No. 9 - July 1997
No. 9 - Julliet 1997
No. 9 - Julio de 1997

In this issue:

• From the Director: Thailand land titling programme a winner

• Dynamic work programmes in Asia

• L’agriculture angolaise: une raison d’optimisme

• Rural sector is key for West Bank, Gaza

• Campesinos Panameños expresan sus prioridades

• Briefly noted

• New approvals
  

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From the Director ............

Thailand land-titling programme a winner

The Thailand Land Titling Programme had all the marks of a winner, and the Investment Centre was proud to be among the programme partners designing and implementing this high-impact, community-based effort. The programme’s results have been gratifying (increased investment in land and agricultural inputs, enhanced productivity and land values, augmented government revenues and improved institutional capacity), but we were all the more pleased when the Thailand Land-Titling Programme Team was selected last month as one of two recipients of the 1997 World Bank Award of Excellence.

Initiated in 1984, the Royal Thai Government’s 20-year land titling programme has been supported by three successive projects financed with World Bank loans and co-financed by AusAID. When the fourth project is completed, 75 provinces will have been covered. The programme aims to issue to eligible landholders secure property rights supported by title deeds registered in decentralized public offices; strengthen the Department of Lands; and improve the property valuation system. To date, 5.5 million title deeds have been issued to some 2 million households. World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn cited the team for responsiveness to client needs, innovation, teamwork, cost-effectiveness, and results. The Investment Centre has participated as a Programme Partner under the World Bank/FAO Cooperative Programme.

David Forbes Watt

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Dynamic work programmes in Asia

Given a proven track record of over 30 years of investment preparation and related work in Asia and the Pacific, FAO's Investment Centre has been expanding and diversifying its activities in this rapidly growing and important part of the world. The Centre's contribution to the award winning Thailand Land Titling Team (see box) reflects numerous successful efforts, carried out in tandem with FAO technical divisions, to bring to bear vital comparative advantages to complex and often extremely challenging agricultural and rural development situations in the region. Containing more than half of the 841 million people in the world currently estimated to be chronically undernourished, Asia remains a central theatre for carefully targeted investment and related assistance in the fight to overcome rural poverty and food insecurity.

The Centre's main programmes in the region are carried out in collaboration with partner financing institutions, in particular the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and IFAD which provide loans and credits in a wide range of agricultural fields and rural disciplines. In addition, a part of the total work programme is linked to funding from sources such as UNDP, bilateral agencies and FAO's own TCP – including a small but growing amount of activities undertaken directly with national development financing institutions. With the advent of FAO's priority Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS), the Centre is engaged in assisting governments of low-income food-deficit countries (LIFDCs) to formulate pilot projects aimed at laying the basis for expanded domestic and external investment in food security. Altogether, the Centre carried out some 58 project-related tasks in the region in 1996, and was associated with some US$635 million in total investments.

The level of cooperation with the World Bank has traditionally been strong in Asia, with major investment schemes in improving water control and irrigation/drainage accounting for the lion's share of work in large countries such as China, India, and Pakistan. At present the Centre is collaborating in a nation-wide water management, rationalization and improvement programme in India and preparing a large-scale irrigation based project in Western China. Other significant joint activities with WB include forestry and watershed management, agrarian reform, national agricultural research and irrigation in Indonesia, the Philippines and Nepal, as well as the environment in the Bay of Bengal (GEF). In addition, the Centre is working with the Bank in assessing inter-boundary watershed management problems in the "Southeast Asia Development Triangle Initiative" covering India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.

From a smaller base, the Centre’s collaboration with the Asian Development Bank has expanded substantially in part a reflection of ADB's stepped-up emphasis on agriculture and rural development as part of a dynamic and focused approach to social sector lending by the regional bank. Recent joint operations cover forestry and watershed management and the development of rural infrastructure in Vietnam, and integrated pest management (IPM) and rural poverty alleviation projects in Indonesia. Currently, substantial preparation work is underway on tackling the problem of shifting agriculture in Laos. Possible future work would include development of swampland in Indonesia, tree crops in Vietnam and rubber development in Cambodia.

Joint activities with IFAD are on a lesser scale, but no less significant given the Fund's orientation to improving the well being of the poorest and most vulnerable segments of the rural populations. In this context, the Centre is assisting the Government of Vietnam and the Province of Ha Giang to formulate a project to support ethnic minorities living in mountain areas. An important aspect of this formulation is the strong emphasis on "stakeholder" participation at all levels. Project formulation has been a joint exercise with full participation from active donors in the province - SIDA, UNDP, and UNICEF.

