This research on ATIGA was anchored by AsiaDHRRA for the Trade Advocacy Group (TAG) and was undertaken by Ms. Riza Bernabe.

The research attempts to develop concrete and specifi c recommendations on the Philippines’ regional trade policy including positions in regional trade agreements by generating and consolidating information on the capabilities as well as sensitivities of the various sectors with respect to regional trade.

These recommendations can form part of civil society’s advocacy agenda on ATIGA in particular, and ASEAN in general. The research was designed to capture the effect of ATIGA on national trade policies and more importantly, assess the capability of local sectors to compete within its framework of greater regional trade liberalization.

AsiaDHRRA is a member of Trade Advocacy Group (TAG), a platform for trade campaigning and information exchange in the Philippines.

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1. Provide background information on how the ADB operates
2. Analyze the ADB’s operations in two pilot countries (the Philippines and Indonesia) focusing on agriculture-related projects
3. In-depth analysis of two ADB projects on agriculture as case study (one per pilot country)
4. CSO participation in ADB processes

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LSFM is in exploratory talks with several partners for the continuation of the next phase.

Visit the websites of two commodities supported by the LSFM project.

The organic rice website can be accessed at http://www.berasalami.com

The kalamansi (Philippine lemon) website is viewable now at http://www.pinoykalamansi.org/

The forum is a culminating activity of the  study on Strengthening Social Accountability Mechanisms for Food Security and Agricultural Development currently being undertaken in partnership with AsiaDHRRA. The study aims to strengthen the capacity of CSOs to monitor and analyze processes of international finance institutions, the ADB in particular, and the national agencies in promoting food security and agricultural development.

Kindly contact Ms. Jen Javier, PhilDHRRA Research Coordinator at 436-0702 loc. 115 for more details.

The CRS has partnered with the Province of Nghe An to promote a territory approach to agro-enterprise development. This means that the project needs to 1) be implemented through the Government administration structure; 2) improve the skills and knowledge of government staff in promoting market oriented production; 3) promote ownership and sustainability; and 4) aim for policy improvement for poverty alleviation through agro-enterprise development.

Following the 5 processes/steps for agro-enterprise development, the project has strengthened the ability of government agencies in promoting agro-enterprise development and project management. It has also contributed to more diversified agricultural products and improved the lives of target communities (through more jobs, value-added, increase incomes and reduced environmental and health issues)
Continue reading the CRS Experience – Support to Agro-Enterprise Development in Nghe An Province (Vietnam)….

Mr. Guarin introduced the Upland Marketing Program and related about its nearly twelve years of experience in selling directly to supermarkets. He said that direct selling to supermarkets is inevitable given the worldwide trend of increasing rate of grocery sales due to various factors, such as the modernization of procurement, increasing incomes, and the growing preference of buyers for safety and convenience which the supermarkets can offer. He explained about the three waves of supermarket diffusion and noted that increasingly, supermarkets are adding more and more carts of fresh produce , fully allowing retail purchases for such just as the public markets would. More and more have flocked to the supermarkets instead of the usual public wet markets, as the latter has stricter standards for food safety and product quality.
Continue reading the Mechanisms for Product Quality and Food Safety: Tips for Entry into the Supermarket….

He added that small farmers are much weaker now than 15 years ago due to many changes such as changes in the global agricultural market, changes in national government, increasing urbanization, emergence of new market segments, and the ever-increasing challenges of economies of scale. He enumerated the various types of small-farmer commodity organizations, their roles and functions, and some of the specific challenges (for instance, the investment requirements governing cooperatives) that each of them might soon have to address.

Continue reading the Overview of Challenges Experienced by Small Farmers in Engaging with Markets….

Philippines
Mr. Luis Caballero Jr., Vice Chairperson of Zamboanga Sibugay High Value Marketing Crop, presented their community’s experience in maintaining food safety and quality standards for calamansi. In terms of maintaining product quality, this involved the processes before planting, the maintenance requirements during planting season, as well as the safeguards during picking, sorting, and storage. Mr. Caballero enumerated the following issues and challenges: (1) Some farmers / pickers do not follow the guidelines in size and maturity of calamansi during picking; (2) Branches dry out due to excess water and fungi; (3) Regular monitoring of an accredited agriculturist is needed; (4) An official monitor is needed during sorting; (5) Some farmers, especially those who live far from farm-to-market roads, tend to go back to old farming practices.

Cambodia
Mr. Noun, chicken producer from FNN, presented Cambodia’s experience in marketing dressed chicken. He related that chicken feed during the dry season are not sufficient. They also experience difficulty in transporting the product given the great distances of markets from the farms. Because of these, the traders are able to really push down the price. They buy live chickens and slaughter them after three days. This situation has led to questionable claims about hygiene and safety that affects the credibility of dressed chicken as a product.

Vietnam
Representatives from Vietnam reported the following issues and concerns with regard to their product, tea: limited farmers’ access to knowledge and information about food safety and product quality; poor processing techniques and equipments; limited quality management and limited access to product quality certificates; and difficulties in trade market development.

Indonesia
Mr. Haryono, explained that their organization consists of 60 cooperative groups of farmers in the forests of Sumatra that have 30 member-households each. The cooperatives help in the marketing of ten tons of organic rice per month by ensuring that market demands are met and by lending to farmers in need. Since they process rice manually, the main obstacle is in drying seeds especially during the wet seasons. As small farmers, they face obstacles in marketing and product quality, and would like to have some information on the practices in food safety and product quality in other countries. They also have 50 farmer-members who are into honey production. This could be expanded to include a greater number but the organization’s capacity to organize them is limited at the moment. They are now starting to market the honey to Binadesa outlets even as the product quality is not yet fully developed.

Much of the problems in the agricultural sector exist because we do not understand what is going on. That is why we need to understand what are agricultural chains and how these are linked to the market.

In a simple marketing system, there is the producer and the buyer. Goods are transferred from one to the other and it is through information and communication that a decision to buy/pay for a product is made. In reality, however, things are not as simple because of intermediaries in between. Products pass through these intermediaries and value is added to the chain where products take on a different form, e.g. from raw coconut to desiccated coconut or copra. The more intermediaries or participants there are in the chain, the greater chances for problems or distortions to happen. Farmers can also decide to add value (join the chain) if they determine that this will be more profitable for them. Otherwise, because of lack of the right information, they will be unable to benefit from the agricultural chain.
Continue reading Understanding Agricultural Chains towards Enhanced Market Access….

Mr. Hitchcock’s presentation focused on the macro-side or larger picture of agribusiness, which is an important aspect to understand about agriculture. There are real differences between small holders (small farmers) and the agri-businessmen and recent sector trends and impacts have made farmers very vulnerable. In general, the private sector continues to play an important role and more and more farmers are being disenfranchised. The market has also changed significantly since the 1970s such that while there are now more opportunities (e.g. bigger profits) for small farmers, there are also more risks. Other movements in agri-food systems include globalization, urbanization, changing diets, more women in the economy, etc.

Continue reading about the The Market Situation and the Challenges for Small Farmers here….