ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter

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cope with the merciless monsoon; inexpensive ..... First, the best farmers in the community are selected ...... IFAD and
ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC January 2016 Newsletter January 2016

Welcome 2016

Ariel Halpern, Coordinator of ROUTASIA

Recently, in a conversation with young entrepreneurs in the Cordillera territory, we shared the threats that typhoons, floods and droughts bring to the Philippines and how they deal with them. We exchanged theories on man-made menaces and how we create them on purpose. How land is concentrated in the hands of a few, and how dependency on one or two crops is involved in intricate commercial circuits that none of us could really explain.

handed, with not much clue on what to do next. They thought they would plant the grass on some land “that was just lying there”, and see if it grows. Well, it grew, and today, beside the production, 15 women form a self-help group where they weave the most gorgeous and sturdy brooms. The money they can save goes for the education and health of their family. They tell me that thanks to the money from the brooms, “the future is ours”.

That evening, on the top of the mountain, we were trying to connect the agreements of the Climate Change Conference in Paris and the Sustainable Development Goals with the farmers we had met that day. In the fresh evening breeze, we joked about measuring the contribution of the common people to these agreements made in our name by our country leaders.

Sitting on the mountain top, we shared examples like these for 2 straight hours. Cooperatives with succession plans that give rural youth reasons to stay and curb out-migration; new roads to cope with the merciless monsoon; inexpensive machines for drying the fruits that would otherwise go wasted; miraculous solar panels that light up the nights and broadcast teachings on the radio during the day. The future looked ever so bright that night. From the Philippines I traveled back to the Mekong Valley to participate in the Training of Trainers in Cambodia, where I met 50 outstanding farmers and provincial officers from the Ministry of Agriculture,Forestry and Fisheries. My very first impression was how remarkably well they were progressing to achieve SDG 2: Food security and promotion of sustainable agriculture. By the end of 2016, they will invest in the training of another 1000 families to be better in farming and business management. Trying to put a real face to the meticulously written COP21 and SDG goals, I realized that the private management of the five Community Learning Centers, offering Farmerto-Farmer learning is, by definition, working

"The first of the SDG says: End poverty in all its forms everywhere. To this, we would like to add: with the participation of everyone".

In a mountain village in the Philippine Cordilleras, an ethnic mother, humbly speaking in her native tongue, says she feeds her baby every day the vegetables that she plants in her small backyard garden. She says she is worried that the chemicals being used on the fields and the junk food would adversely affect her daughter’s future. She wants her to become a nurse. The mother’s cousin, a 20 year-old man, proudly shows us his tiger-broom grass business he had started with some friends. Three years back, they tried their luck abroad but returned empty-

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ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

towards the SDG4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. Once connected, things start to find their place. From Nepal, I learn from our focal point, Dhruba Regmi, that the Learning Route on Agricultural Cooperatives was a success. The Nepali Agriculture Cooperatives Federation wants to see many more green tunnels, small irrigation systems, business plans and farmers joining district cooperatives. They want to see more Learning Routes too. News travel through the district offices about this “thing for teaching each other that is super-fast, cheap and easy.” Then I thought, it is perfect timing for Silvana Galindo, our Local Champion specialist to design the Local Champion Road Map in Nepal, with all the stakeholders, to mainstream F2F learning in the capacity building strategy of the Cooperative Federation. The Federation registers over a million and a half people, at least 80% of them women. In Bangladesh, I hear from our partners that things are getting ready for our new Learning Route in March with the Haor Infrastructure Livelihood Improvement Project. They target the most vulnerable including women and ethnic groups. Their value chain development project creates new jobs, generates income and pays respect to our ultimate provider, Earth. Meanwhile, on regional level, member-based organizations engaged in the Mid-Term Cooperation Programme (MTCP2) are creatively addressing the challenges and opportunities of the ASEAN Economic Community building by opening dialogue platform between governments, private sector and farmer organizations. In a way, this answers the SDG17 “Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development”. On this note, ROUTASIA is pleased to contribute to IFAD´s efforts to build rural development hubs by facilitating innovation exchanges. Through its new Country Offices, IFAD’s Asia and the Pacific

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Division brings countries together in clusters, and builds hubs of knowledge exchange and cooperation for a people-centered development. Last year’s Asia-Pacific Local Champion Exhibition is one good example, that gathered 250 development practitioners from 12 APR countries, and another is the Learning Routes organized for Vietnam and Cambodia on rural microfinance and post-harvesting. Through this newsletter, we at Procasur wish to express our thanks and gratitude to our partners and supporters for putting their trust in our team. We are thankful to the ministries and government officials for their invaluable contribution to our policy dialogue and for their work on the field. We honor and praise our ongoing partnership with IFAD and the actors of the civil sector like SNV, MCG, Fresh Solutions, AFA, ASEAN Foundation, AIPP, INAFI and NACCFL, among others. Finally, I want to express my sincere appreciation to our Focal Points in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam for the tremendous work on the field, empowering women, youth, ethnic groups, farmers and rural cooperatives. Together, we dedicate this newsletter to the champions of change around the world. I wish you pleasant reading!

ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

What’s in the newsletter? 2016 will mark a decisive year for the future of Procasur in the Asia-Pacific. New themes, new destinations and new partners are extending our scope and responsibilities, as we enter our fourth year in the region. We are reaching farther and deeper in both the South Asia and Southeast Asia clusters, where we seek wider cooperation and outreach with a more integrated approach. South Asia Cluster: In Bangladesh, our partnership with INAFI is leading us to a new Learning Route with the HILIP project in the northeastern wetlands, one of the poorest regions in Bangladesh particularly vulnerable to climate change. Followup on the previous Route on women empowerment also shows steady progress with the Innovation Plan awarded to ALRD at the end of 2014. In the northwest of Bangladesh, ALRD has organized management trainings for women groups in savings and household gardening with good results. In Nepal, despite the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes, two Learning Routes are under way in February. With our long term partner NACCFL, the first Route focuses on integration of youth and ethnic groups in agriculture through cooperatives, followed by a new collaboration with HVAP and international participants on a second Route. South East Asia Cluster: In Cambodia, Procasur’s flagship operation is developing into a very promising partnership between farmers, the government and the private sector, promoting rural innovations and their recognition. We are proud to see local knowledge brought alive by farmer champions in the Community Learning Centers. These rural knowledge hubs and service centers are planned in as many as 256 districts across Cambodia, thanks to the hard work of the Ministry of Agriculture, the PADEE project and its successor ASPIRE. Since Procasur has introduced the Learning Routes to Cambodia, the country has found new partners in Vietnam to continue the journey together in a series of independent Learning Routes. Based on the methods provided by Procasur, the next Route will welcome Vietnamese farmers and officials in Cambodia, in the theme of rural micro-finance.

