2002–03Regional highlights

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The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information prod-uct do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Foodand Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of anycountry, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of itsfrontiers or boundaries.

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2002–03Regional highlights

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FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS

Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

RAP PUBLICATION 2004/08

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ContentsForeword v

Introduction vii

Section 1: Natural resource managementand food production 1Land and water management 3Plant production and protection 7Animal production and health 11Fisheries 15Forestry 19Agricultural support systems 23

Section 2: Access to food and rural livelihoods 27Food security and nutrition 29Sustainable rural development 33

Section 3: Policy and project services 37Policy assistance 39Project services 43Support to agricultural investment 47

Annexes 49Publications in 2002 and 2003 50Meetings in 2002 and 2003 52

Indexes 55Countries 56Organizations 57

Contents

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ForewordForewordIn the spirit and principle of solidarity and shared responsibility among countries, civil society organizations,the United Nations and other international development partners, world leaders agreed on a set of time-boundand measurable goals for fighting hunger and poverty at two world food summits held in Rome in 1996 and2002. This commitment to halve the number of undernourished by 2015 was reaffirmed at the 2000 UN MillenniumSummit. Since then, achievement and progress in reducing hunger was rapid in a few countries of the Asia-Pacific region, painfully slow in some, and non-existent or negative in most of the other countries.

As the largest UN specialized agency with a mandate to fight hunger and rural poverty, FAO provides itsexpertise in rural development and food production, safety and distribution to countries, working hand-in-handwith its members, development partners and civil society.

The first in a new series of biennial reports, this publication describes FAO priorities and programmes in theAsia-Pacific region during 2002 and 2003. It gives an account of FAO activities in areas ranging from naturalresource management (land, water, plants, animals, fisheries and forestry) to providing access to food anddeveloping rural areas. Policy guidance and capacity building are described and examples are provided ofregional and national projects.

FAO’s decentralized structure and multi-disciplinary teams – in the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, theSubregional Office for the Pacific Islands, country offices and numerous projects, supported by colleaguesbased in headquarters – have and will continue to promote an international alliance against hunger, regionalpartnerships for food security and sustainable development in the region. Answering this call and challenge, Ilook forward to implementing our pledges in the service of the people of the region.

He ChangchuiAssistant Director-Generaland Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific

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IntroductionIntroductionDespite limited natural resource endowments and its massive, mainly youthful, population base, the Asia-Pacific regionhas made substantial inroads in eradicating poverty and food insecurity during the last few decades. This progress wasunderpinned by declining fertility rates, rapid economic growth in the 1990s – sometimes coupled with pro-poor policies,among other factors. Since 1945, the region’s economy has grown faster than any other region. Literacy rates haveincreased considerably, and improved nutrition and public health programmes have raised life expectancies by over ageneration in only half a century.

Despite this progress, an estimated 503 million people in the region are undernourished, comprising 63 percent of thedeveloping world’s ill-fed populace. Rural dwellers, in particular women and children, ethnic minorities and disabledpersons, constitute a disproportionately high percentage of the vulnerable. Ensuring access to food for the hungry andpoor persists as a major challenge for national leaders, governments, civil society and development partners in the Asia-Pacific region.

Historically, the region has been the centre of many agricultural advances such as the domestication of farm animal andplant species, aquaculture, and the green revolution in rice. Today, over 50 percent of the world’s industrial crops areproduced in the Asia-Pacific region and production continues to expand. These past achievements form the context fornew advances, many in critical development areas: extensive education and agricultural research networks;developments in information and communication technologies; modern biotechnology; social innovations indevelopment, including resource decentralization; direct foreign investment; growing regional and global economiclinkages; and international trade.

Broader citizen participation in decision-making and governance is reflected in dynamic non-governmental organizations(NGOs), increased women’s suffrage and decision-making processes open to multistakeholder participation. Informationflows more freely in the media and within civil societies.

Enabling policy and economic environments have led to many success stories, including unique rural developmentmodels: from agro-industrial entrepreneurship, cooperatives and rural financial systems to farmer field schools inintegrated pest management (IPM).

Against this rapid regional growth there have been setbacks due to man-made or natural disasters. The El Niño eventsbrought widespread and devastating droughts. The Asian economic crisis slowed growth in several countries andaffected the livelihoods of millions of people. The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003 and theavian influenza outbreaks in Asia since 2002 have caused enormous economic losses and threatened human health.

Despite sufficient food production to feed all people, many factors in the region affect its ability to achieve general andsustainable food security. Although the direct link between population and poverty remains strong, especially among themost deprived, other demographic trends play important roles such as the outmigration of young males and the skilled,the greying and feminization of farms and fishing villages – rural communities peopled mainly by the elderly and women.Population dynamics thus remain a key factor in vital developmental and environmental issues, including formal education,HIV/AIDS and rural health, migration, urbanization and unemployment.

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Important trends in the agricultural sector that are having the greatest impact on the achievement of sustainableagriculture and rural development are outlined below.

Subsistence-oriented agriculture is in transition as industrialization and commercialization increase. The neededgrowth in agricultural production must come from intensification and wider use of modern technology. Capacity buildingand investment in natural resource conservation and technology transfer are, as a consequence, rising in priority. Theserealities shape FAO’s intervention strategies. Requests from member states for assistance are likely to increase, especiallyin biotechnology, efficient water use, IPM, nutrient and weed management, food safety, on-farm diversification,agribusiness and marketing.

Asian agriculture remains highly labour intensive, but the spread of industries and commerce is drawing thetalented and trained to urban centres, leaving the unskilled in rural areas. The employment and integration of (surplus)rural workers into modernizing economies will require sustained skill development built around comprehensive humanresource development programmes.

A livestock revolution is reshaping the industry. Asia and the Pacific account for the largest farm animal populationworldwide. The region also possesses the biggest pool of farm animal genetic resources. Owing to consumer-drivendemand, meat and milk production grew at 5 percent while egg output expanded at 7 percent per annum in the 1990s.This contrasts with 1.4 percent and 0.9 percent respectively for the rest of the world. This accelerated livestock production,though, may result in serious environmental degradation stemming primarily from the faulty application of newtechnologies, particularly in intensification, feeding and disease control. Moreover, expanding international trade oflivestock and livestock products and growing international travel have sharply increased the risk of disastrous pestoutbreaks and transboundary diseases, including zoonotic diseases. Effective prevention and progressive control oftransboundary animal diseases at regional and international levels are urgently needed.

The high pressure on forest resources remains a concern. "In the region's tropical countries, loss of natural forestscontinued at a rate of around 2.5 million hectares annually between 1991 and 2000." Deforestation is not primarily dueto timber harvesting. Today about 28 percent of the region’s land area retains forest cover, equivalent to only one-quarterof a hectare of wooded land per person – the lowest rate for any region. One of the most significant trends has been theshift from exploitation of natural forests towards the development and use of forest plantations. Asia and the Pacific leadthe world in forest plantation development. During the 1990s, the forest plantation area increased by 3.5 million hectaresannually, which is equivalent to 79 percent of the global growth rate.

Similarly, aquatic resources are under intense pressure. Asia and the Pacific account for 55 percent of the world’sfish catch, but a worldwide decline in fisheries’ production has had apparent negative trends in Asia and the Pacific.Almost two-thirds of the major fish species are either fully exploited or overexploited. Aside from destructive fishing, likethe use of dynamite and poison, El Niño and other weather aberrations affect the industry. High technology gear isefficient but can, if not effectively regulated, damage fishing grounds severely.

Conversely, the region produces 90 percent of the world’s aquacultural output, representing the greatest diversity ofspecies and systems. The growing global trade in fisheries’ products makes this a growth area, but problems areemerging owing to environmental impacts and increasing trade barriers.

Water scarcity and land degradation are worsening. Over 20 percent of the landscape under human use is severelydegraded. Overexploitation of water and land degradation is aggravated by the lack of clearly defined property rightsand vague institutional arrangements. Increasing cropping intensity in agriculture, livestock and aquacultureintensification, and industrialization have also led to land degradation, pollution and the compounded risk of pests and

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diseases. This stress is reflected in other problems: from widespread topsoil erosion and desertification, waterlogging,salinization of aquifers, agricultural pollution of aquifers and waterbodies to eutrophication from high levels of nitrogenuse and even loss of biodiversity.

Information and communication technology is underutilized. Agriculture’s ability to respond to the demand forsustainable production will rely increasingly on its growth as a science and the information-based sector. Tapping suchpotentials will depend on strengthening currently limited capacities in information and communications technology(ICT). Failure to act decisively may further widen the digital divide between rural and urban populations, as well as theso-called molecular gap between the South and North. Most public sector agencies still neglect adapting ICT todisseminate the results of research and development more rapidly and widely.

The institutional infrastructure to support production, consumption and trade is underdeveloped. Globalizationis reshaping the region’s trade and investment landscape and governments are called upon to facilitate an enablingenvironment for the whole agricultural production and marketing chain to encourage much-needed investments inrural areas. As market integration across countries advances, food safety and nutrition standards will require increasedattention. Amidst rapid change, national governments need to revise development strategies and policies, and restructureagriculture towards market-driven production with due attention to farmers’ organizations, rural credit and finance, andmarketing systems.

Free trade? fair trade? International organizations are pressed in various fora to increase efforts to help create a levelplaying field for developing countries in agricultural trade. The need for concerted action at subregional and regionallevels – for instance, for the conceptualization and conclusion of bi- and multilateral free trade agreements – furtherevidences the need to develop the institutional infrastructure for sustainable agriculture and rural development. Thistrend will impose significant changes in the roles of government, NGOs, civil society organizations and farmers’organizations, as well as in the mechanisms used by international organizations as service providers.

Partly as a result of the aforementioned trends in the agricultural sector in Asia and the Pacific, there is growing inequityamong countries in the region as well as at national and local levels. While productivity gains and commercialization ofagriculture have contributed to rural incomes, often inappropriate policies have favoured large producers.

Failure to consider equity in development and governance – including issues raised by decentralization, globalizationand trade liberalization – will further marginalize vulnerable groups, especially women, small producers and landlessfarmers. Some countries can no longer delay the formidable task of comprehensive agrarian reform.

Food security for children and women, in particular adolescent girls who are future mothers, should constitute the keyfactor in drawing up future policies. There is no shortage of models for pro-poor and pro-environment policies andspecial programmes for food security.

Effective rural education systems and health and social welfare schemes can increase the incomes of the poor. Theyalso create an enabling environment for marginalized groups to work their way to more humane standards of living andensure sustained production and social harmony so essential for progress.

Section 1Section 1Natural resource management

and food production

Photograph: G. Bizzarri

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Natural resource management and food production

Land and water management

Two of the most important agriculturalresources, land and water, are crucial for

the well being of the Asia-Pacific region, whichis home to nearly three-fourths of the world’sagricultural population. However, Asia-Pacifictillers have to depend on about 28 percent ofthe world’s cropland with the land availableper person for cultivation being just one-sixthof the average in the rest of the world.

A growing population is adding to pressure onarable land. To meet its increasing food needs,the region will have to produce more foodlargely from the existing farmlands becausethere is very little land available for physicalexpansion. This can be done only byincreasing crop yields and stepping upcropping intensity.

While new farm technologies can bring aboutdramatic gains in crop yields, much dependson the state of land and water resources. Amajor problem is land degradation, which iscaused in the region largely by water and winderosion. A joint study of land degradation inSouth Asia by FAO, the UN DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP) and the UN EnvironmentProgramme (UNEP) found that water andwind erosion respectively damage 25 and 18percent of the subregion’s total land. Latestestimates show that in China water erosionaffects 34 percent of the total cultivated landand wind erosion a further 2 percent. InThailand, approximately 34 percent of thetotal land area is affected by water erosion.

Deforestation, excessive use of chemicalfertil izers, soil erosion and excessiveextraction of groundwater are major causesof land degradation in the region.

With more than half of the world’s 30 largestcities located in the region, rapidindustrialization and urbanization are alsoresponsible for swallowing up and affectingarable land.

Farms in the Asia-Pacific region account for more than half of the world’sagricultural water use with 60 percent of the world’s water beingconsumed by the region in 2000. The region has some of the wettestand driest spots on earth. The average annual per capita wateravailability of about 3 800 m3 – slightly more than half the global average– varies from about 1 500 m3 in the Indian subcontinent to over 9 000 m3

in Southeast Asia and nearly 16 000 m3 in the Pacific island nations.Moreover, a large part of the region’s water comes from the annualmonsoon rains, with almost 80 percent of the water flow in the majorrivers of South Asia and China being confined to a few months of theyear.

Irrigation systems are not only costly, but they are also inefficient. It isestimated that up to 60 percent of the water diverted or pumped forirrigation is not used for plant production. The region must give priorityattention to modernizing water delivery and irrigation systems.

Countries in the region need conservation techniques to combat landdegradation. Integrated watershed management is one of the best waysof developing rainfed areas. This has conservation and developmentaspects, arresting and reversing land and ecological degradation whileproducing material benefits to local communities in the form of food,fodder and forest and livestock products.

Appropriate technologies should also be adopted to reduce and preventsoil erosion, which is a serious problem in hilly areas. These includecorrect tillage practices, land formation techniques and stabilizationstructures. The Integrated Plant Nutrition System (IPNS) to increase soilfertility can also help in reducing soil erosion.

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National round tables on integratedwater resources were convened in LaoPDR, Cambodia and Myanmar inpartnership with the Economic andSocial Commission for Asia and thePacific (ESCAP). The meetings havecontributed to capacity building in thewater sector.

In collaboration with national institutions,a workshop and project were carriedout to promote land evaluation and land-use planning systems and tools, and topromote sustainable agriculturalsystems to address land degradationand desert i f ication, biodiversityconservation, carbon sequestration andreduced emissions.

The FAO regional office has launcheda new Web site dedicated to themodernization of irrigation systems –visit www.watercontrol.org. The Website focuses on design, performance,operation, management and upgradingof medium- or large-scale irrigationsystems. Tools for use in the appraisal,benchmarking and upgrading ofirrigation systems for modernization andtheir upgrading are provided as wellas training materials and programmeson the operation and management,modernization and benchmarking ofirrigation schemes. Training materialscan be consulted online anddownloaded from the Web site.

Two projects were carried out topromote the development of location-specif ic standards on nutr ientmanagement, and the establishment andimplementation of bio-organic fertilizerstandards.

Investment in land and water (RAP2002/09) explains the urgent need forarresting and reversing the decline in

Land and water management

Priority areas have been (1) improved management and sustainable use of land and water resources for food security; and (2)enhanced livelihoods, with emphasis on supporting improved irrigation systems, sustainable land management and soil conservation,biodiversity and fertility.

investment in land and waterdevelopment in Asia-Pacific countries.Irrigation needs about one-third of theUS$30.7 billion additional annualinvestment required in agriculture indeveloping countries to ensure foodsecurity.

FAO contributed significantly to theorganization of the World Water Forumheld in Kyoto, Japan, from 16 to 23March 2003. Keynote addresses weredelivered at ministerial meetings and anumber of papers by FAO staffaddressed themes such as Water andClimate; Water Food and Environment;Water, Nature and Environment;Groundwater; and Agriculture, Foodand Water.

How design, management and policyaffect the performance of irrigationprojects (RAP 2002/20) is a contributionto an emerging understanding thatphysical and institutional reforms of theirrigation sector should be combined, andthat irrigation management transfer is notonly about transferring operationfunctions but also governance to theirrigation users and a combination of thetwo at different levels. In making its case,

the document reviews the decades-old debate over the causes ofinefficiency in irrigation projects, therole of multilateral lenders such as theWorld Bank and the AsianDevelopment Bank (ADB) as well ascountry experiences from China,Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran,Malaysia, North Africa, Pakistan,Sudan and the United States.

In September 2003, an agreementwas signed in Bangkok, Thailandbetween the Ministry of Agriculture andCooperatives (MoAC) and FAO forthe introduction and demonstration ofnew techniques for the sustainable useof soils for crop production. The projectwill introduce appropriate techniquesfor the rehabilitation and managementof problem soils, particularly in rainfedagriculture.

FAO is providing assistance toPakistan for strengthening theextension capacities for communitydemand-driven planning for naturalresource management in the AzadJammu and Kashmir region. Anagreement to this effect was signedbetween Pakistan and FAO in 2003.The proposed assistance wil lcontribute to reforming the agriculturalextension system to adopt bottom-upplanning approaches and to make itmore responsive to communitydemands.

