Cambodian Delegation in Nay Pyi Taw Myanmar.
02 – 04 December 2014
PRESS RELEASE
Nay Pyi Taw, 02 December 2014: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the German International Cooperation (GIZ) together with the Department of Agriculture of Myanmar’s Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation organized the 5th Project Partner Meeting of the “ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems” and related meetings on 2-4 December 2004 at Shwe Pyi Taw Hotel, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.
H.E. U Ohn Than, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation presided over and opened the Meeting.
The agrifood sector is of critical importance in Southeast Asia and beyond. The demand for food products of higher quality and quantity to supply both domestic and international markets, along with the need to manage scarce natural resources, has driven agricultural development policies towards the concept of “sustainable agrifood systems”.
Sustainable Agrifood Systems’ project, an ASEAN – German cooperation to develop regionally coordinated policies and strategies for sustainable agrifood systems is one of the two modules under the ASEAN-German Programme on Response to Climate Change: Agriculture, Forestry and Related Sectors (GAP-CC) commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) from 2011 to 2017. Towards realization of ASEAN Community by 2015 and beyond and in the light of the planned ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), the Project also promotes sustainable cross-border value chains jointly with public decision-makers, agricultural enterprises as well as farmers’ and private associations. Furthermore, farmers are supported with the implementation of sustainable production technologies and practices.
The Project builds upon experiences gained during the first phase (ASEAN Biocontrol, 2011-2013) and broadens its scope by expanding the focus on biological control agents (BCA) to soil and nutrient management and farm economics. To ensure long-term food security in ASEAN, the Project supports the Member States to implement the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework and its Strategic Plan of Action on Food Security in the ASEAN Region (SPA-FS) at national level.
Three prioritised crop sectors will be implemented by ASEAN Member States, namely rice, fruits and vegetables. The topics where areas of intervention are applied include: Integrated Pest Management and Biological Control, Integrated Soil and Nutrient Management, and Farm Economics.
The Project is important for the Government authorities, private sector, farmers as well as consumers in ASEAN Member States (AMS). The activities of the project will be implemented both at the regional and national levels to meet its objectives. Considering the importance of the Project, the 5th Project Partner Meeting and related meetings are very important as it will discuss and agreed on project activities implementation during 2015-2017.
In addition, H.E. U Ohn Than, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation has launched and handed over of the translation of the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework and the ASEAN Guidelines on the Regulation, Use and Trade of Biological Control Agent (BCA) for further implementation by the ASEAN Member States at the national level.
The Khmer translation of the ASEAN policies was received by a Cambodian Delegation coming from the Department of Agricultural Legislation and General Directorate of Agriculture under the Ministriy of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery.
Contact Information
The Project primarily works at a regional level and has established six offices in the ASEAN region (Cambodia, Indonesia Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam)
ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS)
Project Office – Cambodia
#80c, North Bridge Street, Khan Sen Sok
Phnom Penh
www.asean-agrifood.org
Mr. Claudius Bredehöft, National Project Coordinator
E-mail: [email protected]
