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TOWARDS A FOOD-SECURE ASIA AND PACIFIC

REGIONAL STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Second edition

RAP PUBLICATION 2004/0


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AfghanistanAustralia

BangladeshBhutanCambodiaChinaCook IslandsDemocratic Peoples Republic of KoreaFijiFranceIndiaIndonesia

Iran, Islamic Republic of JapanKazakhstanKiribatiKyrgyzstanLao Peoples Democratic RepublicMalaysiaMaldivesMarshall IslandsMicronesia, Federated States of Mongolia

FAO member nations in the Asia-Pacific region (46)

Myanmar Nauru Nepal New Zealand NiuePakistanPalauPapua New GuineaPhilippinesRepublic of KoreaSamoaSolomon IslandsSri LankaTajikistanThailandTimor-LesteTongaTurkmenistanTuvaluUnited States of AmericaUzbekistanVanuatuViet Nam


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T OWARDS A F OOD -S ECURE A SIA AND P ACIF IC

R EGIONAL S TRATEG IC F RAMEWORK FOR A SIA AND THE P ACIF IC

RAP PUBLICATION 2004/06

TOWARDS A FOOD-SECURE ASIA AND PACIFIC

REGIONAL STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONSREGIONAL OFFICE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Bangkok, 2004

Second edition


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The designation and presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of anyopinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nationsconcerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area of its authorities, or concerning thedelimitation of its frontiers and boundaries.

All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product for educational or other non-commercial purposes are authorized without any prior written permissionfrom the copyright holders provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of material inthis information product for sale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without written

permission of the copyright holders. Applications for such permission should be addressed to theFAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Maliwan Mansion, 39 Phra Atit Road, Bangkok 10200, Thailand or by e-mail to [email protected].

FAO 2004

For copies write to: FAO Regional Office for Asia and the PacificMaliwan Mansion, 39 Phra Atit RoadBangkok 10200THAILANDTel: (+66) 2 697 4000Fax: (+66) 2 697 4445E-mail: [email protected]

First edition: May 2004

Second edition: October 2004


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PREFACE

The Strategic Framework for FAO 2000-2015 was adopted in 1999 to help member countries reach theWorld Food Summit (WFS) target of halving the worlds undernourished by 2015. Guided by theGlobal Strategic Framework (GSF), the Organizations rolling medium-term plans and successive biennial

programmes of work transformed agenda into action.

Four years into the GSF, it was felt that member countries of Asia-Pacific could be even better guided by a Regional Strategic Framework (RSF). Such an RSF would not be separate from the GSF, butwould translate the GSF into regional actions, emphasizing the character, needs and trends of theregion. It is therefore essentially an integral part of the GSF.

With this in mind, the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) embarked on a participatory process in April 2003 to forge an RSF for the Asia-Pacific region. In carrying out the work,interdisciplinarity and a broad-based participatory approach were stressed, as well as the need to broaden

partnerships and alliances, and leverage resources.We sounded out national counterparts, informed our regional partners and held extensive, in-depthdiscussions within RAP in a stepwise fashion to: assess major issues and trends; recognize challenges;identify priority areas; analyze strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats; formulate animplementation strategy; and prepare for monitoring and evaluation.

The product of this year-long effort is a document reiterating FAOs global vision and mission insustainable agriculture and food security, and articulating the elements of strategy that FAO and itsmember countries in Asia and the Pacific might adopt to realize them.

Six thematic programme areas were identified to guide the Asia-Pacific region in national and collectiveactions towards achieving the WFS target. These are: restructuring of the agricultural sector;

decentralizing governance in support of sustainable development; reducing vulnerability to disasters; promoting effective and equitable management, conservation and sustainable use of natural resources;strengthening biosecurity; and alleviating poverty in rice-based livelihood systems. Within each thematicarea, the general rationale, goal, objectives, strategic elements, outcomes and impact indicators wereconstituted on the basis of the most pressing common challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region andour collective capacities to meet them.

It is important for the reader to understand at the outset what this document is and what it is not. TheRSF is basically a set of priority areas for interdisciplinary action over and above RAPs comprehensiveregular and field programme activities. It purports to give a guide for RAP to work with partners andregional member countries on some or all of the priority areas in pursuance of their own nationalagricultural development strategies.

The RSF is not a prescribed strategy for Asia and the Pacific. Nor are its six thematic areas the onlyones that RAP will be collaborating on with member countries and regional and international partners,now or in the foreseeable future. The readers policy-makers and senior executives in agriculture areexpected to take whatever is deemed useful to their unique country situations and for their own purposes.

RAP stands ready to work with partners, particularly with member countries individually and collectively,on these six priority areas for interdisciplinary action. We are confident of our capacity to mobilizethe multidisciplinary expertise and attract the necessary resources within and outside the Organizationto make a difference in sustainable agriculture and rural development for food security in the regionthrough interventions on these priority areas.

He ChangchuiAssistant Director-General and

FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

PREFACE ............................................................................................................................................. iii

1. PURPOSE OF THE REGIONAL STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK ..................................... 1

2. REGIONAL ISSUES AND LOCAL CONCERNS IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC ......... 3

3. THEMATIC PROGRAMME AREAS ................................................................................... 8

3.1 Agriculture restructuring under changing market and trade conditions........................ 8

3.2 Decentralizing governance in support of sustainable development .............................. 11

3.3 Reducing vulnerability to disasters.................................................................................. 133.4 Promoting effective and equitable management, conservation and sustainable use of

natural resources ............................................................................................................... 16

3.5 Strengthening biosecurity for food security and agricultural trade ............................... 19

3.6 Alleviating poverty in rice-based livelihood systems .................................................... 22

4. IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY ........................................................................................ 26

4.1 Comparative advantage of FAOs regional office and emerging opportunities ........... 27

4.2 Challenges ......................................................................................................................... 28

4.3 Monitoring and evaluation ............................................................................................... 29


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1. PURPOSE OF THE REGIONAL STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

Global leaders gathered at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United

Nations (FAO) in Rome for the first World Food Summit (WFS) in 1996 and pledged their commitmentto reduce the worlds hungry by half within two decades. At the follow-up WFS: five years later in2002 they assessed progress, planned policy improvements and reaffirmed their commitment made atthe WFS.

The tasks urgency was reiterated at the UN Millennium Summit in 2000. Among the eight MillenniumDevelopment Goals, eradicating extreme poverty and hunger was given top priority.

Earlier, at the 30 th Session of FAOs Conference in November 1999, member countries approved theOrganizations first ever Strategic Framework. This document guides FAOs activities aimed at, amongother objectives, helping member countries reach the WFS target of halving the number of

undernourished by 2015. The Organizations rolling medium-term plans and successive biennial programmes of work and budget are directed at accomplishing this priority task.

FAOs Corporate Strategic Framework 2000-2015 supports the Organizations fundamental role, namelyto promote the common welfare by furthering separate and collective actions for the purpose of:

raising levels of nutrition and standards of living of the people;

securing improvements in the efficiency of the production and distribution of all food andagricultural products;

bettering the condition of rural populations; and

contributing towards an expanding world economy and ensuring humanitys freedom from hunger.In addressing these challenges, 5 corporate strategies and 12 strategic objectives were defined (Box 1).These strategies address cross-organizational issues in carrying out FAO programmes designed to ensureexcellence, enhance cooperation among different disciplines, broaden partnerships and alliances, improvemanagement processes, leverage resources and communicate FAOs messages.