The objective of FAO’s ASIACOVERproject in Cambodia, China, Lao PDR,Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand andViet Nam (2003–2004) is to collect andstandardize existing land cover/land-use information, to identify gaps wheresuch information is missing and todevelop a strategy to fill these gaps in

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the future in the context of the joint FAO-UNEP initiative to establish a GlobalLand Cover Network. Essential andvalidated information on land use andland cover will contribute to improvedanalysis, planning and decision-makingwith regard to food security and povertyalleviation.

FAO is providing assistance inUzbekistan from 2003 to 2005 todemonstrate alternative, profitable andsustainable forms of agriculturalproduction for small private farmers inthe Autonomous Republic ofKarakalpakstan (KK), where water is ascarce and diminishing resource. Theproject is introducing drought- and salt-tolerant crops and assisting farmers insharing the available irrigation water inan equitable and efficient manner.Farmers and related governmentofficials are being trained on drainagemanagement and on-farm irrigation,irrigation technology, field levelling,water accounting and modification oflocal farm machinery for conservationagriculture for small independentfarmers in KK.

Emergency assistance has beenprovided by FAO to flood-affected ricefarmers in five districts of Sri Lanka. TheMay 2003 floods caused severedamage to people, houses and crops.A total of 139 000 families in the targetdistricts were affected. The immediateobjective of the project is to provideemergency assistance to 20 750 farmfamilies in the form of rice seed, basaland topdressing fertilizer. It is expectedthat these farmers will be able to resumerice production on 0.2 ha each.

The Asia Soil Conservation Network forthe Humid Tropics (ASOCON) wasformed with UNDP/FAO support in 1989and became a quasi-legal entity in June1993. The network structure consists ofa coordinating unit at the Ministry ofForestry (MOF), Jakarta, and nationalcoordinating committees established by

each member country (China, Indonesia,Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, thePhilippines, Thailand and Viet Nam).National coordinators form the NetworkConsultative Board (NCB), which servesas both the steering committee and thepolicy-forming body. The network aimsto assist its member countries through aprogramme of information exchange,regional workshops, expertconsultations and learning activities toenhance the skills and expertise of thoseresponsible for the development anddissemination of soi l and waterconservation practices for small-scalefarmers. The ultimate objective is to helpsmall-scale farmers use their landsustainably and productively.

The Third International Vetiver Conferencewas held in Guanzhou, GuangdongProvince, in southern China in October2003. The theme of the conference was“Vetiver System’s (VS) application toimprove water quality and distribution inthe environment”. Topics includedapplication of VS for: runoff control,groundwater recharge, erosion controland slope stabilization, pollution controland water quality protection, purificationof landfill and mining lactates, earthworks,stabilization, plant production, extensionstrategies, and other grasses for waterand soil conservation. The conferencewas organized to focus on the needs ofusers of VS by concentrating oninformation and site visits to witnessapplications and generate discussion tohelp guide the practitioner.

FAO established an Asian Network onProblem Soils in 1989 involving 13countries. The network is concernedmainly with the rational use,management and conservation ofproblem soils within the Asia-Pacificregion in a sustainable andenvironmentally sound manner. At thesame time FAO, in cooperation withASOCON, is developing a Frameworkfor Action on Land Conservation in Asiaand the Pacific (FALCAP).

A Regional Workshop on Agro-ecological Zoning (AEZ) and GISApplications in Asia with specialemphasis on Land DegradationAssessment in Drylands (LADA), wasconducted in Bangkok, Thailand inNovember 2003. The workshop wasorganized by FAO in collaboration withthe Land Development Department ofThailand. The purpose of theworkshop was to promote AEZ/GISand its application in the assessment,mapping and monitoring of rural landuse and land degradation in relationto food security in Asian countries, andto develop more applied knowledge,policy instruments, national capacitiesand technologies, which would aid indeveloping more eff icient andsustainable management of landresources, especially in drylands.Senior land resources and landdegradation specialists from 15 Asiancountries attended the workshop.

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Photograph: L. Dematteis

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Fertile land and favourable weatherconditions make the Asia-Pacific region

a major producer of cereals (rice, wheat andmaize), legumes, vegetables, fruits andindustrial crops like rubber, coconut, pepperand oil-palm. The region produces 90 percentof the world’s rice, which is Asia’s mostimportant food crop and the staple diet forthree-fifths of the global population. Riceprovides more than half the daily dietaryenergy of over three billion people in theregion.

A number of Asian countries are now self-sufficient in rice production; the current annualharvest of 524 million tonnes is expected togrow to 700 million tonnes by 2025. However,the region is adding 51 million riceconsumers to its population annually whilethe land and water resources that areavailable for rice farms are declining steadily;increasing numbers of marginal farmers inthe Asia-Pacific region are depending ondegraded farmlands.

The key to future food security in Asia lies inboosting farm yields without damaging thenatural resource base, reducing the rate ofpopulation increase and diversifying the foodbasket. FAO is helping to increase riceoutputs in Asian countries where paddy yieldsare lower compared to the region’s efficientrice-farming nations.

Also, FAO is encouraging Asian rice farmersto combine their harvests with new crop types,including hitherto neglected species,vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices,medicinal plants and cash crops. Crop andfarming system diversification that includes,inter alia, livestock husbandry, will not onlyincrease food variety, but also help to reduce

the environmental, economic and nutritional risks associated withplanting only one type of crop.

Expanding rice production has, moreover, reduced profits from paddyfarming. FAO advocates farming diversification by rearing livestock,planting higher value horticultural and cash crops and marketing value-added products of all commodities as the best protection against fallingfarm produce prices. In Asia and the Pacific, higher value crops produce10 to 15 times the net returns per hectare of rice. The region producesover 50 percent of the world’s industrial crops mainly via smallholders.Industrial crops cover about 20 percent of available land in the region.

Effective plant quarantine measures keep farm pests and diseases fromspreading. Developing countries in the region have to conform to newinternational plant quarantine standards being developed under the newworld trade rules. While protecting farm harvests from pests and cropdiseases, it is important to ensure that the methods used do not causeirreparable damage to the agrarian ecology and human health. TheInternational Code of Conduct for Pesticide Management, revised in2001, requires countries to stop subsidizing pesticide use. FAO ispromoting IPM techniques to eliminate the use of expensive chemicalpest killers that are known to be harmful for farms and consumers. Inaddition, FAO is encouraging organic farming such as organic coffee,pepper, vegetables and fruits.

Natural resource management and food production

Plant production and protection

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Plant production and protection

For food and horticultural crops, the focus has been on cropping systems that promote high value crops; more effective managementof resources in smallholders’ cropping systems; higher productivity and sustainable crop production in tropical environments; sustainableintensification of urban and peri-urban agricultural production systems; integrated crop management; IPM; and support to theInternational Rice Commission. For industrial crops, activities targeted the development of underutilized species; improved croppingsystems and crop diversification; IPM; and support to regional institutions.

Continued support was provided to theAsia-Pacific Coconut Community and anew project for control l ing thedevastating effects of coconut beetle wasinitiated in Nauru. The objective of theproject is to establish classical biologicalcontrol of coconut leaf beetle. It includesthe search, collection, identification andrearing of Brontispa parasitoids inSamoa, where sustainable biologicalcontrol has been achieved, and theintroduction of these natural enemies toNauru. A technical ly sound,environmentally friendly and farmer-focused IPM strategy withcorresponding participatory trainingactivit ies wil l be developed andimplemented.

An on-farm grain storage project wasformulated for Timor-Leste with thesupport of UNDP/EU. Support was alsoprovided in reviewing the prospects forindustrial crops, the formulation of acoconut oil project and a feasibility studyfor palm oil production.

Technical assistance was provided toChina, Thailand, Viet Nam, Indonesiaand other countries on diversificationand farming systems’ development. Thisassistance has brought about a shift fromthe production of cereals and traditionalnon-food crops (rubber, jute and cotton)into high value commodities such asfruits, vegetables, herbs and spices,medicinal plants, l ivestock andaquaculture.

An upgraded soil analysis facility for riceand maize production in the DemocraticPeople’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) hasresulted in cost-effective fertilizer userecommendations. A bio-organic

fertilizer standard has been establishedin Lao PDR, contributing to better qualityfertilizer for farmers.

Rural Asia-Pacific: Inter-disciplinarystrategies to combat hunger and poverty.The rice-based livelihood-supportsystems (RAP 2002/12) identifiessustainable strategies to yield more food,incomes and livelihoods in line with thevision of eradicating hunger and ruralpoverty in the Asia-Pacific rice lands overthe next three decades. The publicationexamines the potential of the wide rangeof rice-based farming systems in theregion to meet the food and livelihoodsecurity demands that will be made onthem in the coming decades. It outlines amenu of interdisciplinary strategies andinterventions to enable the rice-basedsystems to live up to the challenge andthe role that FAO can play.

From farmer field school to communityIPM: Ten years of IPM training in Asia(RAP 2002/15) is a comprehensiveaccount of IPM as a farmer-centred andlocal needs-responsive approach, whichwas developed on the rice farms ofSoutheast Asia to tackle the risks arisingfrom excessive pesticide use promotedby the green revolution. The publicationincludes step-by-step instructions onorganizing and running farmers’ fieldschools along with detailed case studies

of farmers’ field schools in SoutheastAsia as well as several personalexperiences of farmers who gainedfrom the programme. A separate sectionoutlines the IPM programme activitiesin Bangladesh, Cambodia, China,Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and VietNam.

The lychee crop in Asia and the Pacific(RAP 2002/16) provides acomprehensive account of the origin,distribution, production and trade ofdifferent species of this commerciallyimportant fruit crop that is cultivatedmainly in Bangladesh, China, India,Nepal, Thailand and Viet Nam. Thesecountries produce more than 1.8million tonnes of the about two milliontonnes of lychee crop cultivatedannually in Asia, which accounts forover 95 percent of the world lycheeharvest.

The Technical Consultat ion onBiological Risk Management in Foodand Agriculture met in Bangkok,Thailand in January 2003. The aimwas to consult governments on thepossibilities to harmonize, whereappropriate, methods of risk analysisto enhance capacity building, whereneeded, particularly in developingcountries and countries witheconomies in transition and to establishan official information exchange systemon biological risk management in foodand agriculture (“biosecurity”). FAOhas established a Priority Area forInterdisciplinary Action on Biosecurityto coordinate this process within theorganization.

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The first regional consultation of the FAOproject Capacity building in biosafety ofgenetically modified crops in Asia, whichwas convened in Bangkok in July 2003,identified country-specific strengths andweaknesses relating to nationalcapacities, including legislation,regulations and policies for the biosafetyof GM crops. It also addressed theprioritization of the support needed inenhancing the biosafety capacities of theparticipating countries.

Pacif ic PestNet: Meeting plantprotection needs in the 21st century(2003–2005): The objective of theproject is to develop and promote aneffective e-mail network (“PestNet”)among Pacific Island countries (PICs)by effectively addressing farmers’ plantprotection needs and enhancing

delivery of pest diagnoses, quarantineinformation and advice to farmers.PestNet will facilitate the identification ofpests and diseases by means of digitalphotos, which are to be linked to existingdatabases such as EcoPort. Relevanttraining on pest identification anddatabase management will be providedand a participatory rural appraisal(PRA) survey will assess farmers’perceptions and needs in theparticipating countries. FAO’s assistancewill contribute to improving plantprotection decision-making at the farmlevel through better access by farmersto demand-driven services for theidentification and control of crop pestsand diseases.

The 7th international IFOAM organictrade conference and the seminar on

production and export of organic fruitand vegetables in Asia ( joint lyconvened by FAO, IFOAM[International Federation of OrganicAgriculture Movements] and GreenNet from Thailand) were conductedfrom 1 to 10 November 2003 inBangkok. The plenary sessions,workshops and seminars addresseda broad spectrum of important themesnecessary for the further developmentof organic markets. In addition tonumerous presentations anddiscussions surrounding the OrganicGuarantee System and themovement’s efforts to harmonizestandards and certification, theconference also emphasized theimportance and benefits of interlinkingfair trade and organic agriculture.

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Millions of rural households in Asia-Pacificcountries depend on domesticated

animals for food, draught power and income.The region has 30 percent of the world’slivestock species. Though livestock foodproducts are still not a significant part of thediet in developing Asia-Pacific countries,consumption is growing rapidly.

Developing Asian countries now have theworld’s highest growth rates of production andconsumption of food derived from livestock.Meat production in the region grew from aboutnine million tonnes in 1961 to more than 90million tonnes by the end of the twentiethcentury. Small farmers account for the bulk ofthe livestock production, combining this withcropping and other agricultural activities.

Traditionally, income from the sale of milk,meat, manure and other basic livestockproducts has protected small farmers fromthe shock of crop failure and provided asteady livelihood for marginal farmers whodo not have other agricultural resources.Ownership of livestock also helps to alleviatehunger among the poor. Possession oflivestock, which feed on open grazing lands,allows the rural poor to take advantage ofcommon property resources to earn income.Livestock also provide a substantial amountof draught power on Asia-Pacific farms.According to one estimate in 1985, the 30million draught animals then in use on Asia’ssmall farms did work equivalent to the samenumber of tractors.

The considerable growth in the region’spoultry and pig meat industries – the latteraccounted for 55 percent of all meatproduction in 2000 – is promoting a shift frompasture-based production systems to feedcropping. Some countries have to dependon feed imports to meet the needs of thelivestock industry.

Prevention, control and eradication of communicable livestock diseasesare central to FAO’s livestock development priorities. Some animaldiseases can also be transmitted to humans such as the Nipah virus,which devastated Malaysia’s pig industry and claimed more than 100human lives in 1998 and 1999. A number of emerging diseases with thepotential to infect humans have been identified in the past ten years.

Over the past 25 years, developing Asian countries have introducedseveral exotic livestock species in a bid to increase productivity. However,most of these introductions – usually through crossbreeding – have notbeen successful. Reasons range from increased feed consumption,lower reproductive rates and greater disease susceptibility of the newbreeds, to the debts of local farmers who are unable to repay loanstaken to procure the exotic species.

Livestock development is also threatened by the disappearance ofindigenous breeds. Every week, the world loses two breeds of domesticanimals, according to a joint study by FAO and UNEP. The Asia-Pacificregion is home to 99.6 percent of the world’s buffalo breeds; othercommon livestock comprise pigs (56.3 percent), goats (62.7 percent),chickens (46.4 percent) and ducks (85.3 percent). Some livestockspecies risk extinction, in particular the H’mong cattle of Viet Nam,which numbered only 14 000 head in 2001.

The coming years are a critical period for livestock production in Asiaand the Pacific. Poorly planned animal-breeding strategies and the lossof indigenous breeds threaten the region’s ability to meet future foodand livelihood demands. At the same time, the growing demand forlivestock products now offers the opportunity to launch a new foodrevolution to reduce poverty and hunger among small farminghouseholds that constitute 80 percent of all farming families in Asia andthe Pacific.

Natural resource management and food production

Animal production and health

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Animal production and health

Priorities encompassed economic and environmental sustainability; food safety; risk analysis of marginalizing smallholder farmersfrom market opportunities; threats related to the spread of transboundary and zoonotic diseases (and concomitantly the developmentof newly emerging diseases generated by high animal density and international trade in live animals and livestock products); andthe alarming loss of domestic animal diversity.

The threat of endemic diseases, pestsand newly emerging diseases –result ing in food shortages,destabil ization of markets andperiodically triggering trade barriers –was addressed jointly by FAO and theWorld Organisation for Animal Health(OIE), particularly in the context ofFAO’s Emergency Prevention Systemfor Transboundary Animal and PlantPests and Diseases (EMPRES)through the preparation of the Asiacomponent of the Global Framework forthe Progressive Control of Foot andMouth Disease and othertransboundary diseases. RAP 2002/01– Manual on the diagnosis of nipah virusinfection in animals, contains informationon the emergence of the virus andprovides general principles anddetailed instructions for dealing safelywith it. It includes information on riskassessment in field investigations, safetyprocedures during field and laboratoryinvestigations, all aspects of control anderadication along with guidelines foraction by the pig industry andgovernments to keep the virus out. Aseries of appendices list hands-onsafety instructions and essential safetyequipment.

