To lead the region in addressing the issues and responding to the challenges facing the Asia-Pacific, i.e. to substantially reduce the number of food-insecure people and to assist member countries in their efforts to develop the agricultural sector while protecting the regions natural resource base, the work of the FAO regional office will be driven by six thematic programme areas. These programme areas will guide FAO's work in the region until 2015 and help in realizing its vision and mission.
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Vision A food-secure Asia-Pacific region Mission To help member countries halve the region's undernourished by 2015 by raising agricultural productivity and alleviating poverty while protecting the region's natural resource base Thematic programme areas
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3.1.1 Rationale
Global trends and changing market and trade conditions call for appropriate responses in the structure and organization of the agriculture and rural sector to meet the challenges posed by persistent food insecurity.
Impressive social gains have been accompanied by economic and agricultural growth in Asia and the Pacific over the past three decades. Population growth has declined in many developing countries thereby facilitating economic adjustments, but future progress will depend largely on how policies, agricultural technologies and institutions respond to changing market and trade conditions as well as to social and political factors. Yet progress will only come about if a level playing field for fair trade and equitable distribution of costs and benefits are adopted.
Despite the region's economic growth, persistent pockets of food insecurity and chronic poverty remain. Globalization and external instability pose formidable challenges, particularly for vulnerable groups lacking safety nets. Migration outflows have left behind the elderly and women, leading to the greying of rural communities and feminization of agriculture. Continuing deprivation of women, marginal farmers, and ethnic and social minorities erode the capacity of rural human resources. As agriculture adjusts to improve its competitiveness, the rural sector faces economic risks and shocks in the transition to sustainable and broad-based growth.
3.1.2 Goal
A supportive and responsive policy and institutional environment that enables the agriculture and rural sector to empower the poor under changing market and trade conditions.
3.1.3 Objectives
The overall objective is to assist in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of policies that are pro-poor and gender equitable. Within this context, the specific objectives are to:
Strengthen institutions to be responsive to rural development needs.
Develop appropriate (technical/process) messages for changing rural systems.
Promote investment opportunities for poverty alleviation.
Build the capacity of stakeholders.
3.1.4 Strategic elements
Capacity building
Rural institutions and organizations including cooperatives, NGOs, and other farmer-based bodies will be targeted with a view to empowering the poor. Capacity building will focus on institutional strengthening by building partnerships between the private sector, government organizations and non-government organizations to provide the link between policy and action. It will provide access to information on research results to the primary beneficiaries and encourage their feedback and participation in policy formulation.
FAO will focus its efforts on improving the skills of institution staff as well as of primary beneficiaries through, for example, training trainers and developing methods of teaching and learning based on experience. Advisory support to facilitate trade and build trade-negotiating capacity will be emphasized.
Investment opportunities
FAO will facilitate mobilization of private sector resources for rural and agricultural development, including credit, infrastructure and skilled human resources. It will also encourage donors to focus investments on development of pro-poor policies in trade and agricultural transformation.
Message identification and adoption
Messages include the processes involved in the identification of appropriate technologies and policies associated with trade and agricultural transformation. These messages will focus on facilitating:
Removal of biases in public spending for small farmers.
Improved access to land and other natural resources for small farmers.
Integration of gender considerations in policy and programme designs.
Harmonizing trade standards for the benefit of the rural poor.
Unless appropriate technologies are formulated and implemented, opportunities resulting from changes in the market and in trade may, again, bypass small and marginal rural communities. In particular, these changes include: technological improvements in animal feeds and feed grain production, effective animal health measures, prevention of transboundary pests and diseases and prevention and mitigation of environmental degradation.
Field verification and learning through action-oriented research
FAO should facilitate testing of policies and their impact on the primary beneficiaries in order to incrementally adapt and modify them to meet real needs. This will be done through pilot programmes, projects, and an action-oriented research approach.
3.1.5 Outcomes
Self-reliance and reduced marginalization of the rural poor.
Improved agricultural performance in meeting market demand in terms of quality and quantity.
Improved trade in terms of market efficiency, export-import volumes, foreign exchange earnings, employment and income generation, and access to food by the poor.
Redirection of agricultural subsidies towards investments for agricultural sector growth, poverty alleviation and food security.
3.1.6 Impact indicators
Policy
Sustained and broad-based agricultural growth.
