AsiaDHRRA Online

AsiaDHRRA, together with the Non-Timber Forest Products – Exchange Programme for South and Southeast Asia (NTFP-EP),  ASEAN Social Forestry Network (ASFN), Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and SDC  co-organized the first CSO 101 Brown Bag Event for the Civil Society Organizations & the Agriculture and Forestry Sector in the ASEAN Region held [...]

The CSO event statement highlights the adverse impact of the “loss of forest and agricultural land to monoculture plantations” to the  biodiversity, food security and human rights in the region and proposes to the ASEAN members states several measures to mitigate these effects. The agriculture and environment CSO stakeholders recommend that ASEAN and/or its member [...]

Our warmest congratulations to the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) who celebrates their 10th Anniversary today as they hold the event entitled “AFA@10: Celebrating Successes, Taking On More Challenges: AFA Regional Consultations and 5th AFA General Assembly” on March 7-9, 2012 in Hanoi, Vietnam. AFA came into fruition after a series farmer exchanges [...]

In the recently concluded 4th AFA General Assembly last April 23 in Ping Tung, Taiwan, the new officers of the Executive Committee for 2010-2015 were sworn into office. The new leaders of AFA are as follows: Chairperson – Mr. Tsai, Shun-Te, TWADA (Taiwan) Vice-Chairperson – Ms. Jang, Jeong-Ok, WAFF (South Korea) Treasurer (appointed) – Mr. [...]

Renato Penas, Vice-President of PAKISAMA, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen at 11:00 PM yesterday, on the way to his farm in Sumilao, Bukidnon. He was 51. His 2 companions are in the hospital nursing gunshot wounds. It was a high price to pay for selflessly dedicating himself to the agrarian reform movement. He is [...]

ASEAN is home to 540 million people . Substantial percentages of land resources in many countries in ASEAN are devoted to agricultural production. Agriculture is still an important source of income and livelihood in many ASEAN countries. Yet , the poorest people in ASEAN, or those who live below $1 or even $2 dollars a [...]

We mourn the death of Ka Vic Paglinawan, a model farmer leader from Mindanao, who also touched our lives in the region for his active participation in the regional activities hosted by AFA and AsiaDHRRA in the past years. During those times, Ka Vic Paglinawan represented PAKISAMA as its National Chairperson. We fondly remember Ka [...]

By Kang, Min Su, AFA The Korean Advanced Farmers Federation’s (KAFF) commemoration of Lee Kyung Hae’s 5th death anniversary ended successfully. The commemoration was organized in order to remember the farmer-leader’s sacrifice. Special rites were held before Lee Kyung Hae’s grave in his hometown. Through these events, KAFF hopes that the public will remember Lee [...]

The issue of Special Products and Special Safeguard Mechanism (SP/SSM) is a key issue in the current Doha Round of negotiations. The SP/SSM seems to be one of few issues that developing countries are quite strong on, and that the US is strongly opposed to, meaning that if the developing countries (G33) stay strong in [...]

This issue paper jointly published by AFA and AsiaDHRRA presents basic information on the ASEAN Charter and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint, including updates on ASEAN Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), as well as AFA’s analysis and position on these topics. It was written by Focus on the Global South Program Coordinator Joy Chavez, who [...]

This monograph presents the highlights of the farmers’ exchange visits (FEVs) in Indonesia and Japan, conducted by AFA, in cooperation with AsiaDHRRA. It also contains the highlights of the field visits held during regional consultations in Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. All of these FEVs and field visits occurred during the years 2006-2007. Download the [...]

In celebration of AFA day, members and partners participating in AFA’s Consultation-Workshop & 3rd AFA General Assembly last February 28 – March 3, 2008 in Sangnok Resort, Cheonan, South Korea, visited 2 farmer communities. pics and stories here… 

The Indonesian Peasant Alliance is currently implementing an ICT capability building training for its member farmers; Based on the endeavor to enhance farmers and their households’ capacity to access to information technology (IT), API in cooperation with Formasi Indonesia has been conducting Community Training Center (CTC) Program starting from August 2007. The objective of the [...]

Following the 21st AFA Execom meeting in Bangkok, Thailand last December 22, 2007, AFA announced that it will hold its third general assembly in Korea on February 28 to March 3, 2008, to be hosted by the Korean Advanced Farmers’ Federation (KAFF). February 28 will be the celebration of AFA Day with a field visit [...]

Agricultural trade globalization under the present neo-liberal economic regime has disempowered and alienated farmers and producers from the rest of the commodity chain. Farmers find themselves out of the loop as soon as their produce leaves their farms. They have been reduced to being end-users of agricultural inputs produced by companies and as producers of [...]