The thrust of FAOs Strategic Framework is basically global and needs to be adapted to the specificcharacteristics and diverse needs of the vast complex region that makes up Asia and the Pacific. For this purpose, the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) has drawn up a Regional StrategicFramework (RSF): An Asia-Pacific guide specifically addressing the regions persistent problems of

poverty and hunger, despite its rapid political, social and economic progress.

Under the RSF, RAP offers technical assistance to its member nations, provides advice on policydevelopment, helps in building capacities and institutions, and facilitates transfer of knowledge andtechnologies.


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Box 1: FAOs strategies to address members needs

Strategy A: Contributing to the eradication of food insecurity and rural poverty

A.1 Sustaining rural livelihood and more equitable access to resourcesA.2 Access of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups to sufficient, safe and nutritionally adequate

food

A.3 Preparedness for, and effective and sustainable response to, food and agricultural emergencies

Strategy B: Promoting, developing and reinforcing policy and regulatory frameworks forfood, agriculture, fisheries and forestry

B.1 International instruments concerning food, agriculture, fisheries and forestry, and the production, safe use and fair exchange of agricultural, fishery and forestry goods

B.2 National policies, legal instruments and supporting mechanisms that respond to domesticrequirements and are consistent with the international policy and regulatory frameworks

Strategy C: Creating sustainable increases in the supply and availability of food and otherproducts from the crop, livestock, fisheries and forestry sectors

C.1 Policy options and institutional measures to improve efficiency and adaptability in production, processing and marketing systems, and meet the changing needs of producers and consumers

C.2 Adoption of appropriate technology to sustainably intensify production systems and to ensuresufficient supplies of food and agricultural, fisheries and forestry goods and services

Strategy D: Supporting the conservation, improvement and sustainable use of naturalresources for food and agriculture

D.1 Integrated management of land, water, fisheries, forest and genetic resources

D.2 Conservation, rehabilitation and development of environments at greater risk

Strategy E: Improving decision-making through the provision of information and assessmentsand fostering of knowledge management for food and agriculture

E.1 An integrated information resource base, with current, relevant and reliable statistics,information and knowledge made accessible to all FAO clients

E.2 Regular assessments, analyses and outlook studies for food and agriculture

E.3 A central place for food security on the international agenda


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2. REGIONAL ISSUES AND LOCAL CONCERNS IN ASIA ANDTHE PACIFIC

Asia and the Pacific today account for 58 percent of the global population. About 70 percent of theworlds rural population live in this region. Yet per capita arable and permanent cropland availabilityin the region is only 0.16 ha, compared to 0.37 ha in the rest of the world. An estimated 545 million

people in the region are undernourished, comprising 65 percent of the worlds ill-fed. Women andchildren, ethnic minorities and persons with disabilities constitute a disproportionately high percentageof the vulnerable. 1

Despite limited natural resource endowments and its massive, mainly youthful, population base, Asiaand the Pacific made substantial inroads in eradicating poverty and food insecurity during the lastthree decades. Since 1945, the regions economy grew faster than any other region. Literacy rateshave considerably increased, and improved nutrition and public health programmes have raised lifeexpectancies by over a generation in only half a century.

These past achievements form the context for new advances, many in critical development areas:extensive education and agricultural research networks; developments in information and communicationstechnologies; modern biotechnology; social innovations in development including resourcedecentralization; foreign direct investment; growing regional and global economic linkages; andinternational trade.

Broader citizen participation in decision-making and governance is reflected in dynamic non-governmentalorganizations (NGOs), increased womens suffrage and decision-making processes open tomultistakeholder participation. Information flows more freely in the media and within civil societies.

Historically, the region has been the centre of agricultural advances. Two of the four cradles of agriculture emerged in the region. Domestication of farm animal and plant species dates back manymillennia. Aquaculture was first developed in Asia. And, more recently, the Green Revolution in rice

began here. Today, over 50 percent of the worlds industrial crops are produced in the Asia-Pacificregion and production continues to expand.

Enabling policy and economic environments have led to many success stories, including unique ruraldevelopment models: from agro-industrial entrepreneurship, cooperatives, and rural financial systemsto farmer field schools in integrated pest management.

Against this rapid progress there have been setbacks due to man-made or natural disasters. The

El Nino events brought widespread devastating droughts. The Asian economic crisis slowed growth inseveral countries and affected the livelihoods of millions of people. The severe acute respiratorysyndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003 and the avian influenza outbreaks in Asia in 2004 caused enormouseconomic losses and threatened human health.

Many factors in the region affect its ability to achieve sustainable food security for all. Ensuringaccess to food for the hungry and poor will persist as a major challenge within the strategic timehorizon towards 2015. Identification and analysis of the important trends in the agricultural sector

~

1 The statistical data refer to the FAO member countries in the Asia-Pacific region (as listed on the inside front cover page)excluding France and the United States of America. The estimate on undernourished people excludes countries withno available data (Bhutan, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa,Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu). The data are taken from the FAOSTAT database as of September 2004 (http://faostat.external.fao.org) and FAOs flagship publication The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2003 (http://www.fao.org/SOF/sofi/index en.htm).


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likely to have the greatest impact on achievement of sustainable agriculture and rural development areoutlined below.

The link between population growth and poverty remains strong , especially among the most deprived.About two-thirds of the worlds 1.2 billion absolute poor live in this region. Continuing improvementsin public health programmes and education will result in further population increases, now estimatedto reach nearly four billion by 2015. In addition, rising living standards and consumer expectationswill impose ever-higher demands on the regions already strained natural resource base.

Out-migration of young males and the skilled has led to the greying and feminization of farms andfishing villages rural communities peopled mainly by the elderly and women. Other demographictrends also play a key role in vital developmental and environmental issues, including: formal education,HIV/AIDS and rural health, urbanization and unemployment.

Subsistence-oriented agriculture is in transition as industrialization and commercialization increase.The needed growth in agricultural production must come from intensification and wider use of moderntechnology. Capacity building and investment in natural resource conservation and technology transfer are, as a consequence, rising in priority. As a result, intervention strategies and requests for externalassistance are likely to increase, especially in: biotechnology, efficient water use, integrated pestmanagement, nutrient and weed management, food safety, on-farm diversification, agribusiness andmarketing.

Asian agriculture remains highly labour intensive, but the growth of industries and commerce is drawingthe talented and trained to urban centres, leaving the unskilled in rural areas. The employment andintegration of (surplus) rural workers into modernizing economies requires sustained skill development

built around comprehensive human resource development programmes.

The incidence and impact of disasters are increasing. Historically, the region suffers froma proportionally larger share of the worlds catastrophic natural and man-made disasters. These rangefrom wild fires, cyclones, landslides, floods and drought to transboundary animal and plant pests anddiseases, war, civil unrest and economic crises. Both floods and droughts cause the bulk of losses inagriculture, exceeding over US$90 billion yearly worldwide.

Disasters inflict a toll on people, property and economies, especially on agriculture, the rural poor andsmall farmers; the impact of avian influenza outbreaks is a typical example. Economic losses areincreasing as infrastructure expands and populations grow in disaster-prone and high-risk areas, oftenavoided in the past.

There is increasing recognition of the need for concerted regional action on disaster management andmitigation in the food and agriculture sector. Such regional cooperation should be aimed at strengtheningnational capacity in managing the full disaster cycle of prevention, preparedness, early warning, needsassessment, relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and sustainable recovery. Building resilient ruralcommunities and introducing improved agricultural practices will be crucial for cushioning the impactof disasters.