FAO supports the Animal Productionand Health Commission for Asia and thePacif ic (APHCA) – visit http://www.aphca.org – and the South AsiaRinderpest Campaign. The 27th sessionof APHCA was convened in Lahore,Pakistan in August 2003. Recent APHCApublications issued by the FAO-RAPare: Some issues associated with thelivestock industries of the Asia-Pacificregion. (RAP 2002/06); A basiclaboratory manual for the small-scale

production and testing of 1-2 Newcastledisease vaccine (RAP 2002/22); Thelivestock industries of Thailand (RAP2002/23); Report of the 26th Session ofthe Animal Production and HealthCommission for Asia and the Pacific(APHCA) (RAP 2002/24).

FAO’s Domestic Animal DiversityInformation System (DAD-IS) assists inthe conservation and promotion ofanimal genetic diversity. In the State ofthe World’s Animal Genetic Resourcesprocess, country report preparation andconvening of regional meetings areessential. Regional meetings identifyregional needs for animal geneticresources and aim at reachingagreement on priorities for action at theregional level, in accordance with majorproduction system characteristics. Theregional office also publishes thequarterly Asian livestock on the Internet.

A regional training workshop wasconvened in Fiji to assist the PICs in thepreparation of their country reports asinputs for the State of the World’s AnimalGenetic Resources.

The potential loss of animal diversity wasaddressed under the umbrella of FAO’sGlobal Strategy for the Management ofFarm Animal Genetic Resources.Member countries have agreed toprepare country reports as input to thefirst report on the State of the World’sAnimal Genetic Resources.

A consultation, jointly organized by FAOand the International Feed IndustryFederation in Bangkok in April 2002,discussed changes in livestock systems;enhanced requirements for protein in thetropics and the potential of ruminants onlimited protein intake to utilize available

forage; food safety issues related toanimal feed derived frombiotechnology crops, including GMOs;current issues relating to the use ofanimal by-products in feed; adaptationof European laws and regulations onanimal feed use, to conditions indeveloping countries and countries intransition. Presentations were madeby animal production and healthexperts on developments and issuesrelating to livestock production, proteinsupplies and the feed industries ofselected countries including Australia,Botswana, China, India, Japan,Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, SriLanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey,Viet Nam and countries of the EU.

Under the Livestock, Environment andDevelopment Initiative (LEAD), threepilot studies in China, Thailand andViet Nam were conducted to assessthe impact of industrial livestockproduction on the environment and thearea-wide integration of specializedcrop and livestock activities; they haveled to the formulation of a World Bank/Global Environment Facility (GEF)project. LEAD is also investigating theimpact of changes in the formal marketon poor and small-scale producers.

In the Pro-Poor Livestock PolicyInitiative (PPLPI), the socialconsequences of the transformation ofthe livestock sector were addressed.The potentials and constraints of small-scale dairy production for povertyreduction were studied in Bangladesh,India and Pakistan. PPLPI contributedto the reform of livestock services inthe Indian states of Andhra Pradeshand Orissa.

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In December 2003, FAO published thepreliminary results of the first livestockcensus ever conducted in Afghanistan.Data covered around three millionfamilies. The project was carried out byFAO and funded by the Government ofItaly. The results show that there are3.7 million cattle, 8.8 million sheep, 7.3million goats, 1.6 million donkeys, 180000 camels, 140 000 horses and 12.2million poultry. Comparisons with earlierlivestock surveys showed that thenumber of farm animals per family hadplummeted. The number of familieswithout livestock has increased from11.4 to 14.4 families per community dueto the drought. The number of cattle perfamily has fallen from 3.7 in 1995 to 1.22in 2003, while the number of sheepdecreased sharply from 21.9 to 2.9 overthe same period. The final results of theAfghan livestock census are expectedearly in 2004. They will contain detailedresults from household and gendersurveys.

The Yak, second edition (RAP 2003/06) traces briefly the development ofthis animal and then describes in somedetail its characteristics and performanceand its products. There is also adiscussion of the more recent researchand development projects that mayprovide a basis for improvements in yakperformance and in the utilization ofrangelands. The research anddevelopment may also lead to a widerdistribution for the yak and to the betterutilization of yak products.

Eighty-two piglets were airlifted from theUnited Kingdom to Bhutan in September2003, during a significant logisticoperation carried out by FAO. Thenucleus for a pig-breeding programmein land-locked Bhutan, all the pigletssurvived the journey and arrived ingood health. The importation of livepiglets was needed as pigs in Bhutanare largely in-bred and their numbersare too small to act as a resource for anexpanded breeding programme. The

importation of animals of both sexes ofthree different breeds will allow thedevelopment of adequate breedingschemes and enhancement of the piggenetic resources of the country. Fundedby FAO within the context of a technicalcooperation programme for improvingfood security and rural income, theproject aims to improve food productionand access to animal proteins in Bhutan.

In Bangladesh a training programme forthe small-scale dairy sector has beenunderway since August 2003. Theobjective is to develop short-term, tailor-made training courses at the Savar DairyFarm of the Ministry of Feed andLivestock (MoFL) for persons andorganizations involved in milk production,collection, processing and marketing inthe small-scale sector to improveefficiency and quality throughout the farmto consumer milk chain. Low-costtechnologies for collecting milk fromremote rural areas and for efficient small-scale processing of milk and traditionaldairy products are being promoted. Anaction plan will be elaborated to sustainand commercialize future trainingactivities and for the expansion of theapproach to other regions. Small-scale

milk producers, col lectors andprocessors will be able to improve milkproduction representing a promising wayto raise family income and improve foodsecurity.

Protection against rinderpest andother major diseases of farm livestockthrough emergency preparednessplanning and new vaccine technologyis a project being conducted in Nepal.The objective is to build up thetechnical capacities of the veterinaryfield services to increase theiremergency preparedness by meansof improved contingency planning anddisease detection, surveillance,report ing and data storage/management. The dialogue betweenNepal, India and China with respect totransboundary animal disease earlywarning and early reaction will bestrengthened. Strengthening nationalveterinary services will contribute toimproved animal disease control andthus improved livelihoods of poorlivestock farmers.

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Fish and rice constitute the traditional dietof most Asian and Pacific people. Per

caput fish consumption ranges from theworld’s highest level in the Maldives to amongthe lowest in Pakistan and parts of northernIndia. In the Pacific, subsistence fisheriesmake an important contribution to often highlevels of per caput supplies. Fish providenutritious food, employment and income formillions of people. In 1998, capture fisheryproduction from this region accounted for halfof the world’s production, and the productionfrom aquaculture reached 88 percent of theglobal aquaculture production of fish andshellfish.

The fishery sector thus plays a valuable rolefor food security in most countries in theregion. However, in general, marine fisheryresources are exploited fully (for example inthe Gulf of Thailand, the Bay of Tonkin andthe Bay of Bengal) and many heavily fishedstocks will need to be rehabilitated. It isunlikely that future demands from anincreased population in the region will be metfrom the seas. Aquaculture, and to a lesserextent inland fisheries, may provideconsiderable opportunities for furtherdevelopment to increase fish production, butthe region will probably need to rely more onimports of fishery products for its futuresupplies.

For many countries in the region, the centralissue remains that of management andsustainability of the marine resources.Generally, coastal resources are overfishedseverely by an overcrowded small-scalefishery sector. In these domains, catch rates,fish size and quality and, in some cases,fisherfolk incomes, are declining. Conflictsbetween small-scale fisheries and trawlersin the coastal zones are frequent and fisherymanagement is complicated. Increasingly,partnerships between local communities andthe central government are evolving todevelop community-based fishery

management systems for local resources. The prime concern is theneed to increase the supply of fish and the economic benefits fromfishing by the introduction and enforcement of better management.

Aquaculture is an increasingly important supplier of food and sustainerof food security in many Asian countries. Considerable benefits may begained by the better integration of aquaculture into overall rural andagricultural development programmes. Also, the supply of fish fromaquaculture could be increased by the wider application of technologicaladvances and better management of fish health. Diversification andgenetic improvement of cultured species needs to be promoted, togetherwith a wider application of semi-intensive production systems.Governments and FAO are addressing these issues by promotingappropriate policies and programmes. The implementation of the Codeof Conduct for Responsible Fisheries remains the primary goal for FAOin Asia and the Pacific. The Code raises awareness from top officials tolocal fisherfolk, creating a responsible fishery system that stands on theprinciples of protection for living aquatic resources, environmental andcoastal areas. Central to a responsible fishery system is the developmentof fishery and aquaculture techniques, as well as conservation measures,in complementation with enhanced food security and food quality, by allpeople engaged in the industry.

Natural resource management and food production

Fisheries

16

Fisheries

The thrust has been on the sound management and sustainable use of resources in fisheries and aquaculture; responsible aquaculturedevelopment; and the conservation of marine and inland fisheries’ resources within the framework of the FAO Code of Conduct forResponsible Fisheries via the strengthening of regional institutions and international collaboration.

On 20 February 2003 FAO announcedthat aquaculture is growing more rapidlythan all other animal food-producingsectors; its contribution to global suppliesof fish, crustaceans and molluscs hadincreased from 3.9 percent of totalproduction by weight in 1970 to 27.3percent in 2000, according to FAO’sState of World Fisheries andAquaculture 2002 report (SOFIA). Thecontribution from aquaculture increasedfurther to 29 percent in 2001. SOFIA,presented at the 25th session of FAO’sCommittee on Fisheries (COFI), statedthat global fish production remainspushed by aquaculture. COFI is theonly global technical forum for debatinginternational fisheries’ issues.

Commissioned by FAO-RAP, a reviewof inland capture fisheries in eightSoutheast Asian countries showed thatstat ist ics about the sector areunderestimated severely and fail to givean adequate idea of its real importance.The actual production from inlandcapture fisheries in these countries islikely to be at least three times as muchas that reported for freshwateraquaculture production. RAP 2002/11provides a regional overview ofstatistics’ collection and reportingmethods used, the sources of error inthe official statistics, other constraints todata collection and recommendsstrategies for improvement. A secondsection reviews the current state ofinland capture fisheries’ statistics in theeight countries that were reviewed.

RAP 2002/13 Pacific Island fisheries:regional and country informationreviews small-scale commercial andsubsistence fisheries, which are crucialfor the national economies, foodsecurity and rural livelihoods in thePacific. A regional overview providesdetailed information about fisheries in

the subregion as issues of coastalfisheries’ management. There aredetailed country profiles with nationalfisheries’ data, an overview of marineand inland fisheries and aquaculture andutilization of the catch. Developmentprospects, the institutional arrangementsand international issues relevant to thesector are also reviewed.

Inland capture fisheries make a valuablecontribution to food security in many partsof the world and especially in the MekongBasin. However, the contribution thatinland fishery resources make to rurall ivel ihoods is often unknown orunderestimated due to a lack of basicproduction and consumption information.Accurate information on the contributionof inland fisheries is essential forresponsible development. To addressthese concerns an ad-hoc expertconsultat ion was convened inSeptember 2002 with the overallobjective of improving the state ofknowledge in inland capture fisheries inthe subregion. Key uses of accurateinformation identified by the meeting

were: (1) to determine the status andtrends of the f ishery and theenvironment; (2) to assess correctlythe value of inland fisheries; (3) toallocate appropriate resources to theinland fisheries’ sector; and (4) to fulfillinternational obl igations. Newapproaches for the improvement ofinland capture fishery statistics in theMekong Basin. Ad-hoc expertconsultation (RAP 2003/01) detailsthese issues.

Experts from eight countries met inBangkok in February 2002 to shareexperiences and discuss ways ofmaking aquaculture an effective tool forpoverty alleviation in the region. Theconsultation – jointly organized with theNetwork of Aquaculture Centers in Asia-Pacific (NACA) – responded to thegrowing awareness within the aquaticresource sector of the need to addresspoverty more directly. The sessionnoted that user-friendly aquaculturetechnologies for the poor are largelyin place and aquaculture developmentfor poverty alleviation should focus onthe effective extension of low-costtechnologies, appropriatemanagement practices and securingaccess and control to the poor.

Myanmar aquaculture and inlandfisheries (RAP 2003/8) reports theoutcome of two missions, one to coastalareas and one to inland areas, fieldedby FAO-RAP, NACA and the AustralianCentre for International AgriculturalResearch (ACIAR). The purpose ofthe missions was to review the statusof aquaculture and small-scale inlandfisheries; to identify areas for technicalassistance related to the sustainabledevelopment of coastal and inlandaquaculture and management ofaquatic resources; and to identifyimmediate assistance opportunities.

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The report includes the findings of themissions as well as conclusions andrecommendations in support of the long-term sustainability of fishery resourcesin Myanmar.

Collaborative activities with regionalpartners (NACA, Southeast AsianFisheries Development Center[SEAFDEC], Mekong RiverCommission [MRC] and WorldfishCentre) included a regional donorconsultation on the Role of Aquacultureand Living Aquatic Resources (thePhilippines), the Second InternationalSymposium on the Management ofLarge Rivers for Fisheries (Cambodia),a regional seminar on Accessing andMeeting Requirements of Markets forAquaculture Products (the Philippines)and a regional workshop on Use ofInternational Mechanisms for the Controland Responsible Use of Alien Speciesin Aquatic Ecosystems (China).

FAO provided technical and financialassistance in organizing thecollaborative FAO-ASEAN StrategicPlanning Workshop on Harmonizationof Standards for Shrimp Import-Exportin Thailand from 4 to 6 November 2003in Bangkok.

Shrimp aquaculture production in Indiaboomed between 1990 and 1995 whenit reached 97 500 tonnes, but decreasedto 54 500 tonnes in 1997, mainly due toa viral disease epidemic, caused by theWhite Spot Syndrome Virus. Theobjective of the project Healthmanagement of shrimp aquaculture inAndhra Pradesh (2003–2004) is to assistthe Department of Fisheries in AndhraPradesh in effectively managing thedisease epidemic, creating nationalcapacities for emergency preparedness,empowering rural farmers by providingtools for better self-management offarming systems, improving the qualityof hatchery produced postlarvae, andestablishing overall better managementpractices and integrated coastal areamanagement for the future sustainabilityof shrimp aquaculture. FAO’s assistancewill contribute to reducing economiclosses and sustaining the shrimpaquaculture production in AndhraPradesh.

The project Poverty alleviation throughimproved aquatic resourcesmanagement in Asia (2003–2005) hasbeen established to identify aquaticresource management issues impacting

on the livelihoods of the poor; monitorand evaluate different managementapproaches; extend information;network within and between sectorsand countries; and help with learningand communications to supportagencies and institutions to (a) utilizeexisting and emerging informationmore effectively; (b) better understandpoor people’s livelihoods; and (c)enable poor people to exert greaterinfluence over policies and processesthat impact on their lives. The projectwill contribute to enhancing thelivelihoods of rural people through theimproved management of aquaticresources.

The 69th Meeting of the APFICExecutive Committee was held from 15to 17 December 2003 in Pattaya,Thailand. The main agenda reviewedthe future direction of the Asia-PacificFishery Commission (APFIC).Specifically, the committee consideredthe potential of APFIC’s future role asa Regional Consultative Forum andthe value of this to the membercountries.

Photograph: Thomas Enters

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Covering one-quarter of the world’s landarea, the Asia-Pacific region is home to

about 15 percent of the world’s 3.8 billionhectares of forest. The green cover has tomeet the diverse environmental, economic,cultural and social needs of more than halfthe world’s population who live in thesecountries. Asia’s forests provide food, fodder,fuelwood, timber and livelihoods to hundredsof millions of people. The forests also sustainone of the world’s richest storehouses ofbiodiversity.

The forestry sector provides formal andinformal employment for millions of peopleand continues to act as a food reserve intimes of hardship. Forests play an importantrole in supporting agriculture in the mainlyrural Asian nations by protecting watershedsand water quality. Furthermore forestry is asignificant contributor to export earnings inmany countries.

In recent decades, many countries in Asiaand the Pacific have realized the importanceof forests and there is growing awareness of

and commitment to sustainable forest management and publicinvolvement in forest management decisions. This has resulted in asignificant impact on forest conservation, and the problem of destructivelogging practices is being addressed in several countries.

The use of plantation forests to substitute for wood from natural forestsis increasing with Asia-Pacific countries leading the world in forestplantation development. However, deforestation continues because ofweak regulations and law enforcement, and continuing incentives forcompeting land uses; juxtaposed with forest degradation, wasteful useand sharp inequalities in the distribution of forest benefits, these areserious problems that require novel solutions and joint action by allthose with an interest in forests. Forest crime and corruption are alsoserious threats to the region’s forests.