Equitable growth.
Market orientation.
Fair trade regulations in favour of the poor.
Institutions
Linkages and effective information flow between the different groups (e.g. private sector, government organizations and NGOs).
Access to formal credit.
Participation by primary beneficiaries.
Responsive institutions meeting stakeholders' needs.
Fair trade regulations redressing the existing bias against the poor.
Training for government officials from countries with large pockets of poor, rural communities.
Messages
Sound and appropriate economic, social, environmental and technical processes.
Promotion of growth and trade with social equality.
Investment opportunities
Improved infrastructure.
Access to formal credit.
Capacity building
Level of awareness of child labour and trafficking of women and children.
Increased competitiveness.
Responsive institutions meeting stakeholders' needs (social services).
Adoption of appropriate technology.
3.2.1 Rationale
An increasing number of governments throughout the region are seeking new ways of service delivery in rural development. They are also devising innovative approaches to ensure participatory management of natural resources. Many have embarked on some form of decentralization programme to empower local communities as well as administrative units to manage their own affairs.
This trend is driven partially by a growing appreciation of the contribution that civil society and the private sector can, as partners of government, bring to bear on increasingly complex development challenges.
It also emanates from efforts to trim central bureaucracies, plus a history of failure by governments in delivering services and managing resources at the local level. The most severe impacts from these failures have affected those least able to cope: already vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.
Decentralizing governance, from the centre to regions, districts, local governments and administrative units, as well as to local communities, cooperatives and the private sector, shows promise in achieving critical sustainable development objectives. It fosters planning and implementation of programmes and activities at the local level, and improves access to vital services and employment. Ultimately, decentralization facilitates the transfer of power closer to those who are most affected by the exercise of that power.
Decentralized governance aims at contributing to sustainable rural livelihoods and more equitable access to resources. Appropriately implemented, decentralization meets the needs of the poor through local-level participation. It also makes government and administration more flexible, accountable and responsive.
Regrettably, some programmes have encountered major challenges, disappointments and setbacks. Between policy and implementation, gaps remain. Many local actors and government agencies at all levels lack adequate human and financial resources to effectively take on new roles and responsibilities.
It is evident that, in some countries, the initial impact of decentralization on reducing hunger and alleviating poverty for resource-poor people has been far from satisfactory. In some cases it has even led to further natural resource degradation. Instances of breakdown in coordination, planning and implementation of national development programmes have been noted.
Experience suggests that the complementary roles of national and subnational actors need to be clearly defined. Thus, relevant legislation to precisely specify the different roles of actors at various levels needs to be enacted. In addition, laws and policies must increase transparency and accountability at all levels.
Reinforced training to enhance technical knowledge, management skills and participatory decision-making would buttress this needed legislative framework. So would systematized dissemination of up-to-date information to stakeholders at all levels.
This integrated approach will result in an enabling environment to achieve sustainable development objectives, at both local and national levels.
3.2.2 Goal
Decentralized governance that effectively empowers subnational and local governments, administrative units, and communities to realize sustainable development goals.
3.2.3 Objectives
The general objective is to improve access by deprived, rural people to adequate inputs, services and natural resources and to strengthen their management capacity.
The specific objectives are to:
Strengthen policies, legislation and institutional environments supportive of decentralized governance and participatory decision-making processes.
Build the capacities of stakeholders at all levels so institutional reforms can be effective.
Facilitate the organization of rural people, including farmers, fisherfolk, forest-dependent people, traders and labourers.
Improve the accessibility of up-to-date information and adequate resources that meet the needs of all stakeholders.
Enhance cooperation and partnerships among governments, civil society and private groups to facilitate determination of the complementary roles of national and subnational actors in development interventions.
3.2.4 Strategic elements
Decentralized governance that effectively supports sustainable development requires assistance from various disciplines to address multidimensional, cross-cutting problems inherent in institutional, administrative and political reforms. Specifically, the following elements are needed:
Adequate resources to provide technical and policy advice.
Training programmes, methodologies, materials and equipment, technical advice and human resource development.
A framework for collecting and providing information to all levels of decision-making.
Assistance in budget development and management at the local level.
Institutional infrastructure for empowerment of the rural poor including cooperatives, farmers' organizations, rural marketing and trade associations, credit societies and other groups.