A livestock revolution is reshaping the industry . Asia and the Pacific account for the largest animal population worldwide. The region also possesses the biggest pool of farm animal genetic resources.

Owing to consumer-driven demand, meat and milk production grew at 5 percent while egg outputexpanded at 7 percent per annum in the 1990s. This contrasts with 1.4 percent and 0.9 percentrespectively for the rest of the world. If this advance is sustained, the regions livestock sector has the

potential to spearhead sustainable agriculture and rural development in the decade to 2015.


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Water scarcity and land degradation are worsening. Over 28 percent of the regions landscape isseverely degraded and, though the region appears well endowed with water resources, its internalrenewable water resources are only about half the worlds average.

Over-exploitation of water and land degradation is aggravated by the lack of clearly defined propertyrights and vague institutional arrangements. A growing number of industries and residential userscompete for limited water supplies. Shortages have triggered conflicts, affecting agriculture.

Increasing cropping intensity in agriculture, livestock and aquaculture intensification, and industrializationhave also led to land degradation, pollution and the compounded risk of pests and diseases.

This stress is reflected in other problems: from widespread topsoil erosion and desertification,waterlogging, salinization of aquifers, agricultural pollution of aquifers and water bodies to eutrophicationfrom high levels of nitrogen use and even loss of biodiversity. These developments threaten agriculturessustainability. Of particular concern are their long-term impacts on the regions ability to feed itself.

Introduction of improved agricultural practices and environmental accounting are of special relevance.So is community as well as private sector participation in resource management. In this regard, thereis growing evidence of the benefits brought about by the devolution of authority and funds to supportrural development. Such participatory approaches will accelerate appropriate on-farm technologyadoption.

Information and communications technologies are under-utilized. Agricultures ability to respondto the demand for sustainable production will increasingly rely on its growth as a science andinformation-based sector. By 2015, Asia and the Pacific will, for example, witness the emergence of

biotechnology as a contributing factor to sustainable production in developing countries.

Tapping such potentials will depend on strengthening currently limited capacities in information andcommunications technologies (ICTs). Failure to act decisively may further widen the digital divide between rural and urban populations, as well as the so-called molecular gap between the South and North. Most public sector agencies still neglect adapting ICTs to disseminate the results of researchand development more rapidly and widely.

Globalization is reshaping the regions trade and investment landscape. As market integration acrosscountries advances, food safety and nutrition standards will require increased attention. Governmentsare called upon to facilitate an enabling environment for the whole agricultural production and marketingchain to encourage much needed investments in rural areas.

Amidst rapid change, national governments need to revise development strategies and policies andrestructure agriculture towards market-driven production. In addition, many countries in the regionsuffer from weak institutions at the local level. This constraint is most apparent in farmers organizations,rural credit and finance, and marketing systems. It also strains the traditional safety-nets of food-insecurehouseholds.

International organizations are pressed in various fora to increase efforts to help create a level playingfield in the international trade of agricultural products for developing countries. Developing countrieshave stressed the urgent need for building institutions and human capacity directed at gains in

productivity, sustainability and market access.

The need for concerted action at subregional and regional levels to develop the institutional infrastructure

for sustainable agriculture and rural development has become more pronounced. This trend will imposesignificant changes in the roles of government, NGOs, civil society organizations and farmers

g i ti ll i th h i d b i t ti l g i ti i id


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There is growing inequity among countries in the region as well as at national and local levels.Average farm size is declining in many countries. Size distribution is increasingly skewed towardssmall farms. Increasing occupation of marginal lands also exacerbates inequalities in land and water distribution.

Productivity gains and commercialization of agriculture have contributed to rural incomes, butinappropriate policies often favour large producers. Others reward projects with negative social andenvironmental impacts. Vulnerable groups remain at great risk.

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

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

Effective rural education systems as well as health and social welfare schemes can increase the incomesof the poor. They also create an enabling environment for marginalized groups to work their way tomore humane standards of living and ensure sustained production and social harmony so essential for

progress.


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3. THEMATIC PROGRAMME AREAS

To lead the region in addressing the issues and responding to the challenges facing the Asia-Pacific,

i.e. to substantially reduce the number of food-insecure people and to assist member countries in their efforts to develop the agricultural sector while protecting the regions natural resource base, the work of the FAO regional office will be driven by six thematic programme areas. These programme areaswill guide FAOs work in the region until 2015 and help in realizing its vision and mission.

Vision

A food-secure Asia-Pacific region

Mission

To help member countries halve the regions undernourished by 2015 by raising agricultural productivity and alleviating poverty while protecting the regions natural resource base

Thematic programme areas

1 Agriculture restructuring under changing market and trade conditions

2 Decentralizing governance in support of sustainable development

3 Reducing vulnerability to disasters

4 Promoting effective and equitable management, conservation and sustainable use of naturalresources

5 Strengthening biosecurity for food security and agricultural trade

6 Alleviating poverty in rice-based livelihood systems

3.1 Agriculture restructuring under changing market and trade conditions 1

3.1.1 Rationale

Global trends and changing market and trade conditions call for appropriate responses in the structureand organization of the agriculture and rural sector to meet the challenges posed by persistent food

insecurity.

Impressive social gains have been accompanied by economic and agricultural growth in Asia and thePacific over the past three decades. Population growth has declined in many developing countriesthereby facilitating economic adjustments, but future progress will depend largely on how policies,agricultural technologies and institutions respond to changing market and trade conditions as well as tosocial and political factors. Yet progress will only come about if a level playing field for fair tradeand equitable distribution of costs and benefits are adopted.

Despite the regions economic growth, persistent pockets of food insecurity and chronic poverty remain.Globalization and external instability pose formidable challenges, particularly for vulnerable groups

lacking safety nets. Migration outflows have left behind the elderly and women, leading to the greying 1 Agriculture includes crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry.


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of rural communities and feminization of agriculture. Continuing deprivation of women, marginalfarmers, and ethnic and social minorities erode the capacity of rural human resources. As agricultureadjusts to improve its competitiveness, the rural sector faces economic risks and shocks in the transitionto sustainable and broad-based growth.

3.1.2 Goal

A supportive and responsive policy and institutional environment that enables the agriculture and ruralsector to empower the poor under changing market and trade conditions.

3.1.3 Objectives

The overall objective is to assist in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of policies that are pro-poor and gender equitable. Within this context, the specific objectives are to:

Strengthen institutions to be responsive to rural development needs.

Develop appropriate (technical/process) messages for changing rural systems.

Promote investment opportunities for poverty alleviation.

Build the capacity of stakeholders.

3.1.4 Strategic elements

Capacity building

Rural institutions and organizations including cooperatives, NGOs, and other farmer-based bodies will be targeted with a view to empowering the poor. Capacity building will focus on institutionalstrengthening by building partnerships between the private sector, government organizations andnon-government organizations to provide the link between policy and action. It will provide access toinformation on research results to the primary beneficiaries and encourage their feedback and

participation in policy formulation.

FAO will focus its efforts on improving the skills of institution staff as well as of primary beneficiariesthrough, for example, training trainers and developing methods of teaching and learning based onexperience. Advisory support to facilitate trade and build trade-negotiating capacity will be emphasized.

Investment opportunities

FAO will facilitate mobilization of private sector resources for rural and agricultural development,including credit, infrastructure and skilled human resources. It will also encourage donors to focusinvestments on development of pro-poor policies in trade and agricultural transformation.