As noted, FAO's Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) has been rapidly expanding in coverage, and the Centre's role in assisting governments to design and formulate pilot projects under this framework has accelerated in Asia and the Pacific. An early SPFS pilot project in Nepal has already achieved impressive results, particularly in the area of improved water control, and attracted follow-up financing from both the World Bank and ADB to cover wider parts of the country. In China, an SPFS pilot phase has been completed successfully in 16 interior districts, and is now being rapidly extended with strong national government support and investment financing. Further SPFS pilot schemes are at various stages of design and development in Bangladesh, the Philippines, India and other LIFDCs. A number of these are being backed by UNDP "pre-investment" funding, FAO's TCP, and/or bilateral donors. In all cases, close liaison is maintained with the major capital funding partners with a view toward their involvement in the subsequent expansion phase of such prototype schemes geared towards achieving greater national food security.

While the Centre's direct collaboration with national banks and financing institutions is just getting off the ground, suitable opportunities have already been targeted in five countries in the region. In one example, the Centre is working with India's National Agricultural Bank for Reconstruction and Development (NABARD) to formulate ways in which credit could be used to support joint forestry management between the Forests Department and communities dwelling in or close to forests. Initial investigations focus on the populous and important state of Andhra Pradesh. Forthcoming full preparation of this innovative project, strongly supported with NABARD's own specialist staff and funding resources, is expected to lead to similar activities in other parts of the country.

These extensive operations in the region lead to, and indeed create, numerous opportunities for valuable synergy in the various programmes - aided by the intimate and constantly updated knowledge of the Centre's multidisciplinary staff for Asia and the Pacific. Greater use is being made of FAO's growing Regional Office technical expertise, based in Bangkok, and the new Sub-regional Office for the Pacific in Apia (Western Samoa). To reinforce the benefits of this decentralization, the Centre has already outposted senior staff members to Bangkok and Manila, with impending new outpostings to Delhi and other key hubs.

These fresh moves, combined with continuous close liaison with Headquarters technical divisions, will ensure dynamic cooperative programmes in the region in the years ahead, reaching a major share of the world's poorest rural populations.

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L’agriculture angolaise: une raison d’optimisme

Après des décennies de guerre civile, l'Angola est aujourd'hui décidée à utiliser son immense potentiel agricole comme instrument de redressement économique.

Il y a vingt-cinq ans, l'agriculture constituait le pilier de l'économie angolaise, procurant de larges ressources en devises étrangères provenant de l'exportation du café, du coton, du sisal et du maïs, en grande partie produits par les petits fermiers du pays. A l'heure actuelle, après des années de guerre et de politiques économiques qui ont sapé les incitations à la production, l'approvisonnement en denrées alimentaires du pays dépend donc largement des importations.

La signature du Protocole de Lusaka en Septembre 1994 a mis en route un processus de paix qui a abouti à la formation, le 11 avril 1997, d'un Gouvernement d'unité et de réconciliation nationale, chargé d'affronter la redoutable tâche de reconstruire l'Angola.

En fin 1995, le Centre d'investissement, appuyé par la Division de l’assistance aux politiques, et le Ministère de l'Agriculture et du développement rural de l'Angola ont décidé d'entamer une revue approfondie des options de réhabilitation et de développement du secteur agricole, et des besoins en investissement dans le secteur. Le travail sur le terrain a démarré en avril 1996 avec une série d'études diagnostiques, recourant aux méthodes d'évaluation rurale rapide dans six zones rurales représentatives. Ces études furent suivies par des revues plus détaillées des principaux problèmes à résoudre dans chaque secteur.

La procédure de revue a débouché sur l'atelier national tenu en mai 1997, convoqué par le Ministre de l'Agriculture et du développement rural. Quelque 300 personnes, comprenant une large proportion de participants venant des provinces étaient présentes. L'atelier a approuvé les principales recommandations de la Revue et le Ministre de l'Agriculture a indiqué qu'il attendait de la FAO et de ses partenaires une assistance technique et financière dans le processus de la Revue, afin d'aider le secteur à progresser au cours des mois à venir dans le cadre des réformes nécessaires.#

Andrew MacMillan, FAO IC

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Rural sector is key for West Bank, Gaza

In accordance with tradition, as well as for economic and social reasons, Palestinians are placing high priority on development of the agricultural sector in West Bank and Gaza. A five-year investment project prepared with assistance from the FAO/World Bank Cooperative Programme proposes a major effort to rehabilitate and stimulate this promising sector of the economy.

Agriculture and the land are held in high esteem by Palestinians. They take pride in locally produced fruit, vegetables and livestock, and prefer these homegrown products to imports. The economic significance of the sector makes it a prime target for investment. Some 20 percent of the population in West Bank and Gaza are employed in agriculture and related activities, and the sector contributes 25 to 30 percent of gross domestic product.