Support networks at regional and national levels providing neutral fora for stakeholders.
3.2.5 Outcomes
Expected outcomes will be diverse and include the following:
Enactment of policies and legislative frameworks to support effective decentralized governance.
Enhanced technical, managerial and organizational capacities of local communities and administrative units.
Development and dissemination of appropriate information that satisfies the needs of the diverse stakeholders.
Adequate resources available at national and decentralized levels.
Clearly defined roles of national and subnational actors in development interventions.
Improved environmental conditions.
Effective networks for communication and the exchange of experiences among stakeholders.
3.2.6 Impact indicators
The following qualitative indicators will provide insights into the effectiveness of FAO's assistance within the region in regard to decentralized governance:
Effective participation by subnational actors, especially vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, in social and economic decision-making.
Appropriate incentives encouraging participatory planning and management, equitable sharing of resources, improved natural resource management, transparency and accountability, and collaboration between actors at different levels.
Improved institutions and programmes for education and training.
Adequately funded social and productive services.
Roles of actors at different levels specified.
Local organizations established by the rural poor to look after their own interests, such as cooperatives, farmers' organizations etc.
3.3.1 Rationale
The majority of the world's major natural and man-made disasters occur in Asia and the Pacific. The most destructive to the food and agriculture sector are the following categories of calamities:
Hydro-meteorological events: floods, droughts, windstorms, cyclones and typhoons.
Geological events ranging from earthquakes and volcano eruptions to mud and land slides.
Forest and plantation fires.
Pests and diseases in animals, plants and humans.
Disasters cause much suffering, depredate resources and arrest poverty alleviation. Drought, the most damaging disaster, causes crop failures, undernourishment, land degradation and a decline in water resources. Further consequences are depletion of forage, overgrazing, indiscriminate cutting of vegetation and large-scale mortality of livestock. The consequent unemployment, desperate sale of productive assets and out-migration strain the agricultural sector's capacity for sustainable agriculture and rural development. Consecutive multiyear droughts have occurred in Central and East Asia over the past decade.
Riverine, flash and coastal floods are a major cause of upheavals in the region. There are about 31 million hectares of flood-prone areas in South and Southeast Asia. Of these, 13 million are cultivated and benefit from moderate flooding. Floods recur during the monsoon and rainy seasons, often with disastrous results: loss of human lives, homes, harvests, livestock and vital cropland. Frequent and devastating floods often swamp densely populated floodplains. Inundation of large river basins, in the Ganges, Mekong and Yangtze, is usually seasonal and can last for weeks.
Storms, from typhoons to cyclones, often combine with floods to inflict suffering and chaos. They damage crops, livestock, property, forests and physical infrastructure. They also disrupt the livelihoods of fisherfolk. Storms as such cannot be prevented. But appropriate interventions can mitigate their impact and help hasten recovery.
Fire is employed as a management tool in forestry and plantation agriculture. Not all fires flare up into disasters. But uncontrolled, they can wreak significant damage to forests, agriculture production, infrastructure, farm assets and public health. The transboundary health hazards of smoke from forest and agriculture-generated fires have been much in evidence in Southeast Asia in recent years.
Earthquakes, volcano eruptions, and landslides and mudslides may occur less frequently. But their impact on local populations in terms of death and injury, livelihood disruption, unemployment, asset loss and out-migration is extremely severe.
Unfortunately, Asia and the Pacific have recently been experiencing most of the world's major geological disasters. There is a need to improve preparedness, early warning and recovery strategies, and action plans.
Animal and plant diseases are of growing concern as disease related disasters occur with increasing frequency. Industrial livestock production and high animal densities in peri-urban areas are emerging as "flash points" and the source of new diseases. Outbreaks of disease cause direct economic losses to farmers and affect production, consumption and international trade. Heightened vigilance is necessary if large-scale outbreaks are to be prevented and measures adopted to address dangers posed by newly emerging diseases. Cases in point are the economic slowdown caused by the recent outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome and the threat posed by avian influenza, as well as the steady spread of HIV/AIDS in rural Asia. Other threats are on the horizon such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, rabies, brucellosis and the nipah virus. Also worth noting is the parasitological spread of cystercercosis, schistosomiasis and taenia.