Many countries in the region are now decentralizing forest managementinto the hands of local communities that are directly in touch with theforests. This fundamental shift from large-scale government forestry tosmall-scale, community-based forestry management – often calleddevolution – is proving increasingly to be an effective way of using forestssustainably and conserving biodiversity.

A key concern is the sustainable use of wood and non-wood forestproducts. FAO gives high priority to the production, trade and marketingof these products to support livelihoods in the rural areas of Asia and thePacific.

Natural resource management and food production

Forestry

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Forestry

Improved management, sustainable development and productive use of forests and forest resources for food security and improvedrural livelihoods have received considerable attention. In line with the FAO Strategic Plan for Forestry and guidance provided by theAsia-Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC), priority was attached to better forest management and harvesting; balancing wood supplyand demand; reforming forestry institutions; strengthening national forest policies and institutions; and improving forestry statistics.

In tropical forests, reduced impact logging(RIL) has been tested and applied on asmall scale for more than a decade.Various timber-producing countries inAsia and the Pacific have recognized itspotential for advancing SFM. Yet manyquestions remain and the lack of soundand appropriate information continues toimpede the widespread application ofRIL. Applying reduced impact logging toadvance sustainable forestmanagement (RAP 2002/14) helps fillthis critical information gap. Thepublication reflects an important milestonein the efforts to improve forestmanagement in the region.

FAO supports the APFC – visit http://www.apfcweb.org – established in 1949as a forum for advising and taking actionon key forestry issues pertinent to theregion. The APFC has developed aCode of Practice for Forest Harvestingin Asia-Pacific to reduce negative impactsand enhance the sustainability of forestresources. The Code guides countriesin drafting national harvesting codes.Increased political commitment for theexpanded application of sustainableforest harvesting practices in the regionis evidenced by the formal endorsementby ASEAN of the Code of Practice forForest Harvesting in Asia-Pacific.

To support countries in their efforts toencourage forest plantationdevelopment, FAO coordinated a seriesof national studies on the impacts ofincentives for private sectorestablishment and management ofplantations. A workshop was held inMarch 2002 in Manila, bringing togetherforestry experts and FAO specialists todiscuss the national studies. The results

of the studies including a regionaloverview were presented at the 19th

APFC session, which was convened inMongolia in August 2002 (for details seeRAP 2002/21).

Information on involving communities infire management is still scarce, widelyscattered and only slowly emerging.Communities in flames: Proceedings ofan international conference oncommunity involvement in firemanagement (RAP 2002/25) providesfirst-hand insights into community-basedforest fire management. The strength ofthe publication lies in the diversity of thecontributions and the recognition that therole that communities can play is notoverstated. Other stakeholders, includingthe government and the private sector,must also play a substantial role in forestfire management.

Giants on our hands: Proceedings of theinternational workshop on thedomesticated Asian elephant (RAP 2002/30) is the outcome of the first everinternational workshop on domesticatedelephants conducted by FAO-RAP. Theworkshop defined the situation ofdomesticated elephants; identified priorityareas of work, especially on registrationand laws; developed workplans for eachidentified priority area; and developed anetworking mechanism. The publicationshould serve as a useful source ofinformation and a good reference guidefor elephant managers, specialists, NGOsand donors seeking opportunities toimprove the management and utilizationof Asian elephants.

Under the National Forest ProgrammeFacility, capacities were strengthened forimplementing effective forest policies and

programmes. The Facility establishedpartnerships with China, Indonesia,Mongolia, the Philippines and Thailand.

Practical guidelines for the assessment,monitoring and reporting on nationallevel criteria and indicators forsustainable forest management in dryforests in Asia (RAP 2003/05) is acomprehensive instruction book oncollecting and assembling national levelinformation and reporting. Theguidelines provide tools or detailedinformation on (a) formulating aspectsto be assessed for each individualindicator; (b) describing how to obtain,compile and process the relevantinformation; (c) identifying the meansused for data collection; and (d)periodicity of measurement andmeasurements to be used. In addition,a format is provided for reporting oneach individual assessment aspect andfor monitoring the indicators using theinformation collected in two or moresubsequent assessments.

Concerned with the severity of forestryproblems, a number of countries in theregion have implemented numerousforest rehabilitation projects to bring backthe forests. While much knowledge andexperience have been gained fromthese initiatives, they have not beenwidely publicized or adopted. There isan urgent need to bring thisunderstanding to the natural resourcemanagers and policy-makers so thatappropriate action is taken andsupporting policies are adopted.Bringing back the forests. Policies andpractices for degraded lands andforests: Proceedings of theinternational conference (RAP 2003/

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14) is a collection of some of the mostvaluable papers that have beenproduced recently on the subject.

Phase II of The Forestry ResearchSupport Programme for Asia and thePacific (FORSPA) concluded in 2002.FORSPA, established by FAO in 1991,was designed to assist researchinstitutions in the Asia-Pacific Region tostrengthen their science and technologycapabilities in forestry research. PhaseII was funded by the Netherlands’government.

A Forestry and wildlife regulations projectis ongoing in Kazakhstan (2003–2004).The objectives of the project are to assistthe government in designing regulationsfor the Forest Code and the Wildlife Lawand to strengthen national capabilities forthe proper enforcement of the laws andregulations, with a view to creating anappropriate legal framework for thesound management of forests andwildlife. The end results will be two setsof detailed regulations on forestry andwildlife for the effective implementation ofthe new Forest Code and the newWildlife Law. A technical study on the C&Ifor SFM will also be prepared andnational capacities will be enhanced tosupport the enforcement of forestry andwildlife legal instruments.

Forest resources in Mongolia are scarceand increasingly susceptible to insectpest infestations. It is estimated that if noimmediate action is taken the country willlose around 30 percent of its forestresources within the next decade. Theobjectives of Emergency measures forcontrol of Siberian caterpillar and othermajor forest pests (2003–2005) are a)to reduce the pest population to aneconomically acceptable level byproviding some of the necessary sprayequipment and a limited amount ofbiological pesticide sufficient to spray themost heavily infested, high value forestand to cover the hire of fixed-wing planesfor spray operations; and b) tostrengthen the national capacity to

contain future pest outbreaks through in-country training on IPM and pesticideapplication. It is expected that the pestpopulation will be reduced substantiallyand national capacities to control futurepest outbreaks will be strengthened.

Strengthening the institutional capacityof the Samoa Forestry Division (SFD) toeffectively plan and manage forestresources. The objective of this project isto improve the institutional capacity of theSFD to plan and manage the country’sforest resources on a sustainable basiseffectively. The development of anappropriate forestry information system isforeseen for SFD staff. Special emphasiswill be given to monitoring aspects and tothe application of tools to improve forestplanning and decision-making processes.The capacity to assess and updateinformation on the country’s forestresources to ensure its sustainablemanagement will be strengthened.

FAO and partner organizations conveneda workshop and study on assisted naturalregeneration (ANR) in the Philippines inApril 2002 to highlight the potential and

opportunities of ANR as a restorationstrategy. The workshop underscoredthe importance of ANR in the broadercontext of SFM and the potential for cost-effective rehabilitation of forestlandsthrough more aggressiveimplementation of ANR. Advancingassisted natural regeneration (ANR)in Asia and the Pacific (RAP 2003/19)includes selected papers dealing withthe technical, environmental and socialdimensions of ANR, as well as papersdescribing country initiatives.

In collaboration with partnerorganizations, FAO organizedinternational conferences on communityforestry and community-based forest firemanagement. Pro-poor approaches toforest management for food security andpoverty alleviation were promotedthrough support to the model forestapproach and community forestry. Aseries of seminars on managing foreststo help alleviate poverty were organizedin China, India and Republic of Korea.

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Deregulation, liberalization andglobalization of trade in agricultural

products under the new World TradeOrganization (WTO) regulations have acons ide rab le impac t on domes t i cagricultural producers in the region. Smallfarmers need support not only to be moreproductive, but also to make their producemore marketable in order to enhance theirincomes.

In the present era of globalization there is acritical need to strengthen the capabilities ofsmall farmers to move from subsistenceproduction to agricultural enterprises.Commercializing small farmers is a verycomplex process involving the cultural andpsychological settings of the farmersthemselves as well as the economic andmarket-oriented performance of theagricultural sector through increasedefficiency of the farms and the private andpublic providers of related support services.

To effectively build the capacity of smallresource-poor farmers to adopt market-oriented farm production generally willrequire some form of group action for theidentification of appropriate commercialenterprise activities; relevant businessmanagement principles and practices;methods to add value and market agriculturalproducts; and access services such as ruraland microfinance.

To accomplish this aim, FAO-RAP promotesmarket-oriented farm production and supportto small farmers. It also works with the privatesector to provide agricultural inputs to ruralareas, and to develop efficient marketingchains for diverse agricultural products tomeet both rural and urban needs.

Farmers in the region also need assistanceto reduce heavy postproduction losses andadd value to their produce. FAO is assistingAs ia -Pac i f i c count r ies to deve lop

postproduction loss prevention programmes and agro-processingtechnologies, especially for cereals and horticultural crops. The aim isto enhance rural employment and incomes through the development ofagro-industries, value-added products and the full utilization of rawmaterials.

FAO helps to enhance rural employment and income opportunities bothon and off farm; promotes a diversified and integrated market-orientedfarming system approach for sustainable development; and enhancesthe managerial capacities of the smallholders in support of commercialagriculture through improved agricultural extension strategies.

Rural and microfinance are increasingly important tools of rural andagricultural development in Asia and the Pacific. FAO promotes viablerural banking, savings and agricultural credit schemes as tools toalleviate poverty. However, lack of proper administration, recording andaccounting systems to process the huge number of transactionsassociated with this type of finance, is a common problem.

Natural resource management and food production

Agricultural support systems

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Agricultural support systems

The main thrust has been on rural finance juxtaposed with the increasing need for microfinance; the development of legal andregulatory procedures for national microfinance institutions; the development and upgrading of market information services; market-oriented production for small farmers’ households; the integration of rural areas in national and global markets; the judicious use ofmechanization in agriculture; postharvest management; and value added through agroprocessing.

In collaboration with GTZ, FAO Bangkokacts as the global development andsupport centre for the MicroBankingsystem, currently in use in more than1 100 off ices worldwide. TheMicroBanking System (MicroBanker) isa retail banking software productdesigned and developed by FAO forsmall- to medium-sized financialinstitutions. It is a unique software systemthat combines high performance features– real time transaction processing andintegrated operation – and low costcomputer hardware requirements. TheMicroBanker is an integrated packageconsisting of the following modules:Loans, Savings Accounts, CurrentAccounts, Shares Accounts (for creditunions and cooperatives), TimeDeposits, Customer Information andGeneral Ledger. The new Windows-based version, called MBWin, is thesystem of choice for many rural financeand microfinance institutions. Sixtraining courses were held forparticipants from Africa, Asia andEurope, and the software upgrade withadded functionali t ies for grouptechnologies is used by institutions suchas the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh.In addition, five specialized trainingcourses were held and 38 experts weretrained in the installation of the system.A total of 70 systems have been installedin seven countries and promotionalseminars were held in two othercountries.

FAO assisted with the establishment ofthe Instituiço de Micro-Finanças deTimor Leste (IMFTL) through technicalassistance and training for MBWin anda head office-based ManagementInformation System (MIS). The IMFTL

engages in group-based microfinance,employing Grameen technologies andalso provides microfinance services toindividuals. During the project, threebranches were opened, more than 29staff were trained, branch procedures,savings and loan products weredesigned and manuals prepared. TheIMFTL mobilized more than one millionUS dollars in savings within 15 months.

FAO maintains close collaboration withdevelopment partners dealing with ruraland microfinance such as the Asia-PacificRural and Agricultural Credit Association(APRACA), the Association of Food andAgricultural Marketing Agencies in Asiaand the Pacific (AFMA) and ESCAP.

A project entitled Capacity building in farmmanagement, marketing andagribusiness for young farmer groups isunderway in Tonga. The objective of theproject is to assist the ministry’s extensionprogramme and the Future farmerproject in the capacity building of youngfarmers’ groups and to enhance therecognition of the important role youngfarmers have for the future developmentof the agricultural sector. A wide range oftraining courses for extension workersand young farmers is being conductedand appropriate training material is beingproduced and made available. A nationalmarketing and distribution network will be

strengthened by relevant training onmarket data storage and analysis aswell as by the supply of computerequipment. It is expected that extensionstaff, participating Peace CorpsVolunteers and selected members ofyoung farmers’ groups will applyrelevant farm management tools for farmbusiness analysis and will haveimproved knowledge and skills for themarketing of fresh products.

To overcome land shortages in Nepal,the most appropriate way to increasefeed production seems to be plantingof winter fodder, e.g. fodder oats, inirrigated areas after the paddy riceharvest. The objective of the projectCapacity building for fodder oattechnologies (2003–2005) is to buildup the necessary technical capacity oftechnicians, extension staff and farmersin fodder oats’ (and accompanyingforage legumes) technology to identifybetter multi-cut oat cultivars; to prepareand demonstrate fodder oatmanagement packages, includinghaymaking, on farmers’ fields; and toassure seed supply through localproduction. Strengthening nationalservices and farmers’ technical skillsin fodder oat management and seedproduction will contribute to improvedavailability of livestock feed, particularlyduring the critical winter period and thusimproved livelihoods of poor farmers.

Rising agricultural production since the1980s has not only increased thecropping area and crop yield in JiangsuProvince, China, but also the volumeof crop straw, mainly wheat and paddyrice straw. Due to a shift in rural energystructure, an increasing amount of straw

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residues is not utilized anymore butburnt in the fields or discarded to riversand roadsides. The objective of theproject Promotion of advanced strawutilization technologies in Jiangsuprovince (2004–2005) is to introduce,demonstrate and extend advanced on-farm technologies for efficient strawuti l ization such as conservationagriculture, recycling-straw-to-soil,feeding-straw-to-livestock and growingmushrooms on straw medium.Technical training for village-leveltechnicians and farmers is beingconducted to enable them to adopt keytechniques and to increase theirawareness of the harmful effects of theimproper treatment of surplus straw.Appropriate straw utilization techniqueswill contribute to increasing cropproduction and farmers’ incomes whileat the same time reducing strawsurpluses.

In 2003, Empowering vulnerable groupsthrough training on village level foodprocessing assisted Cambodia in thesocial and economic integration ofvulnerable groups of women, disabledpersons, demobilized soldiers and theirfamilies into rural community life, throughthe improvement of their micro-enterprisemanagement and marketing skills as wellas the provision of vocational trainingand job opportunities. This has led toenhanced employment generation andincome of vulnerable groups byprocessing and adding value toagricultural crops.

Despite unprecedented rates ofeconomic growth, food insecurityremains a major challenge for manycountries in Asia-Pacific. Although theoutput of food grains and otheragricultural commodities in many of thesepredominantly agricultural countries hasrecorded impressive gains, the incomesof small and marginal farmers have failed

to improve to desired levels. Ruralpoverty and food insecurity at thehousehold level remain pronounced,despite pervasive governmentinterventions in agricultural markets.Apart from internal challenges, thecountries of the region also facechallenges posed by rapid changesin the international trade and economicenvironment. FAO brought together amini roundtable meeting to seek theviews of member countries and toestablish priorities for its programmeof work in agricultural marketing for thenext few years. Participating countrieswere China, India, Indonesia, Republicof Korea, Nepal, the Philippines andThailand. AFMA also participated.Proceedings of the mini roundtablemeeting on agricultural marketing andfood security (RAP 2003/02) outlinesthe outcome of the two-day roundtablemeeting, including the main conclusionsand recommendations that emerged.

Section 2Section 2Access to food and rural livelihoods

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Food security means that all people, at alltimes, have physical and economic

access to adequate food that is safe and inkeeping with social and cultural preferences,to be able to lead active and healthy lives.FAO identifies four conditions of food security– adequate food supply; stability of food supplywithout seasonal or yearly fluctuations;physical and economic access to food; foodquality and safety.

While there is no single formula to ensurefood security, production and distribution offood are key elements. Agriculture is the mainsource of employment and income in Asiaand the Pacific and any hunger reductionstrategy must focus on bringing aboutincreases in the productivity and incomes ofthe small and marginal rural producers.

FAO is also concerned about the impact onfood security from the liberalization andglobalization of trade in agricultural productsboth at the national level and for poor anddisadvantaged groups at the household level.FAO-RAP assists countries in incorporatinga food security component into nationaldevelopment plans and providing food atminimum cost to vulnerable groups.

