results

The project activities were initiated in November 1999 when the first tranche of funds was received. The most important accomplishments of the project till now include:

- desk and pilot studies for data collection methodology development: more than 60 studies initiated in various countries improved forestry-related information and developed more effective methods for collecting data on forest conditions, the extent of private sector plantations, the economic contribution of non-timber forest products and the environmental and socio-economic impacts of bio fuel use.

- Regional studies: designed to review data collection and analysis, statistics of forest products’ production and trade, and national wood fuel and wood energy information

- training on methodologies of data collection: preparation of a training manual, organising of a training course on forestry statistics in Bangkok to enhance information flows and enable countries to fulfil their commitments under the various international agreements and processes, other training workshops are to build on pilot studies.

All these accomplishments have strengthened the overall capacity of the participating countries, although it took some time to mobilise country level activities and create the necessary interest and commitment for networking in the numerous different countries. The request for extension (in time and increase of funds) has not been accepted.

Administrative and Financial Matters

- Commission Reference: ASI B76201/IB/98/0531.

- Administrative Overhead: 6 per cent (normative project).

- Year Instalment: 40 per cent upon signing of agreement and submission of work plan and budget estimate for the first 18 months; 55 per cent upon approval of the second bi-annual progress report, work plan and budget; 5 per cent upon approval of final report.

- Amendment 1: project requested an extension for 11 months (from 19 November 2002 till 19 November 2003), with a budget increase of EURO 189,210 - not accepted.

- EC Contact point: Mr. J. Ten Bloemendal, Head of Unit, F4

- FAO Contact point: Janos T. Lehel, Chief, TCAP.

GCP/RLA/133/EC - Information and Analysis for Sustainable Forest Management: Linking National and International Efforts in Latin America Countries

Project Rationale and Justification

Many countries in Central and South America are endowed with rich and valuable forest resources, which importantly contribute to vital socio and environmental aspects such as protecting watersheds, wildlife and biological diversity; contributing employment, income and public revenue through logging and forest industries; and supporting the basic needs of rural communities, by serving as sources of food, fuel and medicines.

In some Central and South America countries, reliable forest information may exist but is not readily available to national decision-makers or forest industries as they make strategic decisions regarding the forestry sector. Equally those available data are not adequate as a practical basis for private sector investment. Deforestation in the region appears significant yet few of the countries feel confident about their data, or about how to monitor change in forest cover. The region is also witnessing some high profile investments in reforestation and forest plantations related to the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Desertification. In this view, improved data and a better understanding of likely market developments are critical to monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of current forest policy.

These needs are further amplified by a second trend, i.e. the demands for fiscal austerity, which will affect the level of commitment and investments. Within this framework, reliable and publicly available data on forest condition and capability along with market outlook for forest products will be critical to setting the policy framework to promote appropriate sector investment.

The Asia Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC) recently completed a Forestry Outlook Study which assessed the current state of forest utilisation and provided insights into the likely developments in the forestry sector until 2010. While the study and the process were perceived as a genuine success, APFC emphasised the need for improving the quality of information. In pursuit of this, the APFC has established a Working Group on Forestry Statistics and Information and requested FAO to provide support to strengthen forestry data collection and analysis capability.

The project focuses on 13 key countries with important tropical forests: six countries of the Amazon Basin (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela) and seven Central American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama). Capacity is needed in these thirteen countries to share timely and accurate information on their forestry sectors, including emerging demands on their forests and the impacts of their policy initiatives to promote sustainable forest management.

The project is a partnership between EC and FAO, whereby FAO contributes also providing funds, which amount to ECU 607,170. It runs parallel to other normative projects focusing on sustainable forest management, such as GCP/RAF/354/EC, GCP/RAS/173/EC and GCP/INT/679/EC.

Description

The overall development objective of the project is to promote sustainable management of trees and forests in the thirteen tropical countries in Central and South America listed above, which is oriented and guided on policies that integrate and balance relevant economic, environmental and social aspects of forestry.

The project’s first immediate objective is to introduce new methodologies for collection of basic data - vital for sustainable forest management - streamlining the data and presenting it so that it can be used effectively and widely.

The second immediate objective is to define likely market developments and trends in the region, conduct outlook studies and analyse forest sector issues holistically. It also intends to identify appropriate policies and examine the need for policy or institutional adjustments needed for sustainable forest management.

Activities and main Results

The expected results are:

- An improved and more in-depth coverage of forestry data and better reliable problem-oriented data which is needed for SFM;

- Proven, cost-effective methodologies to collect and analyse forestry data for SFM;

- A forestry outlook study;

- improved institutional and technical capacity of professional staff and forestry officers obtained through workshops, national and international consultancies, on the job training, outlook studies and analyses;

- improved analytical tools for the highest levels of policy makers to review and formulate appropriate forestry policies for SFM;

- Easy access to forestry data, information and analysis of the forestry sector.

The project activities were initiated in March 2000 when the first tranche of funds was received. In October 2000 took place the training “Taller sobre Información y Estudios de Perspectivas del Sector Forestal en America Latina” that led to a wider participatory approach. The first result was the increase in the participating countries; four countries of the Southern Cone joined the project, namely: Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay (the costs of their participation in national and regional activities are financed solely by FAG). Data collection and analysis on forestry sector were conducted in each of the 17 countries. All the studies realised till now are available on the FAO website on the Internet, so contributing to the dissemination of the Project output to the beneficiaries. Workshops held:

- “Information on the Forestry Sector in Latin America and the Caribbean” (Santiago, October 2000)

- “Information on Forest Products in Latin America” (Antigua, May 2001)

- “Information on Non-Wood Forest Products and Trees Outside Forests” (Caracas, August 2001)

Finalised these 17 forestry country profiles and the above mentioned proceedings (first phase) the Project’s activities concentrate mainly on the utilisation of the information for planning and forest policies in the newly-launched “Forestry Outlook Study for Latin America” (which constitutes the second phase of the project).

All these accomplishments have strengthened the overall capacity of the participating countries, although it took some time to mobilise country level activities and create the necessary interest and commitment for networking in the numerous different countries. During the course of the Project implementation a thorough analysis of the forestry information systems showed that the capacity building in data collection and the development of national information systems need additional support. To consolidate and complete project activities a revision for an extension has been prepared. At the same time there is a proposal for an independent evaluation mission, in accordance with the Project Agreement, to gauge the impact of the project in the target countries.

Administrative and Financial Matters

- Commission Reference: AML/B7-6201/IB/98/0651.

- Administrative Overhead: 6 per cent (normative project).

- Year Instalment: 40 per cent upon signing of agreement and submission of workplan and budget estimate for the first 18 months; 55 per cent upon approval of the second bi-annual progress report, workplan and budget; 5 per cent upon approval of final report.

- Amendment 1: a project extension until 31 August 2003 is requested, in order to complete project activities.

- Amendment 2: budget has been reduced (- 78,157 US$) as a result of losses in the present EURO/US$ exchange rate.

- EC Contact point: Mr. J. Ten Bloemendal, Head of Unit, F4

- FAO Contact point: Janos T. Lehel, Chief, TCAP.