At the base of our people-centered development strategy, skilled farmers represent the knowledge and the human resources we can build upon to promote the changes in rural communities. These outstanding farmers, graduated as Local Champions through farmer-to-farmer trainings, show excellent opportunities for capacity building and extension. To promote their know-how, we organized the first Local Champion Exhibition in the Asia-Pacific for 200 outstanding farmers and development practitioners. Hosted by the Royal University of Agriculture in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the exhibition brought public-private partnership and knowledge exchange among a dozen countries, including the Philippines and Tonga, our most recent partners. This year will bring us to another important milestone on our journey in the region: the Learning Route Strengthening the Role of Agricultural Cooperatives to Address the Challenges and Opportunities of the ASEAN Economic Community for the Benefit of the Smallholder Farmers. This ASEAN Learning Route through Thailand and the Philippines is planned for March in collaboration with MTCP2 and the ASEAN Foundation.

Follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/procasur.asia Southeast Asia Rural Hub: facebook.com/SEAHub.org Procasur Cambodia: facebook.com/procasur.cambodia Visit Our Website: asia.procasur.org Browse our Database: talentosrurales.org 3

ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

Edited by Gabor Teveli - Designed by Alisa Gantner - Published by PROCASUR

cONTENTS Positioning Local Knowledge Owners • Local Champions & Community Learning Centers in Cambodia - 5 • Cambodian Local Champion Road Map • Training of Trainers - 7 • The Voice of the Farmers - 8 • Asia Pacific Local Champion Exhibition - 9 • Introducing the Local Champion Network in Nepal - 11 ROUTASIA Calendar - 13 Capacity Building: Learning Routes on the Move • Nepal - 15 • Bangladesh - 17 • Vietnam - 19 • ASEAN Learning Route - 21 Private Businesses for Social Responsibility and Sustainability • Eyekandi Asia - 22 • Fresh Solutions Cambodia - 22 • Sellling knowledge: Ms. Phan Thi Thuy and the Quang Phuong Bamboo and Rattan Cooperative - 23 News from Our Partners - 24 • South-South Cooperation: Introducing Procasur’s methodology to research institutes • IFAD Learning Days: Sharing Innovative Solutions for the Global South • IFAD in Laos: Teamwork for better portfolio performance • Local knowledge for sustainable development • IFAD Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop: Creative dialogue for global solutions • IFAD-Procasur Cross Regional Programme: Strengthening Procasur’s global capacities • KLMPE in the Philippines: Inclusive development at its best

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Link to our project partners in the asia-PACIFIC Bangladesh • Association for Land Reforms and Development (ALRD) • INAFI Bangladesh • Haor Infrastructure and livelihood Improvement Project (HILIP) Cambodia • Project for Agriculture Development and Economic Empowerment (PADEE) • Agriculture Services Programme for Innovation Resilience and Extension (ASPIRE) Nepal • Nepal Agriculture Cooperatives Limited(NACCFL) • High Value Agriculture Project (HVAP) Vietnam • MCG Management Consulting Regional • IFAD Asia-Pacific • SNV Netherlands • Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) • Medium Term Cooperation Programme with Farmer Organizations (MTCP2) • ASEAN Foundation • Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development

ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016 Positioning local knowledge owners

LOCAL CHAMPIONS AND COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS IN CAMBODIA Procasur’s flagship operation in the Asia-Pacific, the Community Learning Center Project in Cambodia is progressing by leaps and bounds. This prominent partnership with the Cambodian farmers, the Government, IFAD and Procasur is setting up rural knowledge hubs through capacity building and extension. In the following interview, Dr. Sary Seng, Procasur’s Focal Point in Cambodia explains the longterm goals and sustainability of the CLC project, and the role of the Local Champions in it. What are you building in Cambodia? We are building what we call sustainable rural communities based on the knowledge and the innovations of the farmers. By experience on the field, farmers possess important but often neglected knowledge that is critical to link rural people to both economic and climatic changes. Local people, for example, have responded to climate change a long time ago, but we didn’t know about the existing local knowledge. We rely too much on academic teachings while local solutions go unnoticed. To provide recognition for this valuable know-how, we are setting up local knowledge hubs called Community Learning Centers. Here, farmers can come and discuss their problems on their farm and in their community, and learn the best practices. But the CLCs are more than just libraries. Based on their own curriculum, they provide technical assistance and tools in agricultural production, farm management, business planning, financial management etc. These services are already being used by the Government, and partnerships are being built with private companies. How has the project progressed so far? We are targeting more than 12,000 poor households who can directly benefit from the skills and tools gained through the CLC trainings. Indirect beneficiaries include development agencies, policy makers and government agencies that can benefit from applying and spreading this model to other communities.

Since the launch of the project in 2012, we have developed 5 Community Learning Centers in 5 selected provinces. By 2017, an additional 66 CLCs are planned, making up a total of 71 CLCs in Cambodia, two for each district in 5 provinces. These CLCs are led and managed by farmers who graduated as Local Champions through the capacity building process facilitated by Procasur. Who are the Local Champions? A Local Champion is a farmer with outstanding skills, experiences and achievements in agriculture and overcoming poverty. They have the ability to share and teach their knowledge to other farmers, and find solutions for common problems like market access or climate change. They are also recognized and respected members of their community: the good guys, so to speak. The Local Champion is a master, what we call a Lok or Guru. Currently there are 26 Local Champions trained, and we are targeting 246 Local Champions by the end of 2016. How do farmers become Local Champions? Farmers take a long way to become Local Champions. First, the best farmers in the community are selected according to specific criteria, their experience in farming, their skills in leadership, communication and teamwork, their community status, their commitment and attitude etc. These “Model Farmers” receive a Demo Training in management and teaching to become “Outstanding Farmers”. So far, 150 farmers have been trained at these Demo Trainings.