Many factors come into play in these catastrophes. The more important of these interrelated determinants are poverty; settlement of fragile ecosystems; exploitative agricultural systems and practices; and land degradation and water scarcity, leading to even more food insecurity. This vicious cycle is exacerbated by widespread adoption of industrial farming methods, especially in livestock and fisheries enterprises, sometimes leading to pest and disease epidemics. Global warming and climate change will shift their destructive potential to a higher scale.
These calamities inflict severe social and economic losses as well as human suffering on the victims. Particularly worrisome, they disrupt livelihoods, erode farm assets and destroy the environment, thereby making sustainable development difficult.
3.3.2 Goal
Reduced vulnerability to disasters, increased resilience of rural livelihoods and improved recovery capacity to enable sustainable agriculture and rural development.
3.3.3 Objectives
The overall objective is improvement of livelihoods in disaster-prone areas.
The specific objectives are:
Reduced risk of disasters in the agriculture sector and increased coping and recovery capacity.
Improved food security and balanced nutrition.
Sustainable agriculture applying environment-friendly farming system best practices and protecting natural resource endowments.
Prevention and control of human, animal and plant pests and diseases.
3.3.4 Strategic elements
RAP will promote the following strategic elements:
Awareness building to mobilize commitment and resources from the government and the public for disaster management and mitigation.
Development of a policy regime and action plan.
Establishing appropriate laws, rules and regulations for disaster management.
Promoting cooperation among institutions currently involved in disaster management and setting up necessary new institutions and cooperative networks.
Encouraging agro-ecological zoning.
Introducing Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information Mapping Systems (FIVIMS).
Strengthening land-use planning, monitoring and enforcement.
Training of trainers in prevention, preparedness, early warning, needs assessment and rehabilitation and sustainable development.
R&D in resilient farming systems and best practices, especially in crop diversification, integrated farming, contingency cropping, hazard-resistant methods and environment conservation.
Strengthening the rural employment generation programme with shelf projects ready for implementation when disasters strike.
A long-term perspective in country programming, as well as recognition of the benefits of international cooperation, is crucial to reducing vulnerability to disasters.
3.3.5 Outcomes
Resilient livelihoods in the face of disasters and other risks.
Disaster management plans incorporated into national development plans for food and agriculture.
Farmers in the rural sector practising environment-friendly agriculture and protecting local natural resources.
Early warning and response systems/networks established.
Supply of safe crop, livestock, and fisheries products.
3.3.6 Impact indicators
Number of disasters.
Intensity of disasters.
Coordination amongst international stakeholders.
Time frame from the advent of the disaster through impact assessment, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction to sustainable recovery.
Growth of international agricultural trade, especially of livestock products.
Rate of increase in emergency food aid.
Incidence of malnutrition and undernutrition in disaster areas.
Effectiveness of information and communications systems, and awareness of actions to be taken and rules to come into force in disaster management.
3.4.1 Rationale
Over the past 30 years, the natural resources of the Asia-Pacific region have been subjected to increasing degradation thereby threatening livelihoods, food security, people's health and long-term sustainable development. Such environmental degradation has also increased the risks of natural disasters. Growing populations, urbanization, widespread poverty, ineffective governance, ambiguous property rights, weak institutions and inappropriate policies continue to exacerbate an alarming situation.
Pressure on land, forest, water and aquatic resources in Asia and the Pacific is the most severe compared to other regions in the world. 850 million hectares, representing more than 28 percent of the region's land area, are affected by some form of land degradation. Deforestation, inappropriate agricultural practices, inefficient irrigation water use, excessive groundwater extraction and industrial development continue to contribute to land, soil and water degradation. Soil erosion and nutrient mining have reduced the agricultural potential of vast areas.
The rapid increase in population and unprecedented economic growth have had the most severe impact on the region's freshwater resources, including water quality. Diminishing freshwater supplies, especially in populous and arid areas, have started to become a limiting factor in crop production and threaten the important contribution of aquatic resources to household food security and national economies. Wetlands and coastal ecosystems, particularly coral reefs, are threatened by the cumulative effects of agricultural runoff and silting, urban sewage, industrial pollution, destructive fishing techniques, tourism and the warming of water temperatures. The impact of climate change looms large over the low-lying areas and small islands, and threatens to increase the variability of climate and the incidence of floods and droughts.