Message identification and adoption

Messages include the processes involved in the identification of appropriate technologies and policiesassociated with trade and agricultural transformation. These messages will focus on facilitating:

Removal of biases in public spending for small farmers.

Improved access to land and other natural resources for small farmers.

Integration of gender considerations in policy and programme designs.

Harmonizing trade standards for the benefit of the rural poor.


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Unless appropriate technologies are formulated and implemented, opportunities resulting from changesin the market and in trade may, again, bypass small and marginal rural communities. In particular,these changes include: technological improvements in animal feeds and feed grain production, effectiveanimal health measures, prevention of transboundary pests and diseases and prevention and mitigation

of environmental degradation.

Field verification and learning through action-oriented research

FAO should facilitate testing of policies and their impact on the primary beneficiaries in order toincrementally adapt and modify them to meet real needs. This will be done through pilot programmes,

projects, and an action-oriented research approach.

3.1.5 Outcomes

Self-reliance and reduced marginalization of the rural poor.

Improved agricultural performance in meeting market demand in terms of quality and quantity.Improved trade in terms of market efficiency, export-import volumes, foreign exchange earnings,employment and income generation, and access to food by the poor.

Redirection of agricultural subsidies towards investments for agricultural sector growth, povertyalleviation and food security.

3.1.6 Impact indicators

Policy

Sustained and broad-based agricultural growth.

Equitable growth.

Market orientation.

Fair trade regulations in favour of the poor.

Institutions

Linkages and effective information flow between the different groups (e.g. private sector,government organizations and NGOs).

Access to formal credit.

Participation by primary beneficiaries.

Responsive institutions meeting stakeholders needs.

Fair trade regulations redressing the existing bias against the poor.

Training for government officials from countries with large pockets of poor, rural communities.

Messages

Sound and appropriate economic, social, environmental and technical processes.

Promotion of growth and trade with social equality.


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Investment opportunities

Improved infrastructure.

Access to formal credit.

Capacity building

Level of awareness of child labour and trafficking of women and children.

Increased competitiveness.

Responsive institutions meeting stakeholders needs (social services).

Adoption of appropriate technology.

3.2 Decentralizing governance in support of sustainable development

3.2.1 Rationale

An increasing number of governments throughout the region are seeking new ways of service deliveryin rural development. They are also devising innovative approaches to ensure participatory managementof natural resources. Many have embarked on some form of decentralization programme to empower local communities as well as administrative units to manage their own affairs.

This trend is driven partially by a growing appreciation of the contribution that civil society and the private sector can, as partners of government, bring to bear on increasingly complex developmentchallenges.

It also emanates from efforts to trim central bureaucracies, plus a history of failure by governments indelivering services and managing resources at the local level. The most severe impacts from thesefailures have affected those least able to cope: already vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.

Decentralizing governance, from the centre to regions, districts, local governments and administrativeunits, as well as to local communities, cooperatives and the private sector, shows promise in achievingcritical sustainable development objectives. It fosters planning and implementation of programmesand activities at the local level, and improves access to vital services and employment. Ultimately,decentralization facilitates the transfer of power closer to those who are most affected by the exerciseof that power.

Decentralized governance aims at contributing to sustainable rural livelihoods and more equitableaccess to resources. Appropriately implemented, decentralization meets the needs of the poor throughlocal-level participation. It also makes government and administration more flexible, accountable andresponsive.

Regrettably, some programmes have encountered major challenges, disappointments and setbacks.Between policy and implementation, gaps remain. Many local actors and government agencies at alllevels lack adequate human and financial resources to effectively take on new roles and responsibilities.

It is evident that, in some countries, the initial impact of decentralization on reducing hunger andalleviating poverty for resource-poor people has been far from satisfactory. In some cases it has evenled to further natural resource degradation. Instances of breakdown in coordination, planning and

implementation of national development programmes have been noted.


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Experience suggests that the complementary roles of national and subnational actors need to be clearlydefined. Thus, relevant legislation to precisely specify the different roles of actors at various levelsneeds to be enacted. In addition, laws and policies must increase transparency and accountability atall levels.

Reinforced training to enhance technical knowledge, management skills and participatorydecision-making would buttress this needed legislative framework. So would systematized disseminationof up-to-date information to stakeholders at all levels.

This integrated approach will result in an enabling environment to achieve sustainable developmentobjectives, at both local and national levels.

3.2.2 Goal

Decentralized governance that effectively empowers subnational and local governments, administrativeunits, and communities to realize sustainable development goals.

3.2.3 Objectives

The general objective is to improve access by deprived, rural people to adequate inputs, services andnatural resources and to strengthen their management capacity.

The specific objectives are to:

Strengthen policies, legislation and institutional environments supportive of decentralizedgovernance and participatory decision-making processes.

Build the capacities of stakeholders at all levels so institutional reforms can be effective.

Facilitate the organization of rural people, including farmers, fisherfolk, forest-dependent people,traders and labourers.

Improve the accessibility of up-to-date information and adequate resources that meet the needsof all stakeholders.

Enhance cooperation and partnerships among governments, civil society and private groups tofacilitate determination of the complementary roles of national and subnational actors indevelopment interventions.


Decentralized governance that effectively supports sustainable development requires assistance fromvarious disciplines to address multidimensional, cross-cutting problems inherent in institutional,administrative and political reforms. Specifically, the following elements are needed:

Adequate resources to provide technical and policy advice.

Training programmes, methodologies, materials and equipment, technical advice and humanresource development.

A framework for collecting and providing information to all levels of decision-making.

Assistance in budget development and management at the local level.

Institutional infrastructure for empowerment of the rural poor including cooperatives, farmersorganizations, rural marketing and trade associations, credit societies and other groups.

Support networks at regional and national levels providing neutral fora for stakeholders


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3.2.5 Outcomes

Expected outcomes will be diverse and include the following:

Enactment of policies and legislative frameworks to support effective decentralized governance.

Enhanced technical, managerial and organizational capacities of local communities andadministrative units.

Development and dissemination of appropriate information that satisfies the needs of the diversestakeholders.

Adequate resources available at national and decentralized levels.

Clearly defined roles of national and subnational actors in development interventions.

Improved environmental conditions.

Effective networks for communication and the exchange of experiences among stakeholders.


The following qualitative indicators will provide insights into the effectiveness of FAOs assistancewithin the region in regard to decentralized governance:

Effective participation by subnational actors, especially vulnerable and disadvantaged groups,in social and economic decision-making.

Appropriate incentives encouraging participatory planning and management, equitable sharingof resources, improved natural resource management, transparency and accountability, andcollaboration between actors at different levels.

Improved institutions and programmes for education and training.

Adequately funded social and productive services.

Roles of actors at different levels specified.

Local organizations established by the rural poor to look after their own interests, such ascooperatives, farmers organizations etc.

3.3 Reducing vulnerability to disasters

3.3.1 Rationale

The majority of the worlds major natural and man-made disasters occur in Asia and the Pacific. Themost destructive to the food and agriculture sector are the following categories of calamities:

Hydro-meteorological events: floods, droughts, windstorms, cyclones and typhoons.

Geological events ranging from earthquakes and volcano eruptions to mud and land slides.

Forest and plantation fires.

Pests and diseases in animals, plants and humans.

Disasters cause much suffering, depredate resources and arrest poverty alleviation. Drought, the mostdamaging disaster, causes crop failures, undernourishment, land degradation and a decline in water resources. Further consequences are depletion of forage, overgrazing, indiscriminate cutting of vegetationand large-scale mortality of livestock. The consequent unemployment, desperate sale of productive


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assets and out-migration strain the agricultural sectors capacity for sustainable agriculture and ruraldevelopment. Consecutive multiyear droughts have occurred in Central and East Asia over the pastdecade.