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ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter

Who are Procasur’s partners on the field? We have 3 major partners: SNV Netherlands, the General Department of Agriculture (GDA) of Cambodia, and the IFAD-MAFF development project PADEE. SNV and GDA joined the project recently to provide technical support and capacity building in marketing and agricultural extension. PADEE, on the other hand, has been our main partner since the very beginning. It is the most recent IFADfunded programme and it operates under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Cambodia. They started using our services to organize Learning Routes on the Organic Clinic and market linkages and postharvesting techniques in Thailand and Vietnam. Since then, our relationship has grown extensively. H.E. Mam Amnot, Secretary of State, MAFF, is very supportive of the project and contributes greatly to the policy dialogue from the highest level. As for PADEE leadership, H.E. Pen Vuth, PADEE CPM attests his commitment on regular field visits advising the CLCs. He works in team with Mr. Meng Sakphouseth, CPO, our main connection to IFAD. PADEE also has a Focal Point dedicated to Procasur, Ms. Chhiev Narath, who works with us in the Farmer-to-Farmer project. Her task is to coordinate with the Provincial Department of Agriculture (PDA) and the Community Extension Workers (CEW). The CEW are the people recruited by PADEE at community level. Their position is now becoming more official as the link between farmers and PADEE. In the middle of all this, Procasur has the responsibility for the whole implementation process.

January 2016

Ms. ChHIEV NARATH (RIGHT) WITH PDA OFFICERS oN THE FIELD Local Champions graduate through the Training of Trainers, led by a team of distinguished professionals and champions from Cambodia, Thailand and international organizations like Procasur. In the final step, they organize their own Farmer Congresses for 50 farmers per commune, where they prove their skills in group management and communication at community level. At the end, the best candidates become certified Local Champions by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. How can Community Learning Centers become sustainable? At the beginning, it started as a pilot project, slow and difficult. But in the past 3 years, we have learned a great deal about the farmers’ needs, their strengths and weaknesses. Cambodian farmers can work well independently. They have strong skills in organic agriculture, integrated farming, or bargaining and community motivation. What they usually lack is cooperation and collectives, experience in systematic management and marketing. Now this has changed dramatically. As a good example, in Takeo province, where farmers started their own market research and marketing. In Kandal province, they are selling organic vegetables collectively to organic shops. Also in Kampot, organic mushroom is now collectively sold to local traders. Community development and household incomes are improving, but they alone are not enough for sustainability. CLC management must be systematized and developed through constant self-evaluation and life-long learning. Of course, we cannot expect all 71 CLCs to be sustainable. Some of them will probably lose their momentum after the completion of our project. But if only 50% of them become sustainable, it will be a big achievement. In Thailand, where the Community Learning Centers have originated, around 100 CLCs are sustainable in the national program of one CLC in each sub-district.

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What are the future plans to scale up in the project? We have a new partnership shaping up with ASPIRE. Cofunded by IFAD and the Cambodian Government, ASPIRE was launched in 2015, integrating best practices and lessons learnt from the RULIP and NAPA projects. Firstly, there is great interest in transforming the farmer groups of NAPA in Northern Cambodia to become CLCs. Secondly, ASPIRE strengthens our focus on climate change adaptation and agricultural extension. Water management practices from RULIP and NAPA, such as solar pumps and Water User Groups established in Kratie and PreahViharn provinces, are just an example for new ways to scale up the project. With ASPIRE, the CLC project is going to cover 10 provinces in Cambodia in 2017, when PADEE phases out.

ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

CAMBODIAN LOCAL CHAMPION ROADMAP Local Champions are men and women with outstanding skills and relevant knowledge based on experience and training in production and/or social processes, who lead actions, ideas and innovations in rural areas. In Cambodia, Local Champions are closely linked to the Community Learning Centers that scale up their learning process and provide them with extra income as teachers and service providers. They are trained and managed as teams from the beginning, and work together as trainers and founders of their CLC. ROUTASIA seeks to develop a network of Local Champions and CLCs, based on the steps described in the Cambodian Local Champion Roadmap. The Local Champion Roadmap consists of several organized steps to help Local Champions to increase their success and help other farmers to develop their capabilities, production and incomes.

Province, more than 400 households “ Only infromTakeo benefitted the new knowledge that Local Champions

have disseminated in a couple of years. Through the series of trainings orchestrated by PADEE in organic production, post-harvesting and market access, every Local Champions achieved growing income, better skills and more knowledge.



- Dr. Sary Seng, Procasur’s Focal Point in Cambodia Market Linkages A crucial step to establish the value chain of Local Champion products and services. Cambodian CLCs are encouraged to do market research, to formulate their marketing strategy, to network and to plan their activities. Institutional development Sustainability starts with CLC development that involves creating the profile of the CLC, its organization structure, curriculum, action plan, financial plans and marketing tools. Certification Local Champions are certified by MAFF, which means recognition, status and trust in the eyes of their future partners and supporters. The certification also gives credit to the CLC they represent. Capacity Building Once selected and registered, Local Champions go through a capacity building process. On ROUTASIA’s Learning Routes, selected farmers take part in an intensive learning process to bring home new knowledge in specific themes such as microfinance, women empowerment or market linkages.

The CLC is a tool for farmers to improve their knowledge to generate more income for themselves and the community.

Visit Procasur’s Local Champion Database and browse the profiles of hundreds of rural talents at talentosrurales.org

Profile Construction For each Local Champion and CLC, a profile is constructed that evaluates their knowledge, income generation, teaching and networking skills. Currently there are 26 Local Champion profiles and 5 CLC profiles from Cambodia in Procasur’s worldwide database.

Identification Future Local Champions are selected according to systematized selection criteria, encouraging gender-focused approach.

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ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

TRAINING OF TRAINERS

First, Local Champions identified their goals and their needs, then they planned and explained their strategy in curriculum development, CLC, management and marketing. At the end of the training, each CLC presented the essence of their development in a CLC brochure to market their products and services.

At an important milestone of the CLC capacity building process, close to 30 Local Champions graduated in Cambodia last December, certified by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Cambodia. The week-long Training of Trainers at the Prey Pdau Agricultural Research Station in Kampong Speuprovince near Phnom Penh gathered all the members of the 5 Community Learning Centers established in the country. The training focused on CLC management, teaching, innovation and marketing.