The transition from subsistence agriculture, livestock and fisheries towards greater intensification, commercialization and industrialization generates new patterns of natural resource use which may contribute to their degradation; it also often threatens the unique gene pool of plant and animal resources. The introduction of modern production systems has considerably contributed to the erosion of genetic diversity and may limit the region's ability to respond to changing market and other conditions in the future. In particular, the numbers of farm animal breeds that are already extinct or endangered are a concern. Deforestation and forest degradation and their impact on the region's biodiversity remain a serious problem.
Countries in the region generally recognize the need to shift from exploitative land management practices to more sustainable, equitable, economically viable and productive patterns of food production and natural resource management. Many governments have initiated far-reaching policy, legal, and institutional reforms for the management and use of natural resources and biodiversity. Some have adopted the participatory approach.
These positive responses are supported by an improvement in available information, increased environmental awareness by NGOs and civil society, increasing incomes, the adoption of international environmental agreements and treaties, safety standards, codes of practice and criteria and indicators for sustainable management. However, inadequate law enforcement and weak capacities in participatory policy formulation and implementation hinder the effectiveness of present efforts.
The challenge is to balance the elements of change, namely people, policy, technology and resources, for effective and equitable natural resource management. Particular difficulties reside in developing and implementing proper checks and balances, and managing potential conflicts between concerns for the public interest and legitimate aspirations for socio-economic development. Furthermore, the right combination of regulations, devolution of authority, coordinating initiatives between the various levels of decision-making and management, and financing conservation and sustainable use of natural resources require urgent attention.
3.4.2 Goal
Conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in Asia and the Pacific for the benefit of all.
3.4.3 Objectives
The objectives are to ensure that:
Member countries have effective national policies, legislation and institutions for the management, conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, and engage in regional cooperation to manage shared natural resources.
Sustainable management of natural resources is recognized as a priority and sufficient financial and other resources are allocated for this purpose.
Stakeholders have the capacity to effectively design, implement and monitor policies, programmes, reforms and tangible changes and benefits to end users.
Appropriate information and technologies are communicated to stakeholders, especially women, the poor and marginal groups.
International conventions and treaties are implemented and monitored.
3.4.4 Strategic elements
Strengthening education and the building the capacity of all stakeholders in sustainable management, use and conservation of natural resources.
Facilitating regional and transboundary agreements relating to natural resource management, conservation and use.
Promoting best practices of environmentally sound production, processing and marketing of food, industrial crops, wood and fibre, livestock and natural resource products.
Assisting in establishing enabling environments, including infrastructure and systems of property or access rights, for natural resources planning, conservation and management.
Advancing participatory planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation at all stakeholder levels.
Adopting information and communications technologies for natural resource management.
Furthering equitable access to natural resources.
Developing and extending adaptive and mitigative strategies for climate change and mobilizing resources for action.
Advocating more sustainable and remunerative ways of using natural resources such as ecotourism and adding value to forest, fishery and agricultural products.
Extending efficient and environmentally sound management of watersheds, river basins and irrigation systems.
3.4.5 Outcomes
Improved policy instruments and institutions for enabling sustainable use, conservation and management of natural resources.
Enhanced allocation of resources for interventions required to attain sustainable management of natural resources and agricultural development.
Reinforced capacity of stakeholders to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate impacts of development and use of natural resources management and conservation.
Better utilization of relevant information and technologies, and application of best practices for sustained use of natural resources by users at all levels.
Entry into, and implementation of, relevant regional and international conventions, treaties etc.
Genetic resources for food and agriculture conserved and shared equitably.
Better integration of natural resource policies and interventions.
Improved rural livelihoods through more efficient use of natural resources, higher productivity, and more value addition.
3.4.6 Impact indicators
People
Access to credit and inputs by stakeholders.
Participatory involvement in development and natural resource issues.
Incomes and livelihoods of rural people.
Best practice technologies used by stakeholders.
Level of self-reliance of rural communities.
Gender disaggregated data on access to natural resources.
Policy
Revised policies and appropriate regulatory frameworks developed for the sustainable management of natural resources and improved agricultural practices.
Incentives for natural resource conservation.
Market-driven development of the forestry, fisheries and agriculture sectors.
Macro indicators on the status of natural resources, e.g. forest cover, water quality, genetic resources, soil fertility, fish stocks etc.
