The National Consultation to Promote Agroecology in the Context of ASEAN was organized in Vientiane, Lao PDR, on March 15, 2024. The workshop gathered agricultural stakeholders in the country and presented significant ASEAN frameworks, national policies, and current initiatives in developing regional agroecology guidelines. The consultation similarly discussed agroecology transitions’ expectations, perspectives, and concerns.
Ms Manivanh Aliyavong, representing AliSEA and the ASSET Project – Agroecology and Safe Food System Transition in SEA, presented agroecology initiatives, underlining the current efforts and the inspiring potential of agroecology possibilities in the country.
The event was organized by the Senior Officials Meeting on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication (SOMRDPE), the ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Crops (ASWGC), and in collaboration with AsiaDHRRA and ASSET. The National consultation aims to:
- Raise awareness of the ASEAN frameworks mentioned above as starting points for building strategies and actions in support of food systems transformation through sustainable agriculture and agroecology;
- Generate inputs from national stakeholders on the ongoing effort to develop an ASEAN Policy Guidelines on Agroecology Transition;
- Provide opportunities for farmer organizations and civil society to participate in shaping policy agenda and programming in support of their work at local and national levels and
- Catalyze potential multi-stakeholder partnerships and mechanisms needed to sustain the process of developing plans and actions for Sustainable Agriculture and Agroecology.
Photo cr: SAEDA Lao