Farmer trainers must always innovate in teaching, and look for new things within the reach of available resources.



- Ajarn Sutham Chan-orn, Founder of Plakmaylay CLC, Thailand



They are very committed to learn. They show improvements in CLC management, teaching skills and even marketing, which is very important.



- H.E. Pen Vuth, PADEE Country Programme Manager, Deputy Director General of GDA Learning in communication, management and marketing was ensured by experts from PADEE, ASPIRE, PDA, SNV Netherlands and Procasur. Two master teachers came from Thailand, Ajarn Sutham Chan-orn and Ajarn Amnat Maiyotklang, founding fathers of the CLC program. In their teachings, Ajarn Amnat’s creative market-oriented approach and Ajarn Sutham’s wisdom in teaching nicely complement each other.

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The first step is to achieve self-sufficiency. Next, the farmers can supply the local market. Later, farmer groups can be formed to collectively target the outside markets using their own brand, brochure and website.



- Ajarn Amnat Maiyotklang, Founder of Wang Nam Keaw CLC, Thailand

ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

Asia-PACIFIC Local champion exhibition Many of us share the same problems “ in agriculture and some of us know the solutions.

The Local Champions Exhibition gives space to meet these people and learn from the solutions.



- H.E. Dr. Ouk Rabun, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Cambodia, inaugurator of the Exhibition As a pinnacle of ROUTASIA’s capacity building and policy dialogue, Procasur organized the first AsiaPacific Local Champion Exhibition in August 2015, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Cambodia (MAFF), the Royal University of Agriculture of Phnom Penh (RUA) and IFAD.

backbone of ROUTASIA’s Local Champion initiative in the Asia-Pacific. They joined farmers and organizations from the Philippines and Tonga and organic businesses to showcase their products and good practices at the Innovation Market. The enormous wealth of knowledge displayed at the Exhibition motivated the integrated community where grassroots organizations and the public-private sector are prepared, connected and ready to play a new role. The Exhibition highlighted ROUTASIA’s capacity building process from the identification of solutions through peer-to-peer activities to the establishment of Community Learning Centers where knowledge is disseminated. The visit to Takeo Province, where Cambodia’s first CLC was built by the Local Champions themselves, proved the impact of capacity building at 6 Learning Station demonstrating their good practices.

voice of the farmers “I had a dream that my children would be educated, and we could ride to school on a motorbike. I had a dream to be a better mother and a better farmer.”

Lon Sreyneang, 37, organic farmer from Kandal Province featured in an impact video published by MAFF in 2015: The Most Significant Change.

Hosted by the RUA and Cambodia’s first Community Learning Center in Takeo Province, the 3-day event offered a unique opportunity for 200 leaders from all sectors of agricultural development across the AsiaPacific to share local solutions and to discuss partnerships. More than 60 Local Champions from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, Vietnam and Thailand represented the

In a series of videos broadcasted by the Government of Cambodia, Local Champions of the ROUTASIA programme talk about their personal and professional development since their involvement in the PADEE project. The impact of the trainings and best practices can be heard firsthand as they recount this life-changing experience. Watch the Videos on YouTube Most Significant Change PADEE Best Practices

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ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

VOICE OF THE CHAMPIONS

Khem Neang, 54, organic farmer from Preyveng province, Cambodia Before, my farm was disorganized and yielded almost nothing. I had chickens running around the “neighborhood, and my pigs were in bad shape. I used too much chemical fertilizer and pesticide on my

rice, which was expensive and harmful. Then everything changed. I started using organic fertilizers, natural pesticides and integrated techniques. While they saved me a lot of money, my rice grew bigger and better, and I was able to make much better income. My training in rice farming since 2013 with PADEE brought me the most significant change in my life. My small paddy yields 7 tons/ha, and much of it goes for sale locally. I use the same fertilizer for my rice and my household garden that supplies my whole family with vegetables. There’s enough rice and vegetables to feed my chickens, ducks and pigs for better nutrition. I take care of them like they were part my family.

My chickens don’t wander around anymore to transmit diseases; I keep them within an enclosure, protected with mosquito nets. For my pigs, I built a pigsty where I can feed them and clean them easily. All my livestock are organic, hygienic and sell very well. On one sale of pigs and piglets, I made 500 USD. At home, I am the family accountant, and I belong to a local savings group. With our last savings, we bought water jars for rain harvesting, a bed and a dresser.



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ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

What kind of benefits do cooperatives offer?

INTRODUCING THE LOCAL CHAMPION NETWORK IN NEPAL After an unfortunate hiatus due to the devastating earthquakes, ROUTASIA is back in Nepal with stronger partnerships and ambitious plans. Using the potentials of the very well-established cooperative system in the country, Procasur promotes a Local Champion Network for better positioning local knowledge and their farmer owners. Silvana Galindo, economist working in Procasur’s Local Champion program talks about her experience in Nepal during the Learning Route in February 2016.

On one hand, there is the whole system of agro-loans and rural microfinance involving government, banks and cooperatives. On the other hand, farmers have access to different activities through their cooperative. The capacity building, technical assistance and innovation development they receive encourage them to implement new ideas and improve production, transformation and marketing of their products. I met a farmer who sells goats online in Nepal, in a community close to the Indian border. He can do this because he gets a combination of support from different sources, from family, friends, cooperatives and other institutions. He also had a lot of trainings in goat production. His family and friends also receive support, and normally this support has some relationship with the cooperative. The family had access to different types of trainings, like his brother, who participated in a 10-month internship in Israel. All these elements combined with his personal effort have made him a Local Champion. He increased his income and was able to pay for his son’s university studies, who now helps him develop his website. What did the Learning Route do to promote Local Champions? Firstly, it was a very intense knowledge exchange. We traveled to many locations where farmers could learn from each other’s innovations. Secondly, during the Route it was possible to introduce farmers to the Local Champion approach and to exchange experiences. They discussed the their values and potentials and their needs to create a network of Local Champions in Nepal.

What was your first impression in Nepal? Nepal is all about cooperatives, and this Learning Route also targeted cooperatives. I was impressed by the high level of organization and systematization in the cooperatives. They have plenty of activities and incredible networks. Many farmers I have talked to couldn’t even remember how many memberships they had with various organizations and associations.