Technology
Enhanced capacities of regional, national and local governments, NGOs, and local communities in the use, conservation and management of natural resources.
Access to improved technology packages for stakeholder use and guidance.
Technologies developed for sustainable use of natural resources.
Information systems for decision-makers.
Resources
Government and donor resources applied to management and conservation.
Sources of finance for sustainable natural resource management.
Budget allocations for human resource development.
Investment rates in supportive infrastructure for natural resource management.
Research and development in natural resource conservation and use.
3.5.1 Rationale
Production systems in Asia and the Pacific are rapidly evolving in response to increasing demand for food and agricultural products as well as to globalization pressures. Modern biotechnological methods, and their capacity to enhance both the quality and volume of food and agricultural commodities and products, have moved to the forefront of policy discussions.
The new technology affects natural resources, the environment, biodiversity and food quality, and also raises significant concerns related to biosecurity in the region. In fact, biosecurity is now one of the urgent issues that confronts both the region and the international community.
Biosecurity is defined as: management of all biological and environmental risks associated with food and agriculture, including forestry and fisheries. It covers issues related to biosafety (reduction of risks associated with the use of products derived from modern biotechnology), food safety and plant as well as animal health.
Risks include: introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and alien species, plant and animal pests, natural toxins, pesticide and antibiotic residues, biodiversity erosion, and the spread of transboundary animal and zoonotic diseases.
Some risks associated with modern biotechnology products, such as transgenic crops, are widely debated. Recent reports estimate that GMOs are currently cultivated in 5 industrialized countries covering a total of 47.3 million hectares, and in 13 developing countries (in this region including China, India, Indonesia and the Philippines) covering an area of 20.4 million hectares. Argentina, Canada and the US account for 95 percent of this total. In Asia, China leads with 2.1 million hectares under transgenic crops.
FAO has identified two basic categories of risk: risk to health (human and animal) and risk to the environment.
An example of a health risk is the transfer of toxins and allergens from one life form to another, subsequently creating and spreading new toxins. Hazards to the environment include the introduction of GMOs into wild species, leading to the emergence and spread of herbicide and pest resistance, and even the generation of new pests.
The introduction of alien species may alter habitats and consequently disturb ecosystem processes. The consequences for native species can be catastrophic. Often transported by anthropogenic means, alien species may prove invasive and can aggressively establish themselves in native ecosystems. This process, together with habitat destruction, has resulted in the displacement or even extinction of native species throughout the world.
Biosecurity risks are also associated with animal and fish diseases. Foot-and-mouth disease, rinderpest, classical swine fever and white-spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in shrimp are categorised as transboundary diseases. Diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans include BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy or mad-cow disease), rabies, tuberculosis, brucellosis, avian influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome. They are related to food safety and affect regional and international trade and food security.
If left unchecked, such diseases can decimate herds, harvests and fish stocks, adversely affecting the livelihoods of farmers, especially already impoverished producers. The existence of these diseases within a country also restricts free and safe regional and international trade.
Intensification of production systems, land degradation, salinization, heavy metal and pesticide contamination, water table depletion, and chemical and antibiotic residues have increased hazards both to human health and environmental quality.
Domestic and foreign consumers today are becoming increasingly concerned over food quality and safety arising from intensive agriculture. This concern is reflected in the higher quality and safety standards required by markets. As a result, producers are hard pressed to meet the standards demanded and, at the same time, ensure economic returns. They also lack access to adequate information regarding appropriate methods and production system options. Institutional support is patchy at best as national and regional institutions try to adapt from a production-based focus to a more holistic approach that includes the areas of food safety and environmental sustainability.
The broad and complex problems related to biosecurity have given rise to a number of international, regional and intergovernmental bodies and have resulted in a number of recent international agreements. These include: the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) covering food safety; and the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Cartagena Protocol to manage risks in the movement of living modified organisms.
Countries also cooperate through the earlier Codex Alimentarius, the International Plant Protection Convention and the Office International des Epizooties (OIE).
Many of these agreements are highly specific, often related to either trade or safety. More coordinated efforts are required to take into account overlapping global and regional issues encompassing sustainable agriculture, food security, environmental protection, loss of biodiversity and trade.