FAO-RAP is working to improve the efficiencyof key national food agencies and theirdistribution systems as well as national early-warning systems. It extends technical networkactivities on food security training and buildsnational capacities to identify pricing andtechnical deficiencies.

As a follow-up to the 1996 World Food Summit(WFS), FAO has conducted annualassessments of the food security situation atthe regional, subregional and national level.The findings are published in the State offood insecurity in the world reports, whichmeasure, year-by-year, national progress inhunger reduction worldwide and provide a

useful policy and planning guidance tool to governments.

Under another postWFS initiative, FAO is assisting countries in the region,as part of a global initiative, to set up national hunger identificationsystems. The Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and MappingSystem (FIVIMS) provides reliable, accurate and consistent informationon the extent, nature and causes of food insecurity and vulnerability atsubnational, national, regional and global levels.

Food quality and safety control is equally important for food security.The growing pressure of demand on food production, handling anddistribution systems could lead to potentially serious food quality andsafety problems. Developing countries must be able to meetinternationally accepted food quality and safety standards in order togain from the liberalization of agricultural trade through strengtheningnational food safety systems; harmonizing food safety regulations; andparticipating effectively in the work of the Codex AlimentariusCommission, set up by FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Reliable agricultural statistics are vital for national planning and policy-making on agriculture and food security. The regional office monitorsdevelopments in the fields of food and agricultural statistics. It assists inconducting agricultural censuses and surveys (for example use ofappropriate methodologies, training of national personnel and theanalysis and dissemination of food and agricultural statistics), and workswith other international and technical assistance agencies to facilitatecross-sectoral analyses.

FAO has established the World Agricultural Information Centre(WAICENT) as its strategic framework for agricultural informationmanagement and dissemination. WAICENT enables FAO membersand others to access agricultural information that is essential for reducingpoverty and achieving food security and sustainable rural development.WAICENT: (1) acts as a clearinghouse for information by establishingnorms and methodologies for quality, developing standardcategorization schemes and implementing metadata for efficient andeffective storage, dissemination, search and retrieval of information; (2)provides outreach for agricultural development, food security andcapacity building through the transfer of best practices in informationmanagement systems’ and tools’ development to national andinternational information providers; and (3) acts as an intergovernmentalforum for members through the Consultation on Agricultural InformationManagement.

Access to food and rural livelihoods

Food security and nutrition

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Food security and nutrition

Developing resilient livelihood systems for sustainable food security in low income food deficit countries (LIFDCs) within the frameworkof the World Food Summit Plan of Action was prioritized. This entailed strengthening policies to upgrade technology, managementsystems and institutions for poverty alleviation in rural areas. There was also emphasis on the monitoring and evaluation of developmentsin food and agriculture, and policy analysis and formulation for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD) throughcapacity building activities involving TCDC-oriented technology transfer, training and advisory missions. This also necessitated thestrengthening of policies and upgrading of capacities for the provision of safe and nutritious food for people in Asia and the Pacific;conducting agricultural censuses; developing systems for food and agricultural statistics’ databases; and the analysis and disseminationof data related to the agricultural sector. In this connection, emphasis was placed on capacity building in survey/census design andimplementation and on data analysis, including the construction of food balance sheets and economic accounts in agriculture.

Nutrition

Food and nutrition information wasstrengthened through FIVIMS and theINFOODS regional data centres. FAOsupports the Asia-Pacific Network forFood and Nutrition, which attaches greatimportance to the implementation ofnational FIVIMS systems, networks ofnational information systems thatassemble, analyse and disseminate dataon food insecurity and vulnerability. RAP2002/29 Report of the regional expertconsultation of the Asia-Pacific networkfor food and nutrition on the status ofFIVIMS initiatives is an account of theconsultation at FAO-RAP in Bangkok inNovember 2002. The expert consultationtook stock of advances made by countriesin design, implementation and monitoringof actions to address food insecurity andvulnerability. The report providesconclusions and recommendations fromthe papers presented and discussed,including progress by countries in theregion towards implementing FIVIMS.

An international workshop on FoodConsumption Surveys in DevelopingCountries: Future Challenges sharedexpertise on the methodology of foodconsumption surveys, use of foodconsumption data for nutrit ionassessment, exposure assessment andthe study of diet-disease relationships.

On 16 January 2003 FAO and the ThaiMoAC signed a project agreementdealing with meeting international foodsafety standards for the exports of fruits

and vegetables as required by importingcountries and set out by the WTO (WorldTrade Organization). FAO agreed to offerits expertise to ensure that the productionof fresh and processed fruits andvegetables meets the WTO’s Sanitary andPhytosanitary Agreement (SPS) and thefood safety requirements spelled out bythe FAO/WHO Codex AlimentariusCommission. The FAO project will supportThailand to improve the export inspectionand certification systems for fruits andvegetables as well as the technicalcapabilities of the food producers andprocessors. The WTO’s SPS sets outdetailed requirements and obligationsregarding food safety.

Support was given to the Fifth InternationalConference on Dietary AssessmentMethods, which encompassed dietaryassessment methodologies, sources ofbias in dietary assessment and theircontrol and analysis and interpretation ofdietary intake data. Additionally, all thecountries in the region received adviceon effective dietary guidance and nutritioneducation through the promotion of food-based dietary guidelines.

A project was prepared for Viet Nam toextend technical support to integratedhome gardening, nutrition and healtheducation and micro-credit managementfor vulnerable households in 11provinces.

Assistance was provided to three projects:Women in development and nutrition inCambodia and Nepal; Promoting homegardens in Lao PDR for improving

nutritional well-being; and Integratedhorticulture and nutrition developmentin Bangladesh. The diversification ofagriculture is leading progressively toincreased consumption of a diversifiedand balanced diet in the region.

Capabilities in food analysis werestrengthened, including internationalaccreditation of the subregional foodlaboratory at the University of the SouthPacific and the publication of a newversion of the Pacific Island FoodConsumption Table.

Case studies on rural informationsystems in China were undertaken withWAICENT and the Ministry ofAgriculture in China.

Statistics

FAO-RAP supports the Asia and PacificCommission on Agricultural Statistics(APCAS) – see RAP 2003/03. Thisdocument presents the report of the 19th

session of the APCAS held in Seoul,Republic of Korea in October 2002. Theconference assessed the current statusof food and agricultural statisticaldevelopment in the member countriesand discussed new developments inagricultural statistics including millenniumdevelopment goals, image scanningtechnology for processing of agriculturalsurvey and census data, impact/consequences of irregular censuses,and preparations for the World Censusof Agriculture 2010 and indicators foragricultural policy analysis. A report on

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the Japan/FAO projects to improveagricultural statistics in Asia and Pacificcountries and strengthen regional dataexchange was also discussed, besidesfishery and forestry statistics.Recommendations and follow-up actionsare included in the session report.

A workshop on strengthening food andagricultural statistics in the Pacific insupport of food security and povertyreduction policies and programmes washeld in September 2003 in Noumea, NewCaledonia.

Selected indicators of food andagriculture development in Asia-Pacificregion 1999-2002 (RAP 2003/10) is acomprehensive and detailed compilationof statistics on farming, livestock, fishery,forestry and nutrition in Asia-Pacificcountries for the period. The statistics arelisted separately for the developing anddeveloped countries in the region. Thepublication uses mostly FAO statistics,which in turn are based on informationprovided by member countries. A tablereporting on the status of organic farmingin the region has been included for thefirst time.

Food security

Six Asia-Pacific countries wererepresented at a regional expertconsultation, which was organized bythe FAO-RAP and India’s CentralResearch Institute for Dryland Agriculture(CRIDA) in Hyderabad, India in January2002. The 21 participants sharedexperiences, information and concernson a range of issues dealing withlivelihood and food security in thedrought-prone areas of the region.

Under the FAO Netherlands PartnershipProgramme on Food Security, supportprovided to Cambodia aimed at theassessment and strengthening ofinstitutional capacities and developmentof hands-on methods for improving thelivelihoods of the poorest and the mostvulnerable.

FAO helped formulate a Regionalprogramme for food security in the PacificIsland countries, which was approvedrecently. The overall objective of theprogramme, funded by a trust fund thathas secured US$4.5 million already, isthe strengthening of food security atregional and national levels as well ascommunity/household levels. Theprogramme will assist the PICs in adjustingto the new international trade environmentbrought about by the Uruguay Round ofmultilateral trade negotiations, and assistcommunities and small farmers in takingadvantage of new production andmarketing opportunities.

FAO-RAP fielded several missions to holdtechnical discussions with subregionalorganizations such as ASEAN and theSouth Asian Association for RegionalCooperation (SAARC) towardsformulation of a Regional Programme forFood Security as well as to enhancesubregional cooperation in attaining theMillenium Development Goals of the WFSDeclaration. Discussions are ongoing.

A joint FAO/WFP mission visited Timor-Leste from 15 April to 5 May 2003 toreview and analyse the food supply anddemand situation in the context of thecountry’s macro-economic situation, andto forecast import requirements includingpotential food needs in marketing year2003/04 (April/March), with particularattention to the needs of the mostvulnerable groups.

Central market feasibility study and post-harvest handling improvements (2003–2005): Market opportunities for small-scale farmers in Palau and agro-processors are limited and dependenceon imported products from varioussources is high. The government isactively seeking to improve agriculturalmarketing and agro-processing and isconsidering the construction of a newcentral market in the capital city. Theobjective of the project is to carry out afeasibility study for a new central marketin Koror, based on a gender-sensitive

review of farmers’ and consumers’requirements. In addition and to ensuremaximum benefits from an improvedmarket infrastructure, farmers’ basic skillsin postharvest handling will beupgraded through the development ofappropriate training materials and theconduct of relevant training courses. Asa result, it is expected that farmers willbe in a better position to provide moremarket-oriented production for both localand tourist sectors, thus improving theirincomes and increasing their capacityto provide for their own food security.

A joint report by FAO and the WorldFood Programme (WFP) has indicatedthat a combination of insufficient domesticproduction, the narrow and inadequatediet of much of the population andgrowing disparities in access to food asthe purchasing power of manyhouseholds declines, means that some6.5 million vulnerable North Koreanswill require assistance in 2004. Thereport urged that 484 000 tonnes ofcommodities, including 400 000 tonnesof cereals, be sought as food aid for2004. Three-quarters of the total isearmarked for children, pregnant andnursing women and elderly people.Despite improvements in the operatingenvironment for aid agencies, the reportnoted that there are still restrictions onaccess to the needy and to markets andshops. But it also says that thegovernment has been more forthcomingwith information needed to assesshousehold food security. The reportrecommended that, “in addition toproviding urgently needed food aid, theinternational community enter with thegovernment into a policy dialogue toset an enabling framework to mobilisethe economic, financial and otherassistance needed to promotesustainable food production and overallfood security.”

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Strong, representative grassrootsinstitutions are essential for improving

rural living conditions. Participation inorganizations and institutions at the local levelsignificantly improves access to productiveresources and enables poor ruralhouseholds to use them to better their lots.Such institutions include elected bodies,fa rmers ’ o r o ther ru ra l p roducers ’associations or cooperatives, civil societyand informal networks that reflect commonpractices, cultural norms or beliefs.

However, local organizations and institutionsin many countries are unable to perform welleither in their roles of facilitation, informationand advocacy, or in negotiations with externalorganizations and institutions.Decentralization of and people’sparticipation in local planning needs to bestrengthened as well as access to informationand extension, credit and marketing services.Information and expertise in best practiceson rural development need to beencouraged, and socio-economic indicatorsto measure progress in equity need to berefined.

Women make up more than 40 percent ofthe rural workforce in the Asia-Pacific regionand are the main performers of vitalagricultural tasks – from conservation of plantseed, sowing and weeding of crops, toprocessing the harvest. Yet, their contributionis often underestimated and overlooked indevelopment plans and strategies; this is duein part to the lack of gender-disaggregateddata.

It is more difficult for women to get access toland, credit and other agricultural inputs suchas technology, extension, training andservices. Inheritance and land tenure lawslimit women’s ownership and use of land. Inthe poorest and most populous countries ofthe region, girls are still denied access tobasic education, further restricting their ability

to take advantage of the limited opportunities they have to improve theircircumstances.

The FAO Gender and Development Plan of Action (2002–2007) providesan organizational framework to mainstream gender in FAO activities.Priority areas identified for gender mainstreaming are food and nutrition,natural resource management, agriculture support systems andagriculture and rural development policy and planning.

Due to enormous variations in agro-ecological and socio-economiccontexts, Asia-Pacific countries need to tailor agricultural extensionprogrammes and methodological links to the needs of the farmers.Alternative policies, strategies, approaches and systems need to addressextension management and extension-research-education linkages.Also gender considerations need to be introduced in national agriculturaleducation, research, extension and development programmes.

Continuous planning, monitoring and evaluation of extensionprogrammes are needed, as well as the introduction of participatoryand cost-effective extension methodologies and gender-sensitiveprogrammes based on PRA.

Access to food and rural livelihoods

Sustainable rural development

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Sustainable rural development

The main theme has been addressing the rising inequity in socio-economic development, which is a major constraint to SARD, andstrengthening rural institutions at decentralized levels by encouraging the greater participation of the rural poor in decision-making andimproving their access to social and productive assets for better livelihoods. The target groups were smallholders, the landless,indigenous groups, people with disabilities, and women especially. Other important activities comprised: capacity building and informationsupport covering rural youth; biotechnology/biosafety; agricultural and rural education; extension and communication. Within theframework of the FAO Gender and Development Plan of Action (2002–2007), regional priorities included the improvement of women’saccess to productive resources and household food security-related technologies; gender dimensions in the management ofagrobiodiversity; improving the database on rural women; and distance education and the harnessing of information communicationtechnologies for the advancement of rural women.

Rural development

FAO supports the Network for theDevelopment of AgriculturalCooperatives (NEDAC) and the UNSystem Network on Rural Developmentand Food Security. Networkingcontinued in collaboration with 19governmental and CSO members ofNEDAC covering 11 Asian countries onagricultural cooperative developmentpolicies and strategies, and capacitybuilding in human resource developmentfor small-scale enterprise development.

In the context of cooperation with civilsociety, framed within the follow up of theWorld Food Summit: five years later andthe parallel NGO Forum for FoodSovereignty held in Rome in 2002, adecentralized implementation of thecooperation between the InternationalNGO/CSO Planning Committee (IPC)and FAO was institutionalized at FAO-RAP in 2003 through the establishmentof an NGO/CSO working group. The firstFAO-RAP/Subregional Office for thePacific Islands (SAPA)/IPC joint planningmeeting was held in July 2003. Theplanning meeting initiated a process ofdialogue between FAO-RAP/SAPA andIPC Asia; translated the FAO-IPCcooperation framework into a workplanat the Asia-Pacific regional level; andconsolidated cooperation and clarifiedworking arrangements between FAO-RAP/SAPA and IPC Asia. The agreedworkplan is being implemented and

includes the 2004 NGO/CSO consultationin Beijing, China.

Science and technology have played avital role in keeping agricultural productiona step ahead of rapid global populationgrowth in the past four decades. RAP2002/02 outlines the desirable featuresof a new technological revolution that isneeded to tackle the persisting hungerand poverty in Asia and the Pacific in thenew millennium, while cautioning againstpitfalls.

RAP 2002/05 Case study on educationalopportunities for hill tribes in northernThailand notes the need for improvedparticipation of and communication withthe indigenous people in planning andimplementing the support activities; localcurriculum development; local capacitybuilding; and closer coordination amongthe multiple government supportprogrammes for the hill tribes, as well ascollaboration among governmentagencies and NGOs.

A handbook for trainers on participatorylocal development: The Panchayati Rajmodel in India (RAP publication 2003/07) describes and supports the world’sbiggest endeavour in grassrootsgovernance taking place in India. Some238 000 Panchayats (village councils)representing about 600 000 villages havebeen constituted. Preparing thePanchayat members for their new rolesas local decision-makers calls foreducation and training on a massivescale, for which adapted training methods

and tools are needed. Although thishandbook is designed for the trainingneeds of all categories of localfunctionaries associated with thedecentralization process in India, itprovides guidance on core issues ininstitutional capacity building for localdevelopment planning, useful for otherdeveloping countries within the region.