How is Procasur’s approach in Nepal compared to Cambodia? Procasur uses different approaches of the Local Champion model for each context and territory because this is the only way to generate sustainable development processes. In Cambodia, the approach is based on the Community Learning Centre (CLC) model through the PADEE project. This means that we can work with a specific group of people identified to be Local Champions in a specific territory, and we can plan activities together. The linkages between them are many: the territory, the knowledge in organic production, the process to become Local Champions, etc.

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ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

In Nepal, the Local Champion approach is not defined by groups in the same territory and under the same project. Local Champions in Nepal are very successful and well-trained individuals who support their community. All of them are also members of a cooperative. The challenge in this case is to create a network between them so they can take advantage of the benefits of sharing knowledge and information, getting strategic partners and becoming key actors to reduce information asymmetries of rural markets.

Nepal Agriculture Cooperatives Central Federation NACCFL is a three-tiered umbrella organization for the Small Farmer Agriculture Cooperatives in Nepal. Established by the government and associated with the Small Famers Bank, they provide access to loans, information and trainings for poor women, rural youth and ethnic groups. NACCFL’s bottom-up organizational pyramid starts with the Small Farmer Groups, featured on the top. Farmer groups send their representatives to Village Councils (white circles), which delegate their own spokespersons to ward level (red circles). In average, 9 wards make up a Village Development Committee (VDC, blue circle), where the wards are represented by elected leaders of the Cooperative Board. Since VDCs in Nepal have been gradually merging, VDC level cooperatives boast thousands of members who benefit from financial and non-financial assistance, livestock insurance, infrastructural development and gender mainstreaming. welcome Procasur’s methodology and systematic approach to “ Weimprove the documentation and recognition of local solutions. - Mr. Rudra Bhattarai, General Manager of NACCFL

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ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

Routasia Calendar: January to July 2016 ACTIVITY

JANUARY

MARCH Thailand and Philippines: Strengthening the Role of Agriculture Cooperatives in the ASEAN Economic Community for the Benefit of the Smallholder

Nepal: Tools to Integrate Rural Youth and Ethnic Groups in Farming through Small Bangladesh: Farmer Agriculture Development of OffCooperatives Season Vegetable Value Chain in Bangladesh by Haor Infrastructure and Livelihood Improvement Project (HILIP)

Learning Routes

Community Learning Centers (CLC), Cambodia

FEBRUARY

Certification of 26 Local Champions as trainers for PADEE

5 Farmer to Farmer Trainings

7 Farmer to Farmer Trainings

20 Farmer Congresses

20 Farmer Congresses

Nepal: NACCFL, HVAP and WUPAP

Skills and Capacity Building

Regional: team and partners

Networking

Local Champions Road Local Champions Road Map for Nepal Map for Cambodia IFAD FAFO and GSM

Knowledge Management

Capture best practices in Nepal

Cambodia: PADEE

Bangladesh: HILIP

Newsletter 2016 Capture best practices in Bangladeshand Thailand

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ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

Routasia Calendar: January to July 2016

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ACTIVITY

APRIL

MAY

Learning Routes

Nepal: Development of Off-Season Vegetable Value Chain in Nepal by the High Value Agriculture Project (HVAP)

Vietnam and Cambodia: Rural Microfinance Institutions and Innovations in Cambodia

JUNE

JULY

10 Farmer to Community Farmer Trainings Learning Centers (CLC), 20 Farmer Cambodia Congresses

10 Farmer to 10 Farmer to Certification Farmer Trainings Farmer Trainings of 70 Local Champions as trainers for 20 Farmer 20 Farmer PADEE Congresses Congresses

Skills and Capacity Building

Vietnam: IFAD Portfolio

Regional: team and partners

Networking

Cambodia Country Portfolio Review

Programme Steering Committee

Knowledge Management

Most Significant Change

Impact Series III

Completion Report

ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter

2016 ROUTES ON THE MOVE CAPACITY BUILDING: January LEARNING

Nepal ROUTASIA returns to Nepal in a Learning Route with NACCFL and the Small Farmers Cooperatives Routasia’s Learning Route in February 2016 journeyed across Nepal’s Central Region to share good practices along the way in production, value chain and resource management. The Route targeted rural women, youth and indigenous people to include them in agriculture, and to introduce the Local Champion approach. The impact of the Learning Routes in Nepal is explained by Dhruba Regmi, Procasur’s Focal Point in Nepal, who has spent 7 years working with small farmers cooperatives.

What do you think of the Learning Routes? Since the first Learning Route in Nepal in 2013, the impact of ROUTASIA’s methodology is obvious. In 2 years, we registered massive changes in districts like Kapilvastu and Chitwan, mostly because farmers quickly found comfort in the peer-to-peer learning Procasur is promoting. In Nepal, most cooperatives are invisible, and the Learning Routes offer good opportunities to expose themselves, to learn and to replicate. Learning Routes also increase the areas of learning because they are easy to scale up. When people realize the potentials of the farmer-to-farmer learning, they become very interested in this methodology.

Where can we see best the impact of the Learning Routes? In Chitwan district in Central Nepal, an indigenous group is doing community forest management as part of an IFAD project. Procasur has systematized the case and conducted 3 Learning Routes there to spread the tools and the methodology. Since then, Chitwan has become a national learning center for forest management and goat farming. Many cooperatives use the tools from the Learning Routes in mapping, planning and cooperating with other organizations. They are also innovating with their own ideas. One good example is the so-called “Procasur kitchen” in the cooperative office in Bijuwa VDC in Kapilbastu, which is well known for its bio style. By replicating good practices, farmers spread field-tested solutions in their community and nationwide, like the goat farming technique from Bijuwa.

