Asian Farmers Exchange and Exposure Visit and Dialogue
held in Suwon City, South Korea on 22 to 30 November 1999\

Asian Rural Farmers’ Commitment

Asian Farmers Exchange and Exposure Visit and Dialogue:

Rural Farmers Formation and Strengthening for Self-Reliance Development & Networking

We, the farmer-leaders representing seven countries in rural Asia, in solidarity with the country DHRRAs from Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam, participating in the Asian Farmers Exchange and Exposure Visit and Dialogue: Rural Formation & Strengthening for Self-Reliance Development and Networking held in Suwon City, South Korea on 22 to 30 November 1999, jointly issue this declaration with our corresponding commitments:

That we are concerned about

• the apathy of most Asian governments to the promotion and implementation of genuine agrarian and aquatic reform program;
• the limited and sometimes lack of support from most Asian governments for local farmers especially in the areas of credit program and facilities, access to market and marketing support mechanisms, infrastructure such as pre and post harvest facilities, and extension services to include science and technology and sustainable agriculture;
• the limited recognition that some Asian governments give to the role of the genuine agrarian and aquatic sectors in agricultural policy development, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation;
• the effects of trade liberalization on rural community culture, indigenous knowledge systems, and farmers production;
  the inadequate recognition of farming as hard and dignified work;
• the limited recognition given to the important roles of rural women in agricultural development alongside with the unequal opportunities provided them by most Asian countries;
• the insufficient capacity of local and national farmers organizations for direct policy advocacy and organizational effectiveness;
  the limited resources, both financial and human, to initiate, support, and sustain alternative socio-economic models for local community development; and
• the limited independence of cooperative development and the inadequate support given to cooperatives alongside with on-going competition among their ranks.

Inasmuch as challenges continue to face our ranks, the following we present as our accomplishments:

• the formation and strengthening of local/village farmers groups and national farmers organizations in Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam;
• the setting up of support mechanisms for the village farmers and their communities in the areas of policy advocacy, capacity building, development and promotion of alternative/best practices, gender and development, and solidarity and cooperation;
• the building of local capacities through processes such as dialogues and exchanges, awareness raising, strategic planning, and mobilizations; and
• the pursuit of local, national and international linkages with various development players who believe in our capacities to actively engage in genuine people empowerment

Given these pressing concerns and our own local and national efforts and initiatives in the pursuit of rural community development, we commit ourselves to:

• promote and ensure the recognition of the valuable contributions of small farmers and agriculture national development;
  sustain, strengthen, and expand linkages/networking/coalition for solidarity and advocacy with other stakeholders;
• develop and expand appropriate models and best practices towards local community development;
  strengthen the capacities and capabilities of local/village and national farmers organizations and cooperatives to include ability to mobilize internal and external resources;
• promote and ensure the recognition of the valuable contribution of rural women to agricultural development alongside with providing and ensuring access to equal opportunities;
• undertake in partnership with other stakeholders relevant and accessible research, documentation, analysis and education on the implications of globalization and trade liberalization policies on local and national initiatives of the farmers sector and ensure its dissemination in the rural villages of Asia; and
• pursue regional people-to-people dialogues, exchanges and economic and technological cooperation among Asian rural farmers organizations in solidarity with the country DHRRAs towards genuine farmer empowerment.

In the light of these challenges and commitments, solidarity among Asian rural farmers is imperative and in this coming together we may come to realize our hopes and dreams for the future. In each other’s organized strength, we place our trust and hopes as we continue and heighten our resolve so that in the not too distant future, our right to land, livelihood, and dignity will cease to be a dream and become a reality.

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The Asian Farmers Exchange and Exposure Visit and Dialogue: Rural Formation & Strengthening for Self-Reliance Development and Networking, organized by the Asian Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Asia (AsiaDHRRA), was participated in by farmer-leaders and representatives from seven country DHRRAs and People’s Organizations (POs) from Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam, along with representatives from the Community Development Major – Seoul National University and Agriterra, with support from the Asian Partnership for Human Development (APHD), Misereor, and Daesan Foundation for Rural Society and Culture.