There are an estimated 400 millionpersons with disabilities in Asia and thePacific. The vast majority live in ruralareas and are small farmers dependenton the agricultural sector for food andlivelihood security. A handbook fortraining of disabled on rural enterprisedevelopment (RAP 2003/09) identifiesincome-generating opportunities forsetting up small-scale businesses so thatthey may become self-reliant whileremaining in their community. It is basedon an innovative entrepreneurshiptraining programme developed by FAO,enabling small farmers with disabilitiesto overcome social, cultural andpsychological hurdles to becomingsuccessful, self-employed ruralentrepreneurs. Case studies of farmerswith disabilities are provided throughout,highlighting specific problemsencountered by the farmers and howthey overcame their disabilities tobecome successful entrepreneurs and,in some cases, decided to share theirknowledge by training others.

Senior professionals from 14 Asiancountries, leading international researchinstitutions, agencies and regional

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NGOs met at the FAO regional office inJuly 2002 to review the changing roleand demands of agricultural extensionin the region. Experts and officials fromBangladesh, Cambodia, China, India,Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Nepal,Pakistan, the Philippines, Republic ofKorea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Namproduced a plan of action that includedmodalities, strategies and lessonssuitable for application to regional/nationalconditions (see RAP 2003/13).

Two national workshops on AgriculturalKnowledge and Information Systems forRural Development were held inMalaysia and Pakistan to share findingson national case studies.

A TCP project on farming systems wasimplemented in Vanuatu; the projectincludes capacity building and extension.

A study relating to extension trainingneeds in a small island country wasundertaken in Samoa.

Women in development

In Thailand, policy guidelines weredeveloped to improve rural women’saccess to technologies for povertyalleviation. A directory of institutions tofacilitate access to technology andinformation services and a technologyresource manual were published. Apolicy publication Gender responsivetechnology for poverty alleviation inThailand was produced.

Also in Thailand, support was given forthe training of trainers in agriculturalcooperative development, includingcapacity building of 8 000 village-levelwomen farmers’ groups as ruralentrepreneurs under the government’spro-poor rural enterprise developmentpolicy, known as One Tambon, OneProduct. Savings and credit unions byhill tribes were strengthened throughvillage group enterprise development.Training manuals in Thai and in Englishwere published.

On 19 December 2003 Prime MinisterHelen Clark of New Zealand receivedthe Ceres Medal from FAO in recognitionof her commitment to promotinginternational partnership and foodsecurity towards a safe and just world.Since 1971 the Ceres Medal has beenawarded to distinguished women whohave contributed to the fight againsthunger. Recipients have included, PrimeMinister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh,Panamanian President Mireya Moscosoand former Brazilian First Lady RuthCardoso, as well as the late MotherTeresa.

In Cambodia, a national strategy onintegration of rural women throughinterministerial collaboration was

developed and project interventionswere directed at strengthening thecapacity of rural women to improveproductivity.

In Viet Nam, policy directives weredeveloped to advise the governmenton integration of women in transitionaleconomies. A publication Genderdimensions in the transitional economyof Viet Nam was produced.

Strategies were developed to improverural women’s education throughdistance education and to facilitatedevelopment opportunities for ruralwomen through information andcommunication technologies. Threecountry case studies on distance

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education and rural women werecompleted (India, the Philippines and SriLanka). A regional publication Ruralwomen and distance learning: regionalstrategies (RAP 2003/15) wasproduced.

A regional consultation on Rural Womenin Knowledge Society and a globaldialogue on Women in the AgricultureProfession were organized. A publicationRural women in knowledge society (RAP2003/16) was released.

Regional studies were completed ongender dimensions in agrobiodiversityand food security. Publications wereproduced on this theme for threecountries (the Philippines, India andMyanmar).

Two projects in Vanuatu and the CookIslands in support of rural women’saccess to technology and extensionservices were prepared.

Education, research, communications,youth

Support was provided to the FAO/UNESCO Education for all (EFA)flagship programme on Education forRural People (EFP). Three case studiesin China, India and Thailand were

completed and included in a publicationentitled Education for rural development:Towards new policies responses, whichpresents new perspectives on educationfor rural development. This workconsiders basic education in primaryschools to be a priority, but alsoemphasizes professional training andhigher education, based on experiencesin Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Senior Asian government officials fromministries of agriculture and educationwho are responsible for education andtraining policy and planning, along withrepresentatives from NGOs, discussedplanning and policy issues relevant toeducation for rural development in theregion at the FAO/UNESCO Seminar onEducation for Rural Development andFood Security in Asia: Experiences andPolicy in Bangkok, Thailand in November2002. Afghanistan, Cambodia, China,India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand andViet Nam were invited to attend.

FAO’s Feeding minds, fighting hungerprojects were implemented in India,Indonesia and Nepal to sensitize schools,communities and youth in addressingproblems of hunger and malnutrition.

One of the most crucial elements forsatisfying basic learning needs of ruralpopulations, is expanding access toeducation and improving schoolattendance in rural areas by promotingor supporting initiatives aiming atimproving children’s health, providingfood for children, easing the financialburden on parents who usually haveto feed their children, and in some casesgenerating income for the school, suchas school canteens and schoolgardens, fish ponds and raising ofanimals. (Other important areas forsupport are: the use of information andcommunication technology, anddistance learning education; educationof rural girls and women; and lifelongeducation and skills for life in a ruralenvironment.). Donations from thepublic to FAO’s TeleFood campaign,fund small, self-contained agricultural,livestock and fishery projects that helppoor families produce more food for theirfamilies and communities. In Asia, 10TeleFood projects in four countries(Cambodia, India, Mongolia andThailand) provide inputs to ruralschools. They are an example of theefforts and alliances needed forensuring food for all.

In June 2003, Hiroyuki Konuma visitedUbon Ratchathani Province innortheastern Thailand to present inputsworth US$5 000 to schools under HRHMaha Chakri Sirindhorn’s Agriculturefor school lunch programme. FAOattaches great importance to this crucialroyally sponsored programme, and therecent initiative of the Thai prime ministerto provide supplementary feeding tovulnerable primary school pupils. Otherschool feeding programmes in Thailandsupported from TeleFood are: Remotearea protein production in schools andthe community in Tak province andSustainable production of proteinresources by livestock raising in remotearea schools.

Section 3Section 3Policy and project services

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Using its wealth of expertise andexperience, FAO-RAP advises countries

on appropriate policies to strengthen theiragricultural and rural sectors to make theregion food-secure for present and futuregenerations. Sector and subsector reviewsand analyses of selected policy issues areconducted to assist the countries informulating policies and programmes forsustainable food security, agricultural andrural development. FAO also meets requestsfrom governments and other partners for fieldprogramme development through theidentification, formulation and approval ofsound projects and programmes. Inconsultation with government officials, otherdevelopment partners, non-governmentaland civil society organizations, it identifiesareas requiring FAO technical assistance.

Policy and project services

Policy assistance

National policies and strategies need to be fine-tuned to create afavourable economic environment for food security and agricultural andrural development. Agriculture needs adequate consideration inmacroeconomic adjustment programmes. In a region where the mainagricultural activity is carried out by small and marginal producers whoare also the most food-insecure, much of this policy advice is concernedwith enabling small rural producers to unleash their full productivecapacities, which can revolutionize farming in the Asia-Pacific region.Policy support includes assistance in developing national capacities inthe field of policy analysis and formulation. FAO-RAP organizes in-servicetraining courses that are often integrated within broad policy assistanceprogrammes. These are meant for mid-level staff working in governmentand in civil society organizations.

A major priority is to strengthen national capacities in developing membercountries to negotiate favourable terms in the WTO talks on theliberalization of agricultural trade. FAO-RAP is working to strengthen thecapacity of relevant government ministries, the private sector andacademic institutions to deal with agricultural trade policy and legalissues, including, inter alia, the Codex Alimentarius, animal and crophealth and intellectual property rights.

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Policy assistance

The objectives underscored the provision of technical support for the development of agricultural policy, strategies, action plans andfield programmes for sustainable agricultural growth and development to reduce poverty and enhance food security at the householdlevel. Member countries were assisted in the formulation of their poverty reduction strategies; localization of millennium developmentgoals for the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger; capacity building for the Doha Round of trade negotiations; and policyreforms for integration into regional economic organizations.

WTO-related matters

Under the SPS Agreement adopted bythe WTO, Codex Alimentarius standardsare the referee standards for internationalfood trade. China – which has just enteredthe market economy – has yet to perfectits market and information systems so thatits animal food products for export meetinternational standards in terms of productquality and residue levels. To accomplishthis, official control laboratories that complywith international scientific standards mustbe available. An FAO project – fundedfrom its Technical CooperationProgramme (TCP) – aims to strengthenlaboratory capability in the analysis oftoxic chemical residues in meat and otherfood of animal origin, in order to meetnational and international residuerequirements. It provides accurateinformation on the testing programmerequired for animal food product exports;identifies what laboratory equipment isrequired and, most importantly, trainsChinese laboratory staff in modernresidue testing methods. This will not onlyfacilitate or enable animal food productexports from China, but will also have apositive impact on domestic foodproduction and consumption.

Analyses were carried out on theimplications of WTO accession andagricultural trade policy reforms in China.Workshops on multi lateral tradenegotiations on agriculture wereorganized for 14 PICs.

A study to evaluate the benefits andcosts of WTO membership for the food,agriculture, fishery and forestry sectorsof small island countries in the Pacific(2003): The recent changes in the

international trade regime, arising fromthe Uruguay Round (UR) of the GeneralAgreement on Trade and Tariffs (GATT)and the establishment of the WTO, haveplaced new demands on the small islandcountries in the Pacific. The objective ofthe project is to prepare such a study, whichis expected to provide reliable informationin preparation of policy decisions onagricultural trade and with respect to WTOmembership implications. The assistancewill fill a critical gap in ongoing decisionprocesses with direct relevance forproduction and income of producers in theregion. It is expected that the basis fordecision-making with regard to WTOmembership will be improved.

Socio-economic studies/sectoralstudies

FAO has established the projectImplementation of the Global Plan of Actionfor the Conservation and SustainableUtilization of Plant Genetic Resources forFood and Agriculture in Asia and thePacific region. The long-term objective ofthe project is to contribute to enhancedworld food security and socio-economicdevelopment, reduced poverty, and moresustainable agricultural systems throughthe conservation and sustainable use ofplant genetic resources for food andagriculture. The project will promote andfacilitate the implementation of the GlobalPlan of Action (GPA) and contribute to theestablishment of a continuing monitoringframework of the GPA implementation atthe national and regional levels of theseven participating countries (Bangladesh,India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka,Thailand, Viet Nam).

Policy advice

Nepal was assisted in developingpolicies and strategies for povertyalleviation. A report Agricultural policyand strategies for poverty alleviationand food security was published.

A plan of action for implementing nationalagricultural policy was prepared forBangladesh.

Through staff missions andconsultations, advice and support wasprovided to Myanmar for its integrationinto regional economic organizations.

FAO launched a Regional allianceagainst hunger by bringing togethervarious stakeholders in the Asia-Pacificregion from governments, internationalorganizations, civil society organizationsand the private sector. A report on therecommendations of the roundtablemeeting was prepared on policyperspectives and modalities ofcooperation among stakeholders forfollow-up action.

Studies were conducted on linkages andthe impact of macro and sectoral policieson household food security and povertyincidence in the Philippines.

The 26th FAO Regional Conference forAsia and the Pacific (13–17 May 2002)agreed on the need for more effectivepolicies and strategies, and increaseddedication in implementing programmesto accelerate the progress of agriculturaldevelopment and ensuring food securityfor all. It also noted the potential for aGlobal alliance against hunger to furthermobilize political will in combatinghunger and looked forward tooperationalizing the concept during the

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World Food Summit: five years later inJune 2002. The ministers agreed on abroad range of strategies to reducehunger and rural poverty. Domestic foodproduction and stockholding, fair andequitable trade, sustainablemanagement of natural resources,participatory approaches andpartnerships with local communities,empowerment of the rural poor,especially women, effective research anddevelopment, rural credit, appropriatemechanisms of biotechnology andindigenous knowledge were highlighted asimportant for achieving food security.

The World Food Summit: five years laterwas convened by FAO in Rome on 10June 2002 to mobilize the political willand resources needed to acceleratenational hunger reduction efforts. It wasattended by heads of state andgovernment and senior leaders andofficials from 180 nations. It was notedthat the Asia and Pacific region hasmoved faster in tackling hunger thanother parts of the developing world.However, the region is still far short ofthe rate needed to achieve the WFStarget, particularly in South Asia. Chinahas been among a handful of countriesin the world that have been successful inkeeping to the WFS pledge to reducethe number of hungry people by half by2015. According to FAO’s most recentfood insecurity estimates, China reducedthe number of hungry by 76.3 millionbetween 1990 and 1992 and 1997 and1999, corresponding to a decline from16 to 9 percent of its population over thisperiod. Housing two-thirds of the 780million hungry people in developingnations, the Asia-Pacific region has acrucial role in ensuring the success ofthe WFS goal. The key to success in theregion’s war against hunger lies inincreasing the productivity of small andmarginal farmers, who are the main foodproducers.

A multidisciplinary team mission wasfielded to China in early 2002 at the

request of the government to assist inidentifying constraints and potential fordevelopment in Western China. Inconsultation with major governmentagencies, the FAO mission identified 18themes as potential priority projects.Outline project profiles were prepared foreach theme. A response from theGovernment of China is still pending.

In early 2002 FAO launched a majorinitiative to revive food production in SriLanka’s northern region, which has beendevastated by two decades of internalconflict. After visiting Sri Lanka’s troubledVavuniya, Mannar and Jaffna districts inJanuary/February 2002, an

FAO mission identified a series ofproposals to give new life to agriculture,livestock and fisheries in a region thatwas once a major national food basket.

On 29 November 2003 three countriesfrom the Asia-Pacific region became newFAO members. They are Micronesia,Timor-Leste and Tuvalu. The Asia-Pacific regional group in FAO nowcounts 43 countries together having 1.9billion farmers, or 71 percent of theworld farming community. Totalmembership of FAO now stands at188, i n c l u d i n g o n e m e m b e rorganization. The 43 Asia-Pacific

member countries will meet next in

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Beijing, China at the ministerial FAORegional Conference for Asia and thePacific between 17 and 21 May 2004.

Given that some 70 percent of thepopulation of Pakistan depends onagriculture to sustain their livelihoods, theMinistry of Food, Agriculture andLivestock (MINFAL) has an importantrole to play in the context of povertyalleviation. Unfortunately, in financial year2001–2002 less than 20 percent of thedevelopment budget available toMINFAL was actually spent. Theobjective of Strengthening projectdevelopment capacity of the ministry offood, agriculture and livestock (2003–2004) is to strengthen the institutionalcapacity of MINFAL to enable moreeffective public sector support to theagriculture, fisheries and livestocksectors and more effective utilization andleveraging of resources for externalsources. A Project Development Unit willbe established which will serve as liaisonpoint with external donors, and adatabase to monitor ongoing andproposed investments in the sector willbe installed. Training in projectformulation, analysis and monitoring forboth central and provincial staff of theministry will strengthen their mutualcollaboration and coordination. As aresult the government’s capacity toformulate feasible projects and torespond strategically to the agriculturalsector’s priority needs will be improved.

Special Programme for Food Security(SPFS)

The overall goal of the Regional SPFSProject in Asia is to ensure that all peoplein the countries involved have access atall times to the food they need for ahealthy, active life and to alleviate poverty.This would be achieved by increasingagricultural production per unit area aswell as ensuring stability in year-to-yearproduction, on an economically viable andenvironmentally sustainable basis. Theregion has 24 of the world’s 86 LIFDCs

and the SPFS is helping boost foodproduction in 14 of these countries –Bangladesh, Cambodia, China,Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, the Maldives,Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua NewGuinea, Solomon Islands and Sri Lanka.

Cambodia: Capacity building for theimplementation of the Cambodian SPFSextension phase (2003–2005): TheSPFS in Cambodia has demonstrated itscapacity to improve food security anddevelop rural livelihoods. The objectiveof the project is to assist the Ministry ofAgriculture, Forestry and Fisheries(MAFF) in building: a) human capacity toimprove skills in planning, coordination,monitoring and evaluation of the fieldprogramme; and b) institutional capacityto coordinate and implement nationwidefood security and poverty alleviationprogrammes. As a result the assistancewill contribute to strengthening thegovernment’s capacity to implement at thefield level and to coordinate at the nationallevel a comprehensive nationwideprogramme on food security with bothown and external resources.