Despite poverty, earthquakes and political unrest, farmers in Nepal are cheerful and optimistic, and more dedicated than ever working together for good solutions. LEARNING ROUTE PROFILE Theme: Tools and Innovations to Integrate Rural Youth and Marginalized Ethnic Communities in Agriculture through Small Farmer Agricultural Cooperatives Date: 5-9 February 2016 Location: Makawanpur, Nepal Organizations in Nepal: PAF, NACCFL, WUPAP, HVAP, LFLP Partners: IFAD, Small Farmers Bank (Sana Kisan Bank), Government of Nepal, Procasur

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ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

9 Cases systematized 4 Innovation Plans awarded Learning areas: Resource utilization Business planning Honey production Tunnel farming Water management (drip irrigation, lift irrigation) Local Champion approach

Innovation Plans awarded on the Learning Routes In Nepal, four Innovation Plans were awarded for offseason vegetable production, livestock farming, and contact farms. On the Learning Route in February, the commune of Badi with its indigenous group supported by WUPAP received support for their Innovation Plan in pig farming. Currently 21 people are involved in pig farming in the community. Procasur and private companies funded HVAP’s Innovation Plan that distributed bee hives for farmers who are now producing honey. The Innovation Plan by the Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF) targets knowledge sharing among cooperative farmers through field visits and farmer exchanges. NACCFL’s Innovation Plan started banana farming with increasing production. Negotiations are under way with a local NGO to support the production of banana fiber.

Learning Route to the Forest User Groups in Rayale VDC in 2013 Lead Farmers In Makawanpur district in the Central Region, Small Farmer Cooperatives of Hadikhola and Manahari perfected their own system for identifying “lead farmers”. Since 2 years, they have been trained 25 Lead Farmers at district level to open an agriculture school. Each Lead Farmer trains 20 students, 2 from each ward. After graduation, the 2-3 best are picked out as resource persons with leadership qualities. SFACLs Hadikhola and Manahari are both chaired by young women, and among Hadikhola’s 2100 members only 6 are male. Their Lead Farmers’ strongest points are integrated farming, lift irrigation, and the cooperative involvement of the almost extinct Bankariya indigenous group.

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have been working in Learning Routes “sinceWe2013. In 2014, NACCFL’s Innovation Plan

won a prize for banana plantation that is very successful. The market for banana products is very good, and the cooperative is now planning to establish a small production plant for banana fibers.

Through the Learning Routes we can learn techniques to create new market systems. We are very interested in this, and we would like to see an international Learning Route in Nepal. - Rudra Bhattarai, General Manager of NACCFL

Coming up



Stay tuned for Routasia’s next Learning Route in collaboration with the High Value Agriculture Project (HVAP). Scheduled for April 2016, the Learning Route focuses on the value chain development of off-season vegetables. One cooperative, a collection center and two farmer groups were systematized, and their Innovation Plans won Procasur’s financial award.

ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

Bangladesh Capacity building of Women Groups generates knowledge and income in poor villages Four women groups from Mohalbari, Surail and Damoir villages in Northern Bangladesh have joined to spread the initiative of successful women-led cooperatives improving the livelihood of the rural poor. On their recent collective training in November 2015, the 51 participants were mostly landless women coming from Hindu, Muslim and indigenous communities. The two-day training on mobilization and cooperative leadership was part of the capacity building initiative by the Association of Land Reforms and Development (ALRD) in Bangladesh. ALRD’s Innovation Plan, “Strengthening Women’s Empowerment and Livelihood through Access to Land and Market” was launched in July 2015 to continue the 2014 Learning Route in Nepal on Women Empowerment, where ALRD’s women-centered initiative was awarded by Procasur. Implemented by ALRD and its local partner SUSTAIN inDinajpur, the Innovation Plan follows the People’s Initiative or “Gonoprochesta” model. The model empowers women with better access to loans, agricultural knowledge, information and technology, and policy dialogue with the government. Women are encouraged to create their own capital collectively, and to invest it in agricultural production of food and organic fertilizers. The model also promotes household gardening as a sustainable, small scale, family-based organic farming for better food security, land use and savings.

Ms. Jahanara Begum (45), leader of the Shapla Women Group in Mohalbari village in Dinajpur during the monitoring and evaluation in January 2016. She started backyard gardening since her training in November 2015, and grows organic vegetables to feed her family. Her Women Group in the village is now planning to lease land collectively to increase production for marketing. Women Group leaders such as Ms. Jahanara, are responsible for the collection of group savings, where each member of the Women Group saves a handful of rice twice a day for a collective fund. This improves confidence and trust among the members and strengthens the group. “We never imagined to be able to save so much money by collecting a handful of rice from each other.” -Ms. Jahanara Begum, Leader of the Shapla Women Group, Mohalbari village

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ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

From Fellow Land to Vegetable Village: Learning Route with the Haor Infrastructure and Livelihood Improvement Project in Bangladesh Introduction and substantial extension of vegetable farming in the deep haor region is the objective of the new Learning Route with the the Haor Infrastructure and Livelihood Improvement Project (HILIP) in Bangladesh, scheduled in March, 2016. A haor is a wetland ecosystem in the northeastern part of Bangladesh which remains under water for most of the year. INAFI Bangladesh in partnership with PROCASUR is currently documenting and scaling up the cases that reflect inclusive approach of the project towards improving the livelihood through assistance at each level of the vegetable value-chain. From production to marketing, trainings, demonstrations and technology transfers are building two-way linkages with continuous technical support to local farmers. HILIP in Bangladesh is funded by IFAD, and focuses its work in 5 haor basin districts, covering 28 upazilas. The project is designed to operate under 5 comprehensive components with the focus to reduce poverty, create self-employment and facilities to increase rural mobility in the area. Since its inception, HILIP has formed 1890 Common Interest Groups (CIGs) for its livelihood activities including 19,026 male and 27,476 female members. During the Learning Route, HILIP is prioritizing to scaling up of the case of the Radhanagar Vegetable Village by including progressive farmers, livelihood coordinators and social organizers from all of project districts as participants in the Learning Route. In February, INAFI completed a six-day systematization in the field, and prepares the case study for the Route.

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The Radahanagar CIG Located in a small and remote village, the Radhanagar CIG shows exemplary impacts not only on the lives of the CIG members but also on the whole community. Just 3 years ago,villagers used to cultivate only one crop, the boro paddy, and were fighting with poverty and unemployment. With the introduction of crop diversification, they started using their land throughout the year to grow vegetables. The income and profit they make by cultivating high-yield varieties and hybrid vegetablesare significantly higher when compared to their former paddy cultivation. HILIP has successfully linked the farmers with the total value chain of vegetable production, and they now have strong market linkages with all of the stakeholders. Farmers have access to market information, and they often practice group cultivation and group marketing to minimize their risks and costs. HILIP is also promoting added-value organic vegetable farming.

ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

Orange plantation in Ben tre Province, Vietnam

Vietnam “Seeing is believing” ROUTASIA’s Learning Route in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta in July 2015 welcomed 35 Cambodian Local Champions and project leders to learn and exchange good practices in small irrigation systems, common interest groups and market linkages. Orchestrated by PADEE, IFAD, MCG and Procasur, the Learning Route visited successful cooperatives in Southern Vietnam which inspired 5 Innovation Plans. Similarities between Cambodia and Vietnam in geography, crops and culture were highlighted at the ethnic Khmer community of Cau Ke in Tra Vinh province motivating cooperation. After the visits at the Rambutan Cooperative in Thanh Chau, the Duc Tri Safe Vegetable farm in Ben Tre and the Dan Tien Rice Cooperative in Tra Vinh, Cambodian participants prepared their Innovation Plans.

Since the Learning Route in July, others were implemented independently from Procasur. is more advance than its neighbor “ Vietnam in key agricultural areas such as water

management and irrigation, climate resilience, value chain development or crop diversification. Its good cooperative models and market access make Vietnam an ideal host for Learning Routes. - Meng Sakphouseth, IFAD CPO, Cambodia



Coming up

Stay tuned for the new Learning Route on rural microfinance planned in Cambodia for Vietnamese delegations in May 2016.

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ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

Opening new windows in knowledge and innovation exchange: Cambodian outstanding farmers at the Learning Route in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta commitment and innovations were the “mostSolidarity, important factors that shaped Dan Tien into the

successful cooperative that it is today. All our cooperative members, including the leader, need to chip in their strong expertise for the benefit of the whole group, not of the individual households.



- Mr. Nguyen Van Van, Head of the Dan Tien Cooperative, Tra Vinh province, Vietnam

the Learning Route, we had very little knowledge “ Before on how a cooperative should work. Now that we know

how to establish and strengthen our group by identifying skills and assigning clear responsibilities, I will try my best to make our common interest group grow.

I could see the strength of the vegetable producers’ cooperative in Vietnam, when they decided what to grow based on market demands. It is also important where to sell the produce to get the best price for it.



- Ms. Mak Chheng Lean, Local Champion from Kampot province, Cambodia

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ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

ASEAN Learning Route Procasur’s first cluster Learning Route in the ASEAN In March, 2016, Procasur is launching its Learning Route on Strengthening the Role of Agricultural Cooperatives in times of the ASEAN. From Thailand to the Philippines, we are to find existing best practices and to learn from their innovators on the field. We invite farmers’ organization and key government representatives of the ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Agricultural Cooperatives to strengthen the role, management and cross-country marketing strategies of agricultural cooperatives in the ASEAN Economic Community.

In a strong public and private cooperation, the the week-long learning journey joins hands of cooperatives, federations and private businesses with cooperative banks, governments and universities in Thailand and the Philippines as hosts of the event. The ASEAN Learning Route is organized by AFA and LVC consortium in partnership with ASEAN Foundation, and Procasur. (Read more information at asiapacificfarmersforum.com and asia.procasur.org) Factsheet of the ASEAN Learning Route Theme: Strengthening the Role of Agricultural Cooperatives in times of the ASEAN Date: March 28 to April 3, 2016 Location: Thailand and Philippines Beneficiaries: agricultural cooperatives, federations, farmer organizastions, private businesses, governments, SWG, universities

HOSTS: Private Sector

Thailand

Philippines

Public Sector

1. Agricultural Cooperative Federation of Thailand 2. Cooperative League of Thailand 3. Kitchakut Agriculture Cooperative Ltd. 4. Riverside Hotel 5. Rice producers Cooperatives, Roi Et 6. Siam Organic Co. Ltd., Roi Et

1. Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives 2. Cooperatives Academic Institute Kasetsart Agriculture University 3. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives

1. Federation of Peoples’ Sustainable Development Cooperative 2. GLOWCORP 3. Jollibee Group Foundation 4. National Confederation of Cooperative 5. PBSP Inclusive Business 6. Soro-SoroIbaba Development Cooperative

1. Cooperative Development Authority 2. Department of Agriculture: Agri-Pinoy Trading Model 3. Land Bank of the Philippines program for Cooperatives 4. Polytechnic University of the Philippines 21

ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

PRIVATE BUSINESSES FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY

EYEKANDI ASIA Eyekandi Asia is a private company with more than 12 years of experience in product development and sourcing. Their products designed to be sustainable solutions promise great opportunities in rural development, including the betterment of the livelihood of the farmers as end users. Eyekandi has recently started a partnership with Procasur and its project in Cambodia. In this growing cooperation to give sustainable tools to farmers, Eyekandi has already distributed solar sprays and batteries to Community Learning Centers and provincial agriculture offices in 5 provinces in Cambodia. Representatives of Eyekandi Asia were among the exhibitors at the Asia-Pacific Local Champion Exhibition in Cambodia, in August 2015. “We introduced social responsibility and sustainability into our core business model, because as product developers, we always thinko f products that have the highest recyclability and functionality. Most of our designs are in line with the real needs of the end users such as the farmers working on the field. For us, it is very important to know exactly what they need or are willing to do with our products. The opportunity to partner up with Procasur helps us understand the markets and create new products for them. The Cambodian market have been very interesting for us due to thee xisting knowledge on the field and the connections to get to the end users. To be able to visit the farmers on the field and to understand how they work and what they need changed tremendously our vision about how wecan help farmers improve their production with our products.