Riverine, flash and coastal floods are a major cause of upheavals in the region. There are about31 million hectares of flood-prone areas in South and Southeast Asia. Of these, 13 million are cultivatedand benefit from moderate flooding. Floods recur during the monsoon and rainy seasons, often withdisastrous results: loss of human lives, homes, harvests, livestock and vital cropland. Frequent anddevastating floods often swamp densely populated floodplains. Inundation of large river basins, in theGanges, Mekong and Yangtze, is usually seasonal and can last for weeks.

Storms , from typhoons to cyclones, often combine with floods to inflict suffering and chaos. Theydamage crops, livestock, property, forests and physical infrastructure. They also disrupt the livelihoodsof fisherfolk. Storms as such cannot be prevented. But appropriate interventions can mitigate their impact and help hasten recovery.

Fire is employed as a management tool in forestry and plantation agriculture. Not all fires flare upinto disasters. But uncontrolled, they can wreak significant damage to forests, agriculture production,infrastructure, farm assets and public health. The transboundary health hazards of smoke from forestand agriculture-generated fires have been much in evidence in Southeast Asia in recent years.

Earthquakes, volcano eruptions, and landslides and mudslides may occur less frequently. But their impact on local populations in terms of death and injury, livelihood disruption, unemployment, assetloss and out-migration is extremely severe.

Unfortunately, Asia and the Pacific have recently been experiencing most of the worlds major geologicaldisasters. There is a need to improve preparedness, early warning and recovery strategies, and action

plans.

Animal and plant diseases are of growing concern as disease related disasters occur with increasingfrequency. Industrial livestock production and high animal densities in peri-urban areas are emergingas flash points and the source of new diseases. Outbreaks of disease cause direct economic losses tofarmers and affect production, consumption and international trade. Heightened vigilance is necessaryif large-scale outbreaks are to be prevented and measures adopted to address dangers posed by newlyemerging diseases. Cases in point are the economic slowdown caused by the recent outbreak of severeacute respiratory syndrome and the threat posed by avian influenza, as well as the steady spread of HIV/AIDS in rural Asia. Other threats are on the horizon such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy,rabies, brucellosis and the nipah virus. Also worth noting is the parasitological spread of cystercercosis,

schistosomiasis and taenia.

Many factors come into play in these catastrophes. The more important of these interrelated determinantsare poverty; settlement of fragile ecosystems; exploitative agricultural systems and practices; and landdegradation and water scarcity, leading to even more food insecurity. This vicious cycle is exacerbated

by widespread adoption of industrial farming methods, especially in livestock and fisheries enterprises,sometimes leading to pest and disease epidemics. Global warming and climate change will shift their destructive potential to a higher scale.

These calamities inflict severe social and economic losses as well as human suffering on the victims.Particularly worrisome, they disrupt livelihoods, erode farm assets and destroy the environment, therebymaking sustainable development difficult.


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3.3.2 Goal

Reduced vulnerability to disasters, increased resilience of rural livelihoods and improved recoverycapacity to enable sustainable agriculture and rural development.

3.3.3 Objectives

The overall objective is improvement of livelihoods in disaster-prone areas.

The specific objectives are:

Reduced risk of disasters in the agriculture sector and increased coping and recovery capacity.

Improved food security and balanced nutrition.

Sustainable agriculture applying environment-friendly farming system best practices and protecting natural resource endowments.

Prevention and control of human, animal and plant pests and diseases.


RAP will promote the following strategic elements:

Awareness building to mobilize commitment and resources from the government and the publicfor disaster management and mitigation.

Development of a policy regime and action plan.

Establishing appropriate laws, rules and regulations for disaster management.

Promoting cooperation among institutions currently involved in disaster management and settingup necessary new institutions and cooperative networks.

Encouraging agro-ecological zoning.

Introducing Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information Mapping Systems (FIVIMS).

Strengthening land-use planning, monitoring and enforcement.

Training of trainers in prevention, preparedness, early warning, needs assessment andrehabilitation and sustainable development.

R&D in resilient farming systems and best practices, especially in crop diversification, integratedfarming, contingency cropping, hazard-resistant methods and environment conservation.

Strengthening the rural employment generation programme with shelf projects ready for implementation when disasters strike.

A long-term perspective in country programming, as well as recognition of the benefits of internationalcooperation, is crucial to reducing vulnerability to disasters.

3.3.5 Outcomes

Resilient livelihoods in the face of disasters and other risks.

Disaster management plans incorporated into national development plans for food and agriculture.

Farmers in the rural sector practising environment-friendly agriculture and protecting local naturalresources.


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Early warning and response systems/networks established.

Supply of safe crop, livestock, and fisheries products.


Number of disasters.

Intensity of disasters.

Coordination amongst international stakeholders.

Time frame from the advent of the disaster through impact assessment, relief, rehabilitation andreconstruction to sustainable recovery.

Growth of international agricultural trade, especially of livestock products.

Rate of increase in emergency food aid.

Incidence of malnutrition and undernutrition in disaster areas.

Effectiveness of information and communications systems, and awareness of actions to be takenand rules to come into force in disaster management.

3.4 Promoting effective and equitable management, conservation andsustainable use of natural resources

3.4.1 Rationale

Over the past 30 years, the natural resources of the Asia-Pacific region have been subjected to increasingdegradation thereby threatening livelihoods, food security, peoples health and long-term sustainable

development. Such environmental degradation has also increased the risks of natural disasters. Growing populations, urbanization, widespread poverty, ineffective governance, ambiguous property rights, weak institutions and inappropriate policies continue to exacerbate an alarming situation.

Pressure on land, forest, water and aquatic resources in Asia and the Pacific is the most severe comparedto other regions in the world. 850 million hectares, representing more than 28 percent of the regionsland area, are affected by some form of land degradation. Deforestation, inappropriate agricultural

practices, inefficient irrigation water use, excessive groundwater extraction and industrial developmentcontinue to contribute to land, soil and water degradation. Soil erosion and nutrient mining havereduced the agricultural potential of vast areas.

The rapid increase in population and unprecedented economic growth have had the most severe impacton the regions freshwater resources, including water quality. Diminishing freshwater supplies, especiallyin populous and arid areas, have started to become a limiting factor in crop production and threaten theimportant contribution of aquatic resources to household food security and national economies. Wetlandsand coastal ecosystems, particularly coral reefs, are threatened by the cumulative effects of agriculturalrunoff and silting, urban sewage, industrial pollution, destructive fishing techniques, tourism and thewarming of water temperatures. The impact of climate change looms large over the low-lying areasand small islands, and threatens to increase the variability of climate and the incidence of floods anddroughts.

The transition from subsistence agriculture, livestock and fisheries towards greater intensification,commercialization and industrialization generates new patterns of natural resource use which maycontribute to their degradation; it also often threatens the unique gene pool of plant and animal resources.The introduction of modern production systems has considerably contributed to the erosion of genetic


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diversity and may limit the regions ability to respond to changing market and other conditions in thefuture. In particular, the numbers of farm animal breeds that are already extinct or endangered area concern. Deforestation and forest degradation and their impact on the regions biodiversity remaina serious problem.

Countries in the region generally recognize the need to shift from exploitative land management practicesto more sustainable, equitable, economically viable and productive patterns of food production andnatural resource management. Many governments have initiated far-reaching policy, legal, andinstitutional reforms for the management and use of natural resources and biodiversity. Some haveadopted the participatory approach.

