Regional : Accelerating the Implementation of the Core Agriculture Support Program

Agriculture, natural resources and rural development / Agricultural production

In April 2007, the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Agriculture Ministers' Meeting endorsed the Strategic Framework for Subregional Cooperation in Agriculture and the Core Agriculture Support Program (CASP) for 2006-2010. The CASP consists of priority projects under five strategic components designed to sustain and further accelerate cooperation in agriculture: (i) facilitating cross-border agricultural trade and investment, (ii) promoting public-private partnerships in sharing agricultural information, (iii) enhancing capacity in agricultural science and technology, (iv) establishing emergency response mechanisms for agricultural and natural resource crises, and (v) strengthening institutional linkages and mechanisms for cooperation. At their third summit, held on 31 March 2008 in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic, GMS leaders gave explicit directives on the immediate focus of agricultural cooperation, specifically (i) implementing the GMS initiative on rural renewable energy (RRE) development; (ii) expanding control programs for trans-boundary animal diseases, and (iii) supporting access to agricultural information in rural areas.

The TA will enable the Working Group on Agriculture (WGA) to respond to the priority needs identified in GMS countries during the Third GMS Summit. It will further contribute to efforts to strengthen food and energy security, while addressing the challenge of climate change in the subregion.

1. Implementation of the strategy for biotechnology and biosafety initiated

2. Agriculture information and network service development and use promoted

3. Rural renewable energy development strategy supported

4. Food security and cross-border agricultural trade strategies developed

5. WGA Secretariat strengthened

Output 1 was carried out through partnerships with FAO and the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC). Activities were linked to FAO's regional programs on biosafety in relation to three other ongoing projects on food safety and horticulture chain management.

Output 2 strengthened collaboration and cooperation mechanism between the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAORAP) and FECC through the Agriculture Information Network Service (AINS). The pilot program GMS-wide satellite drought monitoring and early warning system (SDMEWS) was implemented, including training activities for GMS policy makers.

Output 3 piloted a conceptual framework for analyzing the links between bioenergy and food security, which were discussed in a series of national policy workshops in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam. Best practice case studies and country booklets are available in hard copy and were widely disseminated in during regional meetings.

Output 4 included the Asia-Pacific Food Situation Update (APFSU), which continues to publish the analysis and monitoring of food market development on a monthly basis, as well as a weekly newsletter on key staple food products and policies.

Output 5 consisted of the WGA Secretariat strengthening the capacity of GMS countries to coordinate and communicate on regional issues and concerns in agriculture toward the shared goal of GMS growth and development. The four WGA Annual Meetings (2009 to 2012) were successfully organized and a series of regional trainings on sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures, food safety standards, paperless trade, rural renewable energy, and management of transboundary invasive pest species of cassava conducted. Furthermore, several case studies on various topics were prepared, including DVDs on agriculture and climate change. The AINS system in each country was also enhanced with additional hardware for transformation into an e-Trade system.

While the TA was not implemented as planned requiring four minor changes in scope and implementation arrangements (budget reallocation, amendments in some activities, additional activities) this did not adversely impact on the delivery of TA outputs. The TA was originally scheduled for completion by 30 June 2012 but had to be extended three times to 31 December 2015 mainly because of the need to expand the scope of satellite-based drought monitoring and early warning system to include flood monitoring and crop outlook projection and provide FAO sufficient lead time to comply with the necessary ADB reporting requirements for the subsequent closure of the partnership agreement.