A variety of interrelated biosecurity issues in Asia and the Pacific remain inadequately understood or addressed. Responsibility for these issues is scattered among different sectors involving agriculture, health, the environment, forestry, fisheries, trade and industry. Rationalization of biosecurity issues, at the national and regional levels, will be required if overlaps are to be eliminated.
3.5.2 Goal
Strengthened biosecurity to promote sustainable agriculture, food security, and regional and international trade.
3.5.3 Objectives
The objectives are to:
Improve access to relevant, up-to-date information on biosecurity issues that meets the needs of stakeholders at all levels.
Assist in the development of national policies and regulatory frameworks relating to biosecurity and biosafety.
Support capacity building in biosecurity assessment and decision-making to address issues related to intensification and application of risky technologies in food and agriculture.
Advance risk assessment and control of invasive species and transboundary diseases, and implementation of WTO SPS measures aimed at livestock, fisheries and agricultural trade expansion.
Enhance regional networking and international collaboration and provide a neutral forum on biosecurity issues.
3.5.4 Strategic elements
The following elements are critical for developing future strategies to strengthen biosecurity:
Capacity building for risk assessment, and management and development of a strong institutional framework for regulatory systems.
Risk/benefit analysis of the new production systems to address particular problems relative to existing technologies and other technological options.
Policy setting and priority identification based on information about the potential impact of different biotechnological interventions on poor people.
Stakeholder dialogue on the health and environmental risks of new trends in farming systems such as intensification and application of biotechnology to minimize these risks.
Strengthening linkages among research and development institutions dealing with biosecurity, biotechnology, biosafety and food safety.
Intellectual property management to facilitate access to proprietary technologies and strengthen private and public investment in the development and delivery of new products at prices that poor people can afford.
Ability of farmers to make informed decisions in support of biosecurity concerns.
Investment in a strategic research and development agenda and associated human resource development in order to generate new knowledge and its dissemination for the public good.
3.5.5 Outcomes
RAP inputs relating to biosecurity, biosafety, biotechnology and intensified farming systems will contribute to the achievement of the following outcomes:
Information systems on biosecurity, biosafety and biotechnology established for improved access to neutral and balanced information.
Policies and regulatory frameworks developed/revised and put in place to support application of biosecurity measures.
Compliance with codes of conduct, protocols and international instruments relating to biosecurity.
Strengthened national capacity to evaluate and implement policies and regulations related to biosecurity.
Implementation of education programmes for farmers to enable informed decision-making on biosecurity.
Regional cooperation and networks of stakeholders developed, and enhanced public awareness of biosecurity issues.
Research into priority areas identified and promoted for implementation by relevant partner institutions and agencies.
3.5.6 Impact indicators
Positive feedback on the relevance and quality of information.
Biosecurity and biosafety incorporated into national regulatory framework.
Reported cases of alien invasive species minimized.
Regional transboundary disease control programmes established.
Incidence of certain transboundary diseases reduced.
Information on biosecurity issues shared and joint projects implemented.
Approved GMOs applied with no significant negative impact on agriculture and biodiversity following risk assessment and analysis.
3.6.1 Rationale
Rice-based livelihoods characterize rural Asia and the Pacific. Grown in 26 nations, rice is consumed as a staple food in most of the 43 regional member countries. It is sown over a fifth of the total arable and permanent cropland. The crop also gives part-time work to some 300 million people who make up a sixth of the total agricultural population.
There is archaeological evidence that rice (Oryza sativa) was domesticated 15 000 years ago in the Republic of Korea. Over the millennia, rice afforded sustainable, food-secure and even affluent lives in areas well endowed with land and water. But the present rice landscape is marred by factors and forces associated with food insecurity and environmental degradation, although it is recognized that rice-based systems also provide positive externalities. Problems include:
Declining farm sizes and falling rice prices.
The vicious cycle of rainfed production: low productivity, natural resource exploitation, and poverty in 40 percent of rice lands.
A significant proportion of the 503 million hungry people survives within rice-based farming systems.
Climate change with the likelihood of coastal inundation, sea water seepage, erratic monsoonal precipitation, salinization and nutrient depletion as well as other damaging impacts will further threaten the productivity and sustainability of rice lands.
The Uruguay Round Agreement and expected further trade liberalization threaten high-cost producers of rice.