These positive responses are supported by an improvement in available information, increasedenvironmental awareness by NGOs and civil society, increasing incomes, the adoption of internationalenvironmental agreements and treaties, safety standards, codes of practice and criteria and indicatorsfor sustainable management. However, inadequate law enforcement and weak capacities in participatory

policy formulation and implementation hinder the effectiveness of present efforts.

The challenge is to balance the elements of change, namely people, policy, technology and resources,for effective and equitable natural resource management. Particular difficulties reside in developingand implementing proper checks and balances, and managing potential conflicts between concerns for the public interest and legitimate aspirations for socio-economic development. Furthermore, the rightcombination of regulations, devolution of authority, coordinating initiatives between the various levelsof decision-making and management, and financing conservation and sustainable use of natural resourcesrequire urgent attention.

3.4.2 Goal

Conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in Asia and the Pacific for the benefit of all.

3.4.3 Objectives

The objectives are to ensure that:

Member countries have effective national policies, legislation and institutions for the management,conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, and engage in regional cooperation tomanage shared natural resources.

Sustainable management of natural resources is recognized as a priority and sufficient financialand other resources are allocated for this purpose.

Stakeholders have the capacity to effectively design, implement and monitor policies, programmes, reforms and tangible changes and benefits to end users.

Appropriate information and technologies are communicated to stakeholders, especially women,the poor and marginal groups.

International conventions and treaties are implemented and monitored.


Strengthening education and the building the capacity of all stakeholders in sustainablemanagement, use and conservation of natural resources.

Facilitating regional and transboundary agreements relating to natural resource management,conservation and use


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Promoting best practices of environmentally sound production, processing and marketing of food, industrial crops, wood and fibre, livestock and natural resource products.

Assisting in establishing enabling environments, including infrastructure and systems of propertyor access rights, for natural resources planning, conservation and management.

Advancing participatory planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation at all stakeholder levels.

Adopting information and communications technologies for natural resource management.

Furthering equitable access to natural resources.

Developing and extending adaptive and mitigative strategies for climate change and mobilizingresources for action.

Advocating more sustainable and remunerative ways of using natural resources such as ecotourismand adding value to forest, fishery and agricultural products.

Extending efficient and environmentally sound management of watersheds, river basins andirrigation systems.

3.4.5 Outcomes

Improved policy instruments and institutions for enabling sustainable use, conservation andmanagement of natural resources.

Enhanced allocation of resources for interventions required to attain sustainable management of natural resources and agricultural development.

Reinforced capacity of stakeholders to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate impacts of development and use of natural resources management and conservation.

Better utilization of relevant information and technologies, and application of best practices for sustained use of natural resources by users at all levels.

Entry into, and implementation of, relevant regional and international conventions, treaties etc.

Genetic resources for food and agriculture conserved and shared equitably.

Better integration of natural resource policies and interventions.

Improved rural livelihoods through more efficient use of natural resources, higher productivity,and more value addition.


People

Access to credit and inputs by stakeholders.

Participatory involvement in development and natural resource issues.

Incomes and livelihoods of rural people.

Best practice technologies used by stakeholders.

Level of self-reliance of rural communities.

Gender disaggregated data on access to natural resources.


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Policy

Revised policies and appropriate regulatory frameworks developed for the sustainablemanagement of natural resources and improved agricultural practices.

Incentives for natural resource conservation.Market-driven development of the forestry, fisheries and agriculture sectors.

Macro indicators on the status of natural resources, e.g. forest cover, water quality, geneticresources, soil fertility, fish stocks etc.

Technology

Enhanced capacities of regional, national and local governments, NGOs, and local communitiesin the use, conservation and management of natural resources.

Access to improved technology packages for stakeholder use and guidance.

Technologies developed for sustainable use of natural resources.

Information systems for decision-makers.

Resources

Government and donor resources applied to management and conservation.

Sources of finance for sustainable natural resource management.

Budget allocations for human resource development.

Investment rates in supportive infrastructure for natural resource management.

Research and development in natural resource conservation and use.

3.5 Strengthening biosecurity for food security and agricultural trade

3.5.1 Rationale

Production systems in Asia and the Pacific are rapidly evolving in response to increasing demand for food and agricultural products as well as to globalization pressures. Modern biotechnological methods,and their capacity to enhance both the quality and volume of food and agricultural commodities and

products, have moved to the forefront of policy discussions.

The new technology affects natural resources, the environment, biodiversity and food quality, and alsoraises significant concerns related to biosecurity in the region. In fact, biosecurity is now one of theurgent issues that confronts both the region and the international community.

Biosecurity is defined as: management of all biological and environmental risks associated with foodand agriculture, including forestry and fisheries. It covers issues related to biosafety (reduction of risks associated with the use of products derived from modern biotechnology), food safety and plant aswell as animal health.

Risks include: introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and alien species, plant andanimal pests, natural toxins, pesticide and antibiotic residues, biodiversity erosion, and the spread of

transboundary animal and zoonotic diseases.


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Some risks associated with modern biotechnology products, such as transgenic crops, are widely debated.Recent reports estimate that GMOs are currently cultivated in 5 industrialized countries coveringa total of 47.3 million hectares, and in 13 developing countries (in this region including China, India,Indonesia and the Philippines) covering an area of 20.4 million hectares. Argentina, Canada and the

US account for 95 percent of this total. In Asia, China leads with 2.1 million hectares under transgeniccrops.

FAO has identified two basic categories of risk: risk to health (human and animal) and risk to theenvironment.

An example of a health risk is the transfer of toxins and allergens from one life form to another,subsequently creating and spreading new toxins. Hazards to the environment include the introductionof GMOs into wild species, leading to the emergence and spread of herbicide and pest resistance, andeven the generation of new pests.

The introduction of alien species may alter habitats and consequently disturb ecosystem processes.The consequences for native species can be catastrophic. Often transported by anthropogenic means,alien species may prove invasive and can aggressively establish themselves in native ecosystems. This

process, together with habitat destruction, has resulted in the displacement or even extinction of nativespecies throughout the world.

Biosecurity risks are also associated with animal and fish diseases. Foot-and-mouth disease, rinderpest,classical swine fever and white-spot syndrome virus (WSSV) in shrimp are categorised as transboundarydiseases. Diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans include BSE (bovine spongiformencephalopathy or mad-cow disease), rabies, tuberculosis, brucellosis, avian influenza and severe acuterespiratory syndrome. They are related to food safety and affect regional and international trade andfood security.

If left unchecked, such diseases can decimate herds, harvests and fish stocks, adversely affecting thelivelihoods of farmers, especially already impoverished producers. The existence of these diseaseswithin a country also restricts free and safe regional and international trade.

Intensification of production systems, land degradation, salinization, heavy metal and pesticidecontamination, water table depletion, and chemical and antibiotic residues have increased hazards bothto human health and environmental quality.

Domestic and foreign consumers today are becoming increasingly concerned over food quality andsafety arising from intensive agriculture. This concern is reflected in the higher quality and safety

standards required by markets. As a result, producers are hard pressed to meet the standards demandedand, at the same time, ensure economic returns. They also lack access to adequate information regardingappropriate methods and production system options. Institutional support is patchy at best as nationaland regional institutions try to adapt from a production-based focus to a more holistic approach thatincludes the areas of food safety and environmental sustainability.