The Palestinian Authority is looking to the World Bank to finance the proposed Agriculture Sector Rehabilitation Project. The project focuses on three broad areas: (1) enhancing natural resources management, particularly more efficient use of water; (2) establishing sustainable services for export markets development, farm technology support, and animal health and production; and (3) institutional capacity building for the Ministry of Agriculture.

An inter-disciplinary FAO/World Bank Cooperative Programme mission which visited West Bank and Gaza in March 1997 involved Palestinian stakeholders in setting investment priorities for the project. It is designed to be responsive to evolving investment needs, to changing external and trade relations, and to new donor pledges in support of the sector.

Christian Miczaika, IC

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Campesinos Panameños expresan sus prioridades

En la parte central de Panamá viven campesinos muy pobres en comunidades rurales muy desfavorecidas. En los últimos meses las familias y las comunidades campesinas contribuyeron al diseño de un proyecto de desarrollo rural destinado a combatir la pobreza en el marco de la protección de los recursos naturales del área. La formulación del proyecto es el resultado del intenso trabajo que realizan el Centro de Inversiones con eequipos del Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario (MIDA) y otras instituciones vinculadas con el desarrollo rural. El trabajo se inició en octubre de 1996 con los diagnósticos rurales participativos que se llevaron a cabo con la activa intervención de los productores, comunidades y sus organizaciones en la zona del proyecto.

El proyecto de inversión se presenta al financiamiento del Gobierno y el Fondo Internacional de Desarrollo Agrícola (FIDA). El proyecto ayudará a las familias campesinas a mejorar la producción agropecuaria, conservar los recursos de la finca y aumentar los ingresos familiares y a las comunidades rurales a mejorar el acceso a los servicios sociales y la conservación de los recursos naturales. La primera actividad del proyecto se concentrará en promover y fortalecer las organizaciones locales para que puedan manifestar sus necesidades y ricibir los servicios y apoyos.

Este proyecto aporta novedades importantes. El enfoque participativo se aplica desde el diagnóstico y continuará en la fase de ejecución. La estrategia partirá de las necesidades y prioridades de los productores, que presentarán demandas comunes, para facilitar la atención en grupo. Se procurará la implicación de todos los actores. Se dará autonomía a los organismos para descentralizar las decisiones. Se mirará a responsabilizar a las comunidades en la ejecución y mantenimiento de obras. El enfoque de los problemas será integral tomando en cuenta los distintos problemas, involucrando las respuestas interinstitucionales y ofreciendo opciones técnicas multi-disciplinarias. Se valorizará el rol de la mujer campesina en la producción y la vida rural. En suma, el proyecto tendrá un enfoque participativo, sostenible y en respuesta a la demanda de los grupos organizados. Esto significará un gran cambio en la atención a las comunidades campesinas panameñas.

Ricardo Uberti, IC

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Briefly noted

AFRICA

In the period March-June 1997, identification missions were carried out for poverty alleviation in Cameroon and agriculture in Ethiopia (AfDB), a small-scale dairy programme in Swaziland, a small-scale sugar growers' programme in South Africa (FAO). The Centre assisted in preparing agricultural sector strategies in Rwanda (FAO), Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Madagascar and Togo (WB), and carried out a study of the forestry and wildlife sub-sectors in Eritrea (TCP). It initiated or continued formulation for food security in Cameroon, Cape Verde, Comoros Islands, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritania, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Swaziland and Togo (SPFS). Preparation started or continued for ASIP in Lesotho, Mozambique, and Zambia (WB). It followed up on preparation of an irrigation programme in Mauritania (WB), agricultural development in Sierra Leone, cassava in Ghana (IFAD), community support in Mali (UNCDF), rural development in Mozambique (UNDP), Namibia (TCP), Senegal (WB); small-scale irrigation in Mozambique, crop production and smallholder rubber development in Ghana, natural resources development in Kenya, livestock development in Eritrea (AfDB), forestry and wildlife resource management in Ghana (WB). It conducted a socio-economic/production systems study for poverty alleviation in Malawi (AfDB), assisted local teams on technology diffusion and communication in Senegal (WB), participated in a workshop on a national soil fertility strategy in Togo (FAO). It followed up on preparation of the LOCUSTOX project in Senegal (Government); assisted in evaluation or supervision of WB projects in Ethiopia, Madagascar, Niger, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe; of UNCDF projects in Mali, Mauritania; of AfDB projects in Guinea and Mauritania; of an FAO project in Angola; of a WFP project in Burkina Faso. It assisted in launching project implementation for watershed management in Uganda (TCP), appraised a rural development project in Madagascar (AfDB), did pre-investment work for irrigation in Madagascar (TCP), pre-pared terms of reference for land policy reform in Malawi (TCP), took part in a UNCDF workshop Senegal (UNCDF).

ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Identification missions examined prospects for integrated swamps development in Indonesia, coastal fisheries in Cambodia (AsDB), shifting cultivation in Lao (FAO), forestry development in poor areas of China, joint forest management in India (FAO/ NABARD), rural development in the Philippines and environment in the Bay of Bengal (FAO). The Centre assisted in preparation of sustainable agriculture and seed supply projects in Mongolia (UNDP), irrigation in China (WB), research and extension in India (WB), rural development, agriculture and forestry extension in Indonesia (WB), irrigation, poverty alleviation and rural infrastructure in Vietnam (WB, IFAD and AsDB). It participated in appraisal of a rural income generation project in Indonesia (AsDB) and of an irrigation project in Nepal (WB). Supervision of WB projects was carried out in Cambodia, India, and Indonesia. Sector work was undertaken in India and Indonesia for WB, and in Bangladesh for FAO. The Centre also assisted the Government to prepare a proposal for the Special Programme for Food Security in Mongolia (SPFS).

LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN

A socio-economic/production study was undertaken for poor rural communities in Guyana (CDB). Identification/preparation of a diversification programme in Chile (TCP), agricultural productivity in Mexico (WB), forestry in Nicaragua (WB), and rural development in Brazil (WB) were carried out. Project formulation was completed or continued for provincial development in Argentina (WB), indigenous people and agricultural research in Ecuador (WB), agricultural intensification in Haiti (IDB), sustain-able development in Panama (TCP), rural finance in El Salvador (WB), land tenure (WB) and food security (SPFS) in Guatemala, rural development in Haiti (FAO) and in Mexico (WB), irrigation in Peru (WB), natural resources management in Uruguay (WB). The Centre took part in supervision or evaluation of WB projects in Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua, and in project appraisal for the WB in Argentina, Brazil, Honduras and Jamaica. Assistance was given to Government on agrarian reform in Haiti (TCP), and reviews were carried out for WB on institutional work in Nicaragua, rural development in Peru and irrigation in Mexico.

NEAR EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

The Centre began formulation for food security in Azerbaijan, Egypt, Morocco and Yemen (SPFS), for irrigation in Lebanon (WB) and rural development in Morocco (WB). It prepared an agricultural sector rehabilitation project in West Bank and Gaza (WB), started work on an export development project in Jordan, an environmental project in Yemen (WB), and finalized preparation of an irrigation project in Kyrgyzstan (WB). It helped supervise and evaluate WB projects in Iran, Tunisia, Yemen, and appraise projects for rural development in Egypt (AfDB), land reform and farm restructuring in Kyrgyzstan (WB), and household food security in Yemen (WFP).

EUROPE

Project formulation started for environment in Armenia (WB), continued for wholesale markets development in Georgia and Croatia (EBRD), for water resources development in Moldova and irrigation in Slovenia (WB). Sector reviews were carried out for agriculture in Turkey and Poland (WB). The Centre took part in a WB appraisal mission for irrigation in Macedonia and reviewed the progress of a related TCP project. It participated in WB loan negotiations on an environment project in Latvia, and in WB supervision missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey. Explanatory missions were carried out for food security in Georgia and Armenia (SPFS) and assistance was provided for drafting a TCP forestry project in Romania.

New approvals

In the same period, 12 projects formulated with substantial inputs from the Investment Centre were approved by financing institutions, for total investments of US$1,327.43 million: ARGENTINA: provincial agricultural development US$357.2m ($125.0m WB, $125,0m IDB, $90.0m governments, $17.2m beneficiaries); BRAZIL: Rio Grande do Sul natural resources management US$208.0m ($100.0m WB, $81.0m State Government, $27.0m municipalities); GEORGIA: wholesale market development US$13.1m ($8.1m EBRD); HONDURAS: rural land management US$41.80m ($34.0m IDA, $6.37m, $1.44m beneficiaries); INDIA: Andhra Pradesh irrigation III US$477.43m ($175.0m WB, $150.0m IDA, $152.43m Government of A.P.); MAURITANIA: rainfed natural resources management US$25.9m ($18m IDA, $7.5m beneficiaries, $0.4m government; MEXICO: community forestry US$ 11.80m ($7.50m WB, $3.4m government, $0.9m communities); SENEGAL: LIFDC low-cost irrigation programme US$6.50m ($0.57m Italian cooperation); TUNISIA: natural resources management US$51.70m ($26.50m WB); UGANDA: vegetable oil development US$60.0m ($20.0m IFAD, $4.0m government, $33m private sector, $3.16m farmers); VIET NAM: forestry sector US$53.20m ($33.0m AsDB, $7.0m The Netherlands, $5.2m government, $8.0m beneficiaries); ZAMBIA: environmental support programme US$20.8m ($12.80m IDA).