Within this context, a significant number of rice growers face bleak prospects in terms of employment, income generation and sustainability of resource endowments. Many governments, for social and political reasons as well as lack of appropriate technology, continue to support expansion of production indiscriminately and lock farmers into producing rice, undermining alternatives for diversification.
Clearly, rice is at a crossroads. One path is to continue along the same lines with the usual popular mix of input subsidy, concession credit, price and other fiscal incentives, regardless of comparative advantage. The other path is to restructure the rice sector through quick and comprehensive reallocation of resources for future cost-efficient production on a sustainable basis.
There is a growing consensus that the rice sector can survive and contribute more to sustainable agriculture and rural development if the admittedly rougher pathway of restructuring is taken. But owing to cost and welfare considerations, the evidence to date is that developing countries are trying to strike a middle path, i.e. maximizing production for near-term poverty alleviation and simultaneously laying the foundations for restructuring the sector. The need to strengthen policies and programmes in this context is urgent.
3.6.2 Goal
Livelihood systems that deliver sustained income growth and protect natural resources.
3.6.3 Objectives
The overall objective is to alleviate poverty and enhance incomes of farm households whose livelihoods were traditionally based on rice production.
The specific objectives are:
To attain and maintain comparative advantages of diversified livelihood systems.
To realize relatively high incomes from productive, resilient and diversified farming systems, non- and off-farm employment, and industrial and service activities.
To arrest and reverse natural resource degradation and environmental pollution.
In perspective, this requires revisiting overall development plans with a view to reallocation of resources, including land amalgamation for more efficient management towards market-driven production, consumption and trade policies.
3.6.4 Strategic elements
The strategic elements in the development of rice-based livelihood systems for sustainable agriculture and rural development are as follows:
Rice sector policy analysis and decision support system (DSS) development.
Expanding intensifying livestock and poultry enterprises into rice-based farming systems and capturing rice-fish synergies.
Diversifying and intensifying sustainable cropping systems.
Optimizing farm size, improving irrigation, and mechanizing pre- and post-harvest operations.
Incorporating natural resources management and environmental protection into rice-based livelihood systems (erosion and water control, biodiversity and ecotourism).
Capacity strengthening in good farm management and practice - Integrated Pest Management (IPM), integrated plant nutrient management (IPNM), Farmer Field Schools (FFS) and soil and water management.
Empowering farmers (building institutions and agricultural support and community services taking into account gender considerations).
Promoting farm-agribusiness linkages and agro-industrial management.
Promoting mechanisms and institutions for implementing FIVIMS and market monitoring and evaluation.
3.6.5 Outcomes
Expected outcomes of this priority area are wide-ranging. They include:
Regional rice policies on production, consumption and trade harmonized.
National rice policies rationalized.
Technology, management and organization of the rice sector upgraded.
Natural resource conservation and environmental protection measures built into rice-based livelihood systems.
Monitoring and evaluation of rice-based livelihood systems instituted, and linked to FIVIMS.
Income and employment generated through value addition and improved processing and marketing of agricultural products.
Diversified farms with production of high-value industrial and horticultural crops, livestock and aquaculture.
Restructured rice sectors wherein marginal and fragile rice areas are converted to other appropriate uses and enterprises, and productive areas are improved and amalgamated into farm size units that can be efficiently and profitably managed.
Educated and technologically competent farming communities, particularly women and youth.
These expected outcomes would result in: increased employment, food security, balanced nutrition, resilient livelihoods, better education, improved health and sanitation, and adequate income.
3.6.6 Impact indicators
An extensive list of impact indicators already exists for food security and sustainable agriculture for rural development. But many are impractical. The more relevant indicators currently used fall under three categories, namely: estimates based on regular surveys; measures derived from government records; and qualitative assessments. The critical ones are:
Labour productivity.
Disposable income per household and household budgetary expenditure based on periodic surveys.
Food availability based on supply utilization account estimates.
Yields based on annual crop cutting surveys.
Birth weight, under-weight, stunting and wasting based on periodic nutrition surveys.
Infant mortality and under-five mortality rates.
Population below the poverty line.
Number of landless agricultural labourers.
Number of households with less than one ha of agricultural land.
Water productivity.
Government support services.
Capacity building based on farmers' opportunities in and exposure to training.
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[1] Agriculture includes crops,
livestock, fisheries and forestry. |