The broad and complex problems related to biosecurity have given rise to a number of international,regional and intergovernmental bodies and have resulted in a number of recent international agreements.These include: the World Trade Organizations (WTO) Agreement on the Application of Sanitary andPhytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) covering food safety; and the Convention on BiologicalDiversity and the Cartagena Protocol to manage risks in the movement of living modified organisms.

Countries also cooperate through the earlier Codex Alimentarius, the International Plant ProtectionConvention and the Office International des Epizooties (OIE).


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Many of these agreements are highly specific, often related to either trade or safety. More coordinatedefforts are required to take into account overlapping global and regional issues encompassing sustainableagriculture, food security, environmental protection, loss of biodiversity and trade.

A variety of interrelated biosecurity issues in Asia and the Pacific remain inadequately understood or addressed. Responsibility for these issues is scattered among different sectors involving agriculture,health, the environment, forestry, fisheries, trade and industry. Rationalization of biosecurity issues, atthe national and regional levels, will be required if overlaps are to be eliminated.

3.5.2 Goal

Strengthened biosecurity to promote sustainable agriculture, food security, and regional and internationaltrade.

3.5.3 Objectives

The objectives are to:

Improve access to relevant, up-to-date information on biosecurity issues that meets the needs of stakeholders at all levels.

Assist in the development of national policies and regulatory frameworks relating to biosecurityand biosafety.

Support capacity building in biosecurity assessment and decision-making to address issues relatedto intensification and application of risky technologies in food and agriculture.

Advance risk assessment and control of invasive species and transboundary diseases, andimplementation of WTO SPS measures aimed at livestock, fisheries and agricultural tradeexpansion.

Enhance regional networking and international collaboration and provide a neutral forum on biosecurity issues.


The following elements are critical for developing future strategies to strengthen biosecurity:

Capacity building for risk assessment, and management and development of a strong institutionalframework for regulatory systems.

Risk/benefit analysis of the new production systems to address particular problems relative toexisting technologies and other technological options.

Policy setting and priority identification based on information about the potential impact of different biotechnological interventions on poor people.

Stakeholder dialogue on the health and environmental risks of new trends in farming systemssuch as intensification and application of biotechnology to minimize these risks.

Strengthening linkages among research and development institutions dealing with biosecurity, biotechnology, biosafety and food safety.

Intellectual property management to facilitate access to proprietary technologies and strengthen

private and public investment in the development and delivery of new products at prices that poor people can afford.


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Ability of farmers to make informed decisions in support of biosecurity concerns.

Investment in a strategic research and development agenda and associated human resourcedevelopment in order to generate new knowledge and its dissemination for the public good.

3.5.5 Outcomes

RAP inputs relating to biosecurity, biosafety, biotechnology and intensified farming systems willcontribute to the achievement of the following outcomes:

Information systems on biosecurity, biosafety and biotechnology established for improved accessto neutral and balanced information.

Policies and regulatory frameworks developed/revised and put in place to support applicationof biosecurity measures.

Compliance with codes of conduct, protocols and international instruments relating to biosecurity.

Strengthened national capacity to evaluate and implement policies and regulations related to biosecurity.

Implementation of education programmes for farmers to enable informed decision-making on biosecurity.

Regional cooperation and networks of stakeholders developed, and enhanced public awarenessof biosecurity issues.

Research into priority areas identified and promoted for implementation by relevant partner institutions and agencies.


Positive feedback on the relevance and quality of information.

Biosecurity and biosafety incorporated into national regulatory framework.

Reported cases of alien invasive species minimized.

Regional transboundary disease control programmes established.

Incidence of certain transboundary diseases reduced.

Information on biosecurity issues shared and joint projects implemented.

Approved GMOs applied with no significant negative impact on agriculture and biodiversity

following risk assessment and analysis.

3.6 Alleviating poverty in rice-based livelihood systems

3.6.1 Rationale

Rice-based livelihoods characterize rural Asia and the Pacific. Grown in 26 nations, rice is consumedas a staple food in most of the 43 regional member countries. It is sown over a fifth of the total arableand permanent cropland. The crop also gives part-time work to some 300 million people who makeup a sixth of the total agricultural population.

There is archaeological evidence that rice ( Oryza sativa ) was domesticated 15 000 years ago in theRepublic of Korea. Over the millennia, rice afforded sustainable, food-secure and even affluent livesin areas well endowed with land and water. But the present rice landscape is marred by factors and


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forces associated with food insecurity and environmental degradation, although it is recognized thatrice-based systems also provide positive externalities. Problems include:

Declining farm sizes and falling rice prices.

The vicious cycle of rainfed production: low productivity, natural resource exploitation, and poverty in 40 percent of rice lands.

A significant proportion of the 503 million hungry people survives within rice-based farmingsystems.

Climate change with the likelihood of coastal inundation, sea water seepage, erratic monsoonal precipitation, salinization and nutrient depletion as well as other damaging impacts will further threaten the productivity and sustainability of rice lands.

The Uruguay Round Agreement and expected further trade liberalization threaten high-cost producers of rice.

Within this context, a significant number of rice growers face bleak prospects in terms of employment,income generation and sustainability of resource endowments. Many governments, for social and

political reasons as well as lack of appropriate technology, continue to support expansion of productionindiscriminately and lock farmers into producing rice, undermining alternatives for diversification.

Clearly, rice is at a crossroads. One path is to continue along the same lines with the usual popular mix of input subsidy, concession credit, price and other fiscal incentives, regardless of comparativeadvantage. The other path is to restructure the rice sector through quick and comprehensive reallocationof resources for future cost-efficient production on a sustainable basis.

There is a growing consensus that the rice sector can survive and contribute more to sustainable

agriculture and rural development if the admittedly rougher pathway of restructuring is taken. Butowing to cost and welfare considerations, the evidence to date is that developing countries are tryingto strike a middle path, i.e. maximizing production for near-term poverty alleviation and simultaneouslylaying the foundations for restructuring the sector. The need to strengthen policies and programmes inthis context is urgent.

3.6.2 Goal

Livelihood systems that deliver sustained income growth and protect natural resources.

3.6.3 Objectives

The overall objective is to alleviate poverty and enhance incomes of farm households whose livelihoodswere traditionally based on rice production.

The specific objectives are:

To attain and maintain comparative advantages of diversified livelihood systems.

To realize relatively high incomes from productive, resilient and diversified farming systems,non- and off-farm employment, and industrial and service activities.

To arrest and reverse natural resource degradation and environmental pollution.

In perspective, this requires revisiting overall development plans with a view to reallocation of resources,including land amalgamation for more efficient management towards market-driven production,consumption and trade policies


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The strategic elements in the development of rice-based livelihood systems for sustainable agricultureand rural development are as follows:

Rice sector policy analysis and decision support system (DSS) development.

Expanding intensifying livestock and poultry enterprises into rice-based farming systems andcapturing rice-fish synergies.

Diversifying and intensifying sustainable cropping systems.

Optimizing farm size, improving irrigation, and mechanizing pre- and post-harvest operations.

Incorporating natural resources management and environmental protection into rice-basedlivelihood systems (erosion and water control, biodiversity and ecotourism).

Capacity strengthening in good farm management and practice Integrated Pest Management(IPM), integrated plant nutrient management (IPNM), Farmer Field Schools (FFS) and soil andwater management.

Empowering farmers (building institutions and agricultural support and community servicestaking into account gender considerations).

Promoting farm-agribusiness linkages and agro-industrial management.