A new South-South Cooperation TripartiteAgreement was announced in December2002 under the SPFS. The South-SouthCooperation Tripartite Agreement wassigned by the Philippines, Papua NewGuinea and FAO. Under the agreement,Filipino agricultural experts and fieldtechnicians will be sent to Papua NewGuinea to assist the government withexpansion of the SPFS for up to twoyears. According to the agreement,Filipino experts and field technicians willprovide assistance related to field andhorticultural crop production; soil fertilityand micronutrient management; cropwater-use requirements and in thedesign, implementation and managementof small-scale irrigation systems. TheSouth-South Cooperation under theSPFS provides an opportunity tostrengthen cooperation amongdeveloping countries at different stages

of development with the support ofinterested donor countries and FAO.The initiative helps countries benefit fromthe experience and expertise of moreadvanced developing countries. FAOlaunched the South-South Cooperationscheme in 1996.

The cost-effectiveness of the foodsecurity system in the region hasimproved, particularly in China andIndia. FAO has supported these effortsthrough TCP, SPFS, policy assistance,backstopping missions, training courses,seminars and other activities.

SPFS Indonesia has prepared 36“Farmer Group Development Plans”(FGDPs) with the participation offarmers, local universities and localgovernment officers. FGDPs target thecomprehensive making of holistic plans,including simple feasibility studies andallow the stakeholders to monitor theirprogress. A final workshop wasorganized from 6 to 8 June 2003 todiscuss and present the FGDPs to thevarious stakeholders.

Several regional and countryworkshops in capacity building onmultilateral trade negotiations were heldwith the aim of better preparing thecountries for the Doha Round ofmultilateral trade negotiations onagriculture.

Technical support was provided in thepreparation of an agricultural strategicplan for the Cook Islands, and a regionalprogramme for food security for 14PICs.

Contributions were made to thepreparation of Common CountryAssessments for Kiribati, Tuvalu, theSolomon Islands and Vanuatu as a basisfor the United Nations DevelopmentAssistance Framework.

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To meet food security challenges in theAsia-Pacific region for the next 15 years,

FAO’s global strategic priorities will focus onreaching small farmers – men and womenalike – through farm-based livelihoodprogrammes, especially for rice, whichsupplies more than half the dietary energy ofover three billion people; reducing damageto farming from nature’s fury in the world’smost natural disaster-prone region; assistingcountries in achieving optimum deals fromthe new world trade rules relating toagriculture, fisheries and forestry; andgenerating environmentally friendlyagricultural production gains through ajudicious mix of modern science andindigenous knowledge.

During 2002 and 2003, FAO implementedseveral special programmes and regionalprojects in Asia and the Pacific, whichaddress the aforementioned issues.Examples of operational activities are theSPFS, IPM for cotton and vegetables,FIVIMS, transboundery animal diseasecontrol (EMPRES-livestock)) and otherspecialized technical support. Emphasis wasalso placed on the agricultural rehabilitationprogramme in Afghanistan and support to thenew member country Timor-Leste.

The continued shift of operationalresponsibilities from the regional office inBangkok to country offices for many fieldprojects has led to increased efficiency andimproved dialogue with implementingpartners. In addition, FAO’s South-SouthCooperation Scheme provided high qualityexpertise at reduced cost while promotingthe exchange of agricultural expertise amongdeveloping countries.

Around 200 field projects were operationalin 34 Asia-Pacific countries covering crops,soil and water, livestock, fisheries, forestry,food security, nutrition, agricultural policysupport, the environment and rural

Policy and project services

Project services

development. Twenty-two SPFS projects were conducted in 14countries. Total project delivery reached US$31.2 million in 2002 andUS$34.8 million in 2003. Technical backstopping and identificationand formulation of new projects were carried out in close collaborationbetween technical staff based at decentralized offices and headquarters.During 2003, more than 70 new projects became operational at a totalcost of over US$45 million.

In addition, other new and innovative funding and operationalmechanisms were pursued, such as the TeleFood campaign, which isharnessing the power of the mass media and entertainment industry toraise funds for food security. TeleFood is funding more than 150 micro-input schemes in some 30 countries in Asia and the Pacific.

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Asian highlights

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)National IPM projects in rice completed theiractivities in 2002, while other more specificIPM projects continued, in particular forcotton in six countries (Bangladesh, China,India, Pakistan, the Philippines and VietNam) funded by the EU, and IPM forvegetables in eight countries funded by thegovernments of the Netherlands andAustralia. These IPM programmes aim toimprove inefficient small-scale cotton- andvegetable-based production systems inAsia and to develop, implement andevaluate sustainable farmer educationprogrammes. They seek to improve thelivelihoods of small-scale farm families,thus helping to alleviate poverty and healthrisks while protecting the environment. Thebasic IPM philosophy is to nurture farmingfamilies’ capacities to manage their fieldecologies by themselves, generate andevaluate new knowledge and technologiesand work together with other farming families.More information is available from theInternet at www.cottonipmasia.org

Special Programme for Food Security(SPFS)The activities of a cluster of national SPFSprojects in Bangladesh, Lao PDR,Indonesia and Sri Lanka, funded by theGovernment of Japan, are coordinated bythe SPFS Asia Regional CoordinationProgramme. Projects are at different stagesof implementation, but clear results at thegrassroots level are emerging already asevidenced by the reports of recentevaluation missions.

Biosafety for sustainable agricultureA sustained increase in farm productivity isvital for the region, which has three-fourthsof the world’s farming households. A newgeneration of technologies holds greatpotential for not only boosting output, butalso reducing production costs, increasingnutritional value and making agroprocessingmore efficient. However, modernbiotechnology, especially geneticallymodified organisms (GMOs), has to behandled with great caution to avoid potential

risks to human and ecosystem health. Keento unlock the tremendous potential ofagricultural biotechnology, countries in theregion are at different stages of GMO researchand development. Aware of the importanceof biosafety checks and national capacities toscientifically assess and manage the benefitsand risks associated with GMOs, tencountries (Bangladesh, China, India,Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, thePhilippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and VietNam) are collaborating with FAO in a four-year regional programme funded by Japanfor the safe harnessing of biotechnology inaccordance with relevant global agreements.Cooperating agencies include APAARI,UNIDO, OECD, UNDP, the RockefellerFoundation, JIRCAS, CSIRO and the GEF.

Food insecurity and vulnerability informationand mapping system (FIVIMS)FIVIMS is increasing its visibility and itssupport to member countries through its shiftto the regional office from headquarters. It isanticipated that the number of participatingcountries in Asia will increase.

Plant genetic resources for food andagricultureSeven countries (Bangladesh, India,Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailandand Viet Nam) are participating in the regionalproject for the implementation of the globalplan of action (GPA) for the conservation andsustainable utilization of plant geneticresources for food and agriculture. Fundedby Japan, and in close cooperation withCGIAR centres, FAO is committed to facilitatingthe implementation of the GPA by national,regional and international organizations andother stakeholders involved in conservationand the sustainable use of plant geneticresources.

ASIACOVERThe standards of qualitative, quantitative andspatial information on the present status ofland cover and land use are veryheterogeneous in the Southeast Asian regionin terms of land cover classification, mappingscales and projections, accuracies and thereference years of the maps. Theseinconsistencies hamper appropriate planning

for the sustainable management of naturalresources at national and regional levels.Consistent information is particularlynecessary to monitor land cover changesover time in support of the conventionsrelated to climate change, biological diversityand desertification. Seven countries(Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Malaysia,Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam) havejoined the FAO funded ASIACOVER projectto collect and standardize existing landcover/land-use information, to identify gapswhere such information is missing and todevelop a strategy to fill these gaps in thefuture in the context of the joint FAO-UNEPinitiative to establish a Global Land CoverNetwork. Special attention is given tospatially available socio-economicparameters to be combined with biophysicaldata in order to facilitate analysis, planningand decision-making in favour of foodsecurity and sustainable agriculture. Aregional map and database as well as anetwork of practically trained data holderswho are able to maintain and update theinformation will be the most important projectoutcomes.

AfghanistanThe rehabilitation of the agricultural sectorin Afghanistan is another major aspect ofFAO support, particularly with respect toirrigation, livestock and seed production.FAO has actively cooperated with the UNfor the preparation of emergencyassistance and appeals for Afghanistan. Asa result, donor pledges and technicalassistance have been provided to the post-Taleban government, not only for FAO-assisted programmes and projects. Alsoillustrative was the issuance of the 2002B.R. Sen Award to Narendra Singh Tunwarof India. Working in challenging conditionsin Afghanistan, Tunwar set up the ImprovedSeed Enterprise, created to produceoutstanding local varieties of wheat seed.In over a decade, aided by locally trainednational staff, Tunwar produced 27improved seed varieties, including 15 forwheat. As a result, Afghanistan has thecapacity to multiply up to 23 000 tonnes ofquality and high-yielding varieties of wheatseed. Known as the PEACE programme

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(Poverty Eradication and CommunityEmpowerment Programme) and funded byUNDP, the results of Tunwar’s work haveallowed national and international aidorganizations working in Afghanistan topurchase quality seeds locally fordistribution to farmers. Wheat yields, as highas six tonnes per hectare, have ledorganizations such as CIMMYT toconclude that the selection and geneticachievements are equivalent to and evensurpass international standards. Tunwaralso heads the prestigious Seeds ReviewGroup, which comprises inter alia NGOs,international and UN agencies such asUNOPS, UNDCP, WFP and UNHRC. Hestarted coordinating the preparation of anational seed policy, seed legislation anda seed act. With other experts, he is workingon the privatization of the seed industry inAfghanistan.

Bay of Bengal fisheriesThe Bay of Bengal Large MarineEcosystem project completed its activitiessuccessfully with the institutionalization ofthe Bay of Bengal Programme as an

intergovernmental organization. Theagreement was signed in April 2003 by thegovernments of India, Bangladesh and SriLanka, followed later by the Maldives atChennai on 21 May 2003.

Pacific highlights

Over the years, FAO has recognizedincreasingly the importance of a regionalperspective for the particular problems facedby small island economies. These haveunderpinned the Organization’s mainrationale for adopting a regional approach tofood security in PICs, which aims to addresscommon problems such as low productivityof subsistence agriculture; critical gaps intechnology transfer and adoption of moderntechniques and inputs; poor market integrationof producers and consumers; the decline intraditional agricultural export earnings; lowhuman resource development and institutionalcapacity in research, extension, policy andtrade; and low awareness of WTO-relatedissues and protocols.

Regional programme for food security inPICsA three-year and US$4.5 million projectfunded by Italy started in 2003 in 14 Pacificcountries (Cook Islands, Federated Statesof Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands,Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea,Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvaluand Vanuatu). The project has two maincomponents: (a) enhancing food productionand security, which focuses on specificproduction-related (supply side) activities;and (b) strengthening agricultural trade andpolicy, which is examining effectiveagricultural policies to ensure that naturalresources are deployed as optimally aspossible; and building up national capacityand awareness in domestic andinternational trade (biosafety, customregulations, quarantine issues), so thataccepted standards such as the CodexAlimentarius and WTO regulations will beapplied. To maximize its impact, projectactivities complement those of otherdevelopment partners and donors in thePacific such as the University of the SouthPacific (USP) and the Secretariat of the

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Pacific Community (SPC). Coordination withthe EU development of sustainableagriculture projects is also envisaged. FAOsupport will be provided through nationalprojects funded under the TCP, andtechnical expertise is envisaged from Chinaand the Philippines under FAO’s South-South Cooperation Programme.

Meeting plant protection needs in thetwenty-first century (PestNet)Due to their geographic isolation andfragmentation, farmers in PICs facedifficulties in obtaining access to informationin general and on pests and diseases inparticular. Specific problems identified arenot only inadequately resourced extensionservices and lack of internal communicationbut also lack of taxonomic expertise for pestidentification. New approaches arerequired to improve access to and qualityof information adapted to farmers’ needs.Fourteen countries are collaborating in theFAO-funded project Pacific PestNet project(Cook Islands, Federated States ofMicronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands,Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea,Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu,and Vanuatu). PestNet will facilitate theidentification of pests and diseases bymeans of digital photos, which are to belinked to existing databases such asEcoPort. Relevant training on pestidentification and database managementwill be provided and a PRA survey will

assess farmers’ perceptions and needs inthe participating countries.

Strengthening coastal fisheries’ legislationCoastal fisheries resources in the Pacificregion are being depleted due to populationgrowth, overfishing and the use of illegal anddestructive fishing methods. The depletion isa threat to the food security of the islandcommunities whose livelihoods dependsignificantly on coastal fisheries. The non-traditional utilization of the coastal marine areafor aquaculture activities and the extractionof aquarium fish and other aquatic animalsfor export underline the need for a moresustainable use of coastal resources and tointroduce issues such as fish healthmanagement. The governments of Kiribati,Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau and theFederated States of Micronesia have unitedin an FAO-funded project for strengtheningcoastal fisheries’ legislation. The objective ofthe project is to strengthen the capacity ofnational legislation drafters and fisheries’experts in issues, trends and concerns ofcommunity-based fisheries and co-management of inshore/coastal fisheries andaquaculture as well as fish healthmanagement with a view to further developingthe legislative frameworks of individualcountries.

Pacific study to evaluate the benefits andcosts of WTO membershipThe recent changes in the international trade

regime, arising from the Uruguay Round(UR) of the General Agreement on Tradeand Tariffs (GATT) and the establishmentof the WTO, have placed new demands onthe small island countries in the Pacific.Furthermore, the countries’ access tooverseas markets for agriculture and foodare limited and restricted as the marketbecomes more rigorous. While the URagreement presents opportunities as wellas challenges for all WTO members, thereis no study of the impact on agriculture andfood trade specifically for the small islandcountries in the Pacific. Nine Pacificcountries (Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru,Niue, Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa,Tonga and Vanuatu) participate in an FAO-funded project to prepare such a studywhich is expected to provide reliableinformation in preparation of policydecisions on agricultural trade and withrespect to WTO membership implications.The assistance will fill a critical gap inongoing decision processes with directrelevance for the production and incomeof producers in the region.

Besides the intercountry programmes, agrowing number of national projects arebeing implemented in PICs. In eight Pacificcountries, 11 FAO projects funded during2003 provided technical or emergencyassistance. For instance, assistance wasgiven to Fiji for improving the handling andmarketing of fresh vegetables and fruits.The TCP project provided the necessaryresources and expertise to build threepacking shed facilities and to train nationalstaff on postharvest handling andpackaging of horticultural produce. Thegovernment is now using its own funds toreplicate the packaging sheds in 72 otherareas of the country. Assistance was givento the Fiji College of Agriculture to developa training module for inclusion in thecurriculum of its Certificate of AgriculturalTraining course. Through the TCP project,Development of Seaweed Farming, Tongawas assisted in improving the technologyof “sea farmers” who are collecting Mozukuseaweed for export. In addition, a marketstudy was undertaken to explore otherexport markets for their produce.

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The Asia-Pacific Service of the InvestmentCentre at FAO headquarters continued

its strong collaboration with its longstandingpartner financial agencies (World Bank, ADBand the International Fund for AgriculturalDevelopment [IFAD]) to mobilize investmentsfor agriculture and rural development.Activities targeted the identification,preparation, supervision and evaluation ofinvestment projects in irrigation and waterresource development, rural infrastructure,tree crops and forestry development, researchand technology, and crop diversification.

In addition to the standard project-relatedactivities, FAO has started work in a numberof new areas:

Given the declining level of both nationaland foreign investments in agricultureand rural development, the FAO team hasturned its attention increasingly toactivities aimed at enhancing the capacityof rural stakeholders to compete forscarce investment funds. Such activitiesinclude the preparation of investmentstrategies, programmes aimed at theimplementation of the Poverty ReductionStrategy Papers and strengthening therural aspects of national developmentplans.

FAO also initiated activities in the twocountries in the region that are not yetbenefiting from the traditional fundinginstitutions – DPRK and Myanmar. InDPRK, the team worked to mobilize newsources of funding, for example from trustfunds and from the Organization ofPetroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)fund. In the case of Myanmar, FAO isworking with UNDP funding on a majorAgriculture Sector and InvestmentOptions Review, as well as an investmentproject for possible consideration by theOPEC fund.

FAO also helped formulate a Regional Programme for Food Securityfor the South Pacific Forum countries, which is being supported by atrust fund.