Promoting mechanisms and institutions for implementing FIVIMS and market monitoring andevaluation.

3.6.5 Outcomes

Expected outcomes of this priority area are wide-ranging. They include:Regional rice policies on production, consumption and trade harmonized.

National rice policies rationalized.

Technology, management and organization of the rice sector upgraded.

Natural resource conservation and environmental protection measures built into rice-basedlivelihood systems.

Monitoring and evaluation of rice-based livelihood systems instituted, and linked to FIVIMS.

Income and employment generated through value addition and improved processing andmarketing of agricultural products.

Diversified farms with production of high-value industrial and horticultural crops, livestock andaquaculture.

Restructured rice sectors wherein marginal and fragile rice areas are converted to other appropriateuses and enterprises, and productive areas are improved and amalgamated into farm size unitsthat can be efficiently and profitably managed.

Educated and technologically competent farming communities, particularly women and youth.

These expected outcomes would result in: increased employment, food security, balanced nutrition,resilient livelihoods, better education, improved health and sanitation, and adequate income.


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An extensive list of impact indicators already exists for food security and sustainable agriculture for rural development. But many are impractical. The more relevant indicators currently used fall under three categories, namely: estimates based on regular surveys; measures derived from governmentrecords; and qualitative assessments. The critical ones are:

Labour productivity.

Disposable income per household and household budgetary expenditure based on periodic surveys.

Food availability based on supply utilization account estimates.

Yields based on annual crop cutting surveys.

Birth weight, under-weight, stunting and wasting based on periodic nutrition surveys.

Infant mortality and under-five mortality rates.

Population below the poverty line. Number of landless agricultural labourers.

Number of households with less than one ha of agricultural land.

Water productivity.

Government support services.

Capacity building based on farmers opportunities in and exposure to training.


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4. IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

RAPs Strategic Framework articulates priorities, goals, strategic elements, objectives and outputs aimed

at achieving food security through sustainable agriculture and rural development. RAP shares its visionwith member countries in the Asia and Pacific region. Realizing the vision will ultimately depend onactions taken by regional, national and local stakeholders and mobilization of considerable resources.

RAP will adopt a three-pronged approach aimed at mobilizing resources, creating an enablingenvironment for sustainable agriculture and rural development and improving cost-effective operationalsystems and methods.

Resource mobilization

Every effort will be directed at raising resources for implementing RAPs thematic programmes and in

helping member countries increase investments in agriculture and food security from diverse sources.RAP can mobilize extrabudgetary resources as well as promote funding of FAOs Regular and FieldProgrammes from donor countries, intergovernmental banks, international funding agencies and evengovernments of beneficiary countries and private companies. For this purpose, RAP will:

Enhance collaboration with existing funding agencies such as international banks, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other UN bodies and donor governments.

Establish financing linkages with potential and new contributors including public and privateagencies of beneficiary countries, multinationals, international charity organizations and others.

Expand and strengthen South-South cooperation.

Develop procedures to facilitate contributions from all donors and collaborators.Prepare a shelf of continuously updated project ideas in collaboration with beneficiary countriesand actively promote it to funding agencies.

Promote in-kind contributions including experts, facilities and equipment.

Direct resources to the least-developed countries thereby avoiding the spread of resources toothinly.

Enabling environment

In order to realize the vision of a food-secure Asia-Pacific, there must be an enabling environment.

RAPs implementation strategy will assist in creating this enabling environment. Its building blocksare good governance, effective institutions and support services, pro-poor approaches and environmentallysound systems and practices.

Under the six thematic programme areas, RAP will:

Help in mobilizing the political commitment for and promotion of a policy environmentconducive to an increase of investment by intergovernmental bodies, national and localgovernments, public and private sector agencies, and civil society groups as well as localcommunities and individual farmers in sustainable agriculture and rural development.

Enhance the application of service-oriented, applied and strategic research by strengthening

linkages with educational and extension institutions.


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Support knowledge sharing and the development and spread of information technologies torapidly overcome the research-extension-farmer knowledge gap.

Base its activities, whenever appropriate, on traditional knowledge.

Facilitate a paradigm shift from exploitative agriculture to environmentally sound natural resourcemanagement and farming practices.

Promote awareness of the need by vulnerable groups to a diversified and nutritionally balanceddiet.

Foster fair and responsible investment and trade in agriculture, paying attention to the specialneeds of the low-income food deficit countries, food quality and safety, and environmentalstandards.

Assist in decentralization and devolution of natural resource management and sustainableagriculture, and the provision of social services in rural development.

Help to expand broad-based partnership approaches and alliances with government agencies,academic institutions, the private sector, non-governmental and civil society organizations, donorsand other interested partners.

Cost-effectiveness

RAP will act to improve the cost-effectiveness of operational systems and methods, as well as strengthencapacity. RAP will:

Strengthen the multidisciplinary approach and enhance cross-sectoral cooperation.

Develop a critical mass of technical experts able to respond to member countries emergingneeds.

Harness information and communications technologies to improve efficiency in programmedevelopment and implementation, and ensure effective knowledge and information dissemination.

Take a proactive approach in translating the strategic framework into action programmes incollaboration with member countries and other partners.

Promote a corporate culture and rapid response system through continuous review of managementand communication practices.

4.1 Comparative advantage of FAOs regional office and emerging opportunities

RAP, working as a team with headquarters-based staff, draws strength from its pool of wide-rangingexpertise in food, horticultural and industrial crops, plant protection, animal production and health,fisheries, forestry, institutional development, policy, commodities and trade, statistics, nutrition, irrigationand natural resource management. Its experts can provide a critical mass to address the technical,

policy, social and economic aspects of agricultural development and natural resource management.

Over the years, RAP has established its credentials as a neutral forum. This encourages an objectiveand wide-ranging exchange of ideas and experiences on challenges to the regions development.

RAP is linked through its extensive networking with national and international partners including theConsultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Centres and donor communities.It can mobilize expertise and some financial resources from these partners to reinforce its own to bear on current as well as emerging development concerns. In addition, RAP is the base for many


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intergovernmental and interinstitutional networks, commissions and other groupings in which it participates or provides the secretariat. This facilitates technical collaboration.

This extensive structure includes, among others, regional commissions on plant protection, animal production and health, forestry, fisheries and statistics. The Organization sponsors networks on credit,marketing, nutrition and agricultural research, among others.

RAP also draws technical, managerial and organizational support from FAOs special programmes onintegrated pest management, food security, conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resourcesfor food and agriculture and others.

Initiatives like the Emergency Prevention Service for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pest and Diseasesas well as the Livestock Environment and Development Programme and the Asia-Pacific Food Insecurityand Vulnerability Information and Mapping Systems address specific concerns.

The FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific and other policy-level meetings have adopted

policy guidelines and various declarations dealing with common problems affecting member countries.These can provide clear insights and directions when governments formulate policies and programmes.

RAPs strength lies also in its field programme development and implementation, with a rich portfolioof projects spanning a wide spectrum including agriculture, fisheries, forestry, nutrition and food security.The experience gained in implementing these projects, with an annual budget of over US$30 million,can serve countries well.

The WFS for the first time set a common development target halving the worlds hungry by 2015.The formulation of policies and programmes, as well as the monitoring and evaluation of their implementation, provides a major opportunity for RAP to work with member countries.

Swift communication and increasing interdependence of countries have heightened alertness andawareness of the consequences of complex emergencies, like water scarcity, cross-border infestation of

pests and diseases, multiyear drought, financial crises and others. Countries are likely to tur

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