Relevant data on the Asia-Pacific region

A total of 195 missions have been conducted from 2002 to 2003: 119missions in 2002 and 76 missions up to June 2003. Twenty-two newprojects have been approved over the same period: 15 projects in 2002and seven projects in 2003. Concomitantly, a total of US$1 710 millionhas been mobilized – US$1 151 million in 2002 and US$559 million in2003.

Policy and project services

Support to agricultural investment

AnnexesAnnexes

50

2002

RAP 2002/01 Manual on the diagnosis of Nipah virus infection in animals

RAP 2002/02 Science and technology for sustainable food security, nutritional adequacy and poverty alleviation in the Asia-Pacific region

RAP 2002/03 Smallholder farmers in India: food security and agricultural policy

RAP 2002/04 Lychee production in the Asia-Pacific region

RAP 2002/05 Case study on education opportunities for hill tribes in northern Thailand

RAP 2002/06 Some issues associated with the livestock industries of the Asia-Pacific region

RAP 2002/07 Agrobiodiversity conservation and the role of rural women: expert consultation report

RAP 2002/08 Rural and tribal women in agro-biodiversity conservation: an Indian case study

RAP 2002/09 Investment in land and water

RAP 2002/10 Interactive mechanisms for small-scale fisheries management

RAP 2002/11 Inland capture fishery statistics of Southeast Asia: current status and information needs

RAP 2002/12 Rural Asia-Pacific: inter-disciplinary strategies to combat hunger and poverty. The rice-based livelihood-support systems

RAP 2002/13 Pacific Island fisheries: regional and country information

RAP 2002/14 Applying reduced impact logging to advance sustainable forest management

RAP 2002/15 From farmer field school to community IPM: ten years of IPM training in Asia

RAP 2002/16 The lychee crop in Asia and the Pacific

RAP 2002/17 Focusing small-scale aquaculture and aquatic resource management on poverty alleviation

RAP 2002/18 FAO in Asia and the Pacific. Annual report 2001

RAP 2002/19 Selected indicators of food and agriculture development in Asia-Pacific region, 1991–2001

RAP 2002/20 How design, management and policy affect the performance of irrigation projects

RAP 2002/21 Report of the 19th session of the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission

RAP 2002/22 A basic laboratory manual for the small-scale production and testing of I-2 Newcastle disease vaccine

RAP 2002/23 The livestock industries of Thailand

RAP 2002/24 Report of the 26th session of the Animal Production and Health Commission for Asia and the Pacific (APHCA)

RAP 2002/25 Communities in flames: proceedings of an international conference on community involvement in fire management

RAP 2002/26 Water: source of food security

RAP 2002/27 Building awareness in aspects of fishery statistics, stock assessment and management: Proceedings of the FAO/SEAFDEC regionaltraining workshop on the use of statistics and other information for stock assessment

RAP 2002/28 International plan of action for the conservation and management of sharks and the shark fisheries of Thailand

RAP 2002/29 Report of the regional expert consultation of the Asia-Pacific network for food and nutrition on the status of FIVIMS initiatives

RAP 2002/30 Giants on our hands: Proceedings of the international workshop on the domesticated Asian elephant

Annexes

Publications in 2002 and 2003

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Other publications

Forest policies and forest policy reviews (workshop proceedings No. 2; EC-FAO partnership programme)

Gender differences in the transitional economy of Viet Nam

2003

RAP 2003/01 New approaches for the improvement of inland capture fishery statistics in the Mekong Basin. Ad-hoc expert consultation.

RAP 2003/02 Proceedings of the mini roundtable meeting on agricultural marketing and food security

RAP 2003/03 Report of the 19th session of the Asia and Pacific Commission on Agricultural Statistics

RAP 2003/04 The role of aquaculture and living aquatic resources. Priorities for support and networking

RAP 2003/05 Practical guidelines for the assessment, monitoring and reporting on national level criteria and indicators for sustainable forestmanagement in dry forests in Asia

RAP 2003/06 The Yak, second edition

RAP 2003/07 A handbook for trainers on participatory local development: the Panchayati Raj model in India

RAP 2003/08 Community-based fire management: case studies from China, the Gambia, Honduras, India, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic andTurkey

RAP 2003/09 A handbook for training of disabled on rural enterprise development

RAP 2003/10 Selected indicators of food and agriculture development in Asia-Pacific region 1999–2002

RAP 2003/11 The role and nutritional value of aquatic resources in the livelihoods of rural people. A participatory assessment in Attapeu Province, LaoPDR. A contribution to the Dialogue on Water, Food and the Environment

RAP 2003/12 Report of the expert consultation on livestock statistics

RAP 2003/13 Expert consultation on agricultural extension, research-extension-farmer interface and technology transfer

RAP 2003/14 Bringing back the forests. Policies and practices for degraded lands and forests. Proceedings of the international conference

RAP 2003/15 Report of the expert consultation on rural women and distance learning: regional strategies

RAP 2003/16 Report of the Asian regional expert consultation on rural women in knowledge society

RAP 2003/17 Proceedings of the training workshop on forest product statistics

RAP 2003/18 Myanmar aquaculture and inland fisheries

RAP 2003/19 Advancing assisted natural regeneration (ANR) in Asia and the Pacific

RAP 2003/20 International alliance against hunger

RAP 2003/21 Report of the regional expert consultation of the Asia-Pacific Network for Food and Nutrition on food composition activities

RAP 2003/22 State of forestry in Asia and the Pacific 2003 – status, changes and trends

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2002

Regional expert consultation on farming systems and best practices for drought-prone areas in Asia and the Pacific (21–25 January)

EC-FAO partnership programme workshop – forest policy and forest policy reviews (22–24 January)

Regional consultation on focussing small-scale aquaculture and aquatic resource management on poverty alleviation (12–14 February)

Informal workshop on incentives for forest plantation development (19–21 March)

FAO-APAARI expert consultation on status of biotechnology in agriculture in Asia (21–23 March)

Workshop on strategic planning on forestry (26–29 March)

Workshop and study tour on assisted natural regeneration of degraded forests in Asia (22–26 April)

Workshop to develop guidelines for measurement of model forest level indicators for SFM (22–27 April)

Expert consultation on protein sources for the animal feed industry (29 April to 3 May)

RILSIM$ Workshop (6–8May)

26th session of the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC) (13–17 May)

Workshop and training on forest products statistics (20–24 May)

Workshop on National Forest Programme (27–30 May)

Consultation on CUREMIS-II papers (30–31 May)

Workshop on “best practices” for bamboo and hickory cultivation and management and eco-tourism development (31 May to 12 June)

Expert consultation on agricultural extension, research-extension-farmer interface and technology transfer (16–19 July)

International Rice Commission (23–26 July)

Regional workshop on forestry and related policies, legislation and practices and their impacts on sustainable forest management and on the model forestapproach (29 July to 2 August)

Joint FAO/WHO expert consultation on microbiological risk assessment: vibrio in seafoods and campylobacter in broilers (5–9August)

SEARCA/FAO training workshop on electronic production of agricultural documents and bibliographic database management (7–15 August)

Measuring and monitoring the effects of forest harvesting on soil and water (12–21 August)

National demonstration centre on food consumption statistics from household income and expenditure surveys (HIES) (19–29 August)

26th session of the Animal Production and Health Commission for Asia and the Pacific (APHCA) (24–26 August)

19th session of the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC) (26–30 August)

Ad hoc expert consultation on new approaches for the improvement of inland capture fishery statistics in the Mekong basin (2–5 September)

FAO/SEAFDEC (Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center) regional training workshop on the use of statistics and other information for fish stockassessment (9–12 September)

Forest management certification and the design of local auditing systems for China (9–12 September)

FAO/WHO Regional Coordinating Committee for Asia (17–20 September)

Bringing back the forests: policies and practices for degraded lands and forests (7–9 October)

19th session of the Asia and Pacific Commission on Agricultural Statistics (21–25 October)

Expert consultation on regional standard for phytosanitary measures and information sharing (29 October to 1 November)

FAO/UNESCO seminar on education for rural development and food security in Asia: experiences and policy lessons (5–7 November)

Workshop on data for food security in the framework of an integrated system of agricultural statistics (11–15 November)

Annexes

Meetings held in 2002 and 2003

53

Non-timber forest products and tribal community development (12–13 November)

Regional expert consultation of the Asia-Pacific network for food and nutrition on the status of FIVIMS initiatives (19–22 November)

Asia regional workshop on multilateral trade negotiations on agriculture (25–29 November)

4th regional model forest workshop on experiences and lessons learnt from developing model forests and “what next?”, and the 4th RMFP project steeringcommittee meeting (25–29 November)

Expert consultation on policy and economic issues in the transition to responsible fisheries in selected Asian countries (26 November)

Regional donor consultation on the role of aquaculture and living aquatic resources: priorities for support and networking (27–29 November)

Obtaining effective research results with scarce resources: strategies for research and innovation in forestry (2-4 December)

Man-made forests: using indigenous and exotic species in Viet Nam (9–11 December)

Africa-Asia agriculture against Aids consultation (11–13 December)

Regional consultation on rural women in knowledge society (16–19 December)

People’s participatory approaches in conservation and management of forest resources (16–19 December)

2003

FAO technical consultation on biological risk management in food and agriculture (13–17 January)

Regional conference on land tilting in Thailand (19–21 February)

Strengthening regional data exchange system on food and agriculture statistics in Asia and Pacific countries (27–28 March)

Establishment of the Asia-Pacific Consortium on Agricultural Biotechnology (APCoAB) (4 April)

First regional consultation of the project Capacity Building in Biosafety of Genetically Modified Crops in Asia (7–10 July)

Expert consultation on livestock sector statistics (8–11 July)

Capacity building for automation in Philippine libraries and for broadening the base of the FAO AGRIS database: a training workshop (23–25 July)

23rd session of the Asia and Pacific Plant Protection Commission (4–8 August)

2nd pesticide regulatory harmonization workshop for Southeast Asia (25–28 August)

1st workshop on agricultural information management: web AGRIS system and the Thai agricultural information network (25–28 August)

27th session of the Regional Animal Production and Health Commission for Asia and the Pacific (25–29 August)

Workshop on strengthening food and agricultural statistics in the Pacific in support of food security and poverty reduction policies and programmes(September)

Electronic production of agricultural documents and bibliographic database management (10–18 October)

First meeting of focal points for the project Implementation of the global plan of action for the conservation and sustainable utilization of plant genetic resourcesfor food and agriculture in Asia and the Pacific region (13–15 October)

Seminar on the production and exports of organic fruit and vegetables in Asia (3–5 November)

FAO-ASEAN strategic planning workshop on harmonization of standards for shrimp import-export (4–6 November)

Workshop on identification and selection of manure management options for confining pig production in rapidly growing economies (19–21 November)

Regional expert consultation of the Asia-Pacific Network for Food and Nutrition on Food Composition Activities (18–21 November)

Technical consultation: gender data for rural livelihood policies and programmes (10–13 December)

69th Meeting of the APFIC Executive Committee (15–17 December)

IndexesIndexes

56

AAfghanistan; 13, 36, 43, 44, 45Australia; 12, 44

BBangladesh; 8, 12, 13, 24, 30, 35, 40, 42, 44, 45Bhutan; 13Botswana; 12

CCambodia; 4, 8, 17, 25, 30, 31, 35, 36, 42, 44China; 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 21, 24, 25, 30, 34, 35, 36, 40,42, 44, 46Cook Islands; 36, 42, 45, 46

DDemocratic People’s Republic of Korea; 8, 21, 25, 30, 35, 42

EEgypt; 4

FFederated States of Micronesia; 45, 46Fiji; 12, 45, 46

IIndia; 8, 12, 13, 15, 17, 21, 25, 31, 34, 35, 36, 40, 42, 44, 45Indonesia; 4, 5, 8, 20, 25, 35, 36, 42, 44Iran; 4Italy; 13, 45

JJapan; 4, 12, 31, 44

KKazakhstan; 21Kiribati; 42, 45, 46

LLao PDR; 4, 8, 30, 35, 36, 42, 44

MMalaysia; 4, 5, 11, 12, 35, 36, 40, 44Maldives; 15, 42, 45Marshall Islands; 45, 46Mongolia; 20, 21, 36, 42Myanmar; 4, 16, 36, 40, 44, 47

NNauru; 8, 45, 46Nepal; 8, 13, 24, 25, 30, 35, 40, 42Netherlands; 31, 44New Zealand; 12, 35Niue; 45, 46

PPakistan; 4, 12, 15, 35, 42, 44Palau; 31, 45, 46Papua New Guinea; 5, 42Philippines; 5, 17, 20, 21, 25, 35, 36, 40, 44, 46

RRepublic of Korea; 21, 25, 30, 35

SSamoa; 8, 21, 35, 45, 46Solomon Islands; 45, 46Sri Lanka; 5, 8, 12, 35, 36, 40, 42, 44, 45Sudan; 4

TTanzania; 12Thailand; 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 15, 17, 20, 25, 30, 34, 36, 40, 44Timor-Leste; 8, 24, 31, 41, 43Tonga; 24, 45, 46Turkey; 12Tuvalu; 41, 42, 45, 46

UUnited Kingdom; 13United States; 4Uzbekistan; 5

VVanuatu; 35, 36, 42, 45, 46Viet Nam; 4, 5, 8, 11, 12, 30, 35, 36, 40, 44

Indexes

Countries

57

Indexes

Organizations

ACIAR Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research; 16ADB Asian Development Bank; 4, 47AFMA Association of Food and Agricultural Marketing Agencies in Asia and the Pacific; 24, 25APAARI Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions; 44APCAS Asia and Pacific Commission on Agricultural Statistics; 30APFC Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission; 20APFIC Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission; 12APHCA Animal Production and Health Commission for Asia and the Pacific; 12APRACA Asia-Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Association; 24ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations; 17, 20, 31ASOCON Asia Soil Conservation Network for the Humid Tropics; 5CGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research; 44CIMMYT Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo; 45Codex Alimentarius Commission; 29, 30, 39, 40, 45CRIDA Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture; 31CSIRO Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization; 44CSO Central Statistical Office; 34EU European Union; 8, 12, 44, 46GEF Global Environment Fund; 12, 44GTZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit; 24IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development; 47IFIF International Feed Industry Federation; 12IMFTL Instituiço de Micro-Finanças de Timor Leste; 24IRC International Rice Commission; 8JIRCAS Japanese International Research Centre for Agricultural Sciences; 44MRC Mekong River Commission; 17NACA Network of Aquaculture Centers in Asia-Pacific; 16NEDAC Network for the Development of Agricultural Cooperatives; 34OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; 44OIE World Organisation for Animal Health; 12OPEC Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries; 47Rockefeller Foundation; 44SAARC South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation; 31SPC Secretariat of the Pacific Community; 46SEAFDEC Southeast Asian Fisheries Development CenterSecretariat of the Pacific Community; 17UN United Nations; 3, 34, 44UNDCP United Nations Drug Control Programme; 45UNDP United Nations Development Programme; 3, 5, 8, 44, 45, 47UNEP United Nations Environment Programme; 3, 5, 11, 44UNESCAP United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; 4, 24UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; 36UNIDO United Nations Industrial Organizations Organization; 44UNOPS United Nations Office for Project Services; 45University of the South Pacific; 30, 45WAICENT World Agricultural Information Centre; 29, 30WFP World Food Programme; 31, 45WHO World Health Organization; 29, 30World Bank; 4, 12, 47Worldfish Centre; 17WTO World Trade Organization; 23, 30, 39, 40, 45, 46

FAO Member Nations in the Asia Region (November 2003)

Bangladesh Kazakhstan Sri Lanka

Bhutan Lao PDR Tajikistan

Cambodia Malaysia Thailand

China Maldives Timor-Leste

Democratic People’s Mongolia Uzbekistan

Republic of Korea Myanmar Viet Nam

India Nepal

Indonesia Pakistan

Iran Philippines

Japan Republic of Korea

FAO Member Nations in the Southwest Pacific Region (November 2003)

Australia Micronesia Samoa

Cook Islands Nauru Solomon Islands

Fiji New Zealand Tonga

France Niue Tuvalu

Kiribati Palau United States of America

Marshall Islands Papua New Guinea Vanuatu

Edited and designed by: Robin N. Leslie (Publication Coordinator)

Photographs: All photographs supplied by Peyton Johnson, unless labelled otherwise

http://www.fao.org

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONSRegional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP)Maliwan Mansion, 39 Pra Atit Road, Bangkok 10200 Thailandhttp://www.fao.or.th