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In this very important testing phase, we are trying out a solar system called Solar Village that serves as energy bank for farms. We are also introducing solar sprayers to farmers that help them apply EM fertilizers effectively to their crops. Not only these tools give renewable energy sources to farmers, but they also generate income for them. By introducing farmers to new technologies, we show them all their future benefits for a very affordable price.” - Rodrigo Espinola, Chief Sustainability Officer of Eyekandi Asia More information at www.eyekandi.asia

Fresh Solution in Cambodia Fresh Solutions advocates several sustainable projects in Cambodia promoting organic farming, clean energy, fund raising, charity and other related events. There are involved in the Organic Farming & School Project to help farmers and rural people in Banteay Meanchey province providing them with access to employment, fair salaries and education for their children. Fresh Solutions works together with Local Champions and organic farmers throughout Cambodia for better market linkages, and they were among the exhibitors at the AsiaPacific Local Champion Exhibition in August 2015, in Cambodia. Their organic shop in Phnom Penh is selling organic products for a growing urban market, extending to online sales through their website. Visit Fresh Solution Cambodia on Facebook

ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

Sellling knowledge: Ms. PhanThiThuy and the Quang Phuong Bamboo and Rattan Cooperative Ms. Phan Thi Thuy was born in 1963 in Quang Phuong commune, in QuangBinh province, a semi-mountainous region with a high poverty and unemployment rate. Concerned with the lack of capital and skills in her commune, she boldly suggested her idea to local authorities to start a cooperative using non-timber forest resources to improve local livelihoods. Initially self-sponsored, self-taught and self-promoted the Quang Phuong Bamboo and Rattan Cooperative was established in 2006 by a dozen women from poor local families. They used their own savings for tools, raw materials and trainings to able to make bamboo and rattan handicraft.

Ms. Thuy’s cooperative raised the attention of the provincial government that granted them technical and financial support. In 2012, the Cooperative was awarded a bamboo splitting machine to reduce the manufacturing costs. In the same year, they won 2 provincial prizes and 1 regional prize for their rattan products. Ms. Thuy participated in ROUTASIA’s Learning Route to Thailand in 2013. Since then, she has trained over 200 people and helped the formation of over 15 handicraft groups in several provinces. She is regularly contracted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam, through which she earns 1000 USD for a training session of 10 days. The Quang Phuong Bamboo Rattan Cooperative combines traditional and modern techniques to produce durable, good quality and decorative products with high market demand and very little effect on the environment. Rattan and bamboo fibers are dyed and weaved together through a complex process using rice straw, rice husk and coloring agents from insects. The cooperative is a good example of bottom-up initiative creating sustainable, environment-friendly and high value production using traditional local knowledge in a successful public-private partnership. Contact: Ms. Phan Thi Thuy, Director htxmayxienquangphuong@ gmail.com

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ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January News from our2016Partners

South-South Cooperation: Introducing Procasur’s methodology to research institutes

IFAD LEARNING DAYS: SHARING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR THE GLOBAL SOUTH IFAD’s Global Staff Meeting is organized on 25 February with the idea to bring together all IFAD staff at HQ and ICO, offering a wide variety of learning opportunities in a short timeframe. The Learning Days give the opportunity to strengthen operational and technical skills relevant for day-to-day tasks. They also facilitate peer-to-peer sharing of good practices, new insights and ideas. IFAD’sLearning Days also open grounds for new network and cross-divisional cooperation.

Three scientists from Turkey and Uzbekistan observe virus-resistant fruit trees developed at the National Agriculture Research Center (NARIC) in Hungary. In October 2015, NARIC welcomed the Workshop on Agricultural Biotechnology in Godollo, Hungary. Scientists, agronomists and development partners came from Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Northern Africa to share the fruits of their experiences in gene technology, livestock breeding and climate-smart agriculture. In the frame of the South-South and triangular Cooperation, Procasur and French research center CIRAD were invited to widen the international partnership for sharing good practices in agriculture. From Procasur Asia-Pacific, Mr. Gabor Teveli introduced the intrigued audience to farmer innovations and the ways Procasur is facilitating their recognition around the world. The workshop was organized by the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture and UN-SSC. “Our partnership with Procasur can offer very good opportunities to get down to field-level where the changes are meant to be made, and where Procasur has much experience with local innovations” - Mr. EdemBakshish,Chief of Division for Arab States, Europe and the CIS, UN Office for South-South Cooperation

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IFAD and PROCASUR will be hosting the learning session entitled Sharing Innovative olutions for the Global South, a face to face encounter of IFAD’s Champions and Projects on the ground that have been actively involved with Procasur in the regions of Latin America, Asia, West, Central, East and Southern Africa. The Asia Pacific Region will be represented by CPOs Nicolas Syed, Bangladesh; Meng Sakphouseth, Cambodia; Soulivanh Pattivong, Laos; Bashu Arya, Nepal; Yolando Arban, Philippines, Tung Nguyen, Vietnam.

IFAD in Laos: Teamwork for better portfolio performance

ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

In December, 2015, the World Heritage City of Luang Prabang hosted the Country Portfolio Review of IFADfunded projects in Laos. The 3-day public consultation at the Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office gathered 63 development practitioners to decide on the future of the Laos Country Portfolio and the solutions for better performance for the next 5 years. Project leaders and field staff from 5 IFAD-funded projects in Southern and Northern Laos discussed issues and good practices with IFAD and the Lao government. Experts and advisors from Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and international organizations contributed to an open and communal atmosphere for the professional teamwork. Procasur Asia-Pacific had the honor to facilitate and organize the communication of the event, including the recently published Report from the Retreat. Read the Report from the Retreat on asia.procasur.org

across the civil, public and private sectors, the inclusion of women in local institutions, and the wide knowledge management of best practices. Participatory learning sessions uncovered regional and global solutions in highpriority areas. How to adapt to climate change? How to develop inclusive value chains? How to scale up good poverty reduction programs? IFAD-funded projects in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Cambodia and elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific shared concrete lessons learnt in Learning Routes, Farmer-to-Farmer Extension Services and Open Platforms for policy dialogue and local-academic knowledge integration. A special learning session on knowledge management and partnership was organized by IFAD’s regional office and Mr. Ariel Halpern from PROCASUR. “The level of creativity in the Asia-Pacific is amazing when it comes to capturing, sharing, scaling up and monitoring the impact of our activities. Coupled with the unprecedented growth in these countries, we have the potential of spreading change at a speed never seen before.” - Ariel Halpern, Director of Procasur Asia-Pacific Listen to the participants’ testimonies on YouTube Download the Report from Bali at asia.procasur.org

IFAD-Procasur Cross Regional Programme: Strengthening Procasur’s global capacities IFAD Asia-PaciFic Regional Workshop: Creative dialogue for global solutions In October, 2015, the island of Bali in Indonesia welcomed 300 rural development experts and government ministers at IFAD’s Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop to shape rural development policies in the region. Co-hosted by the Government of Indonesia, the workshop commemorated the opening of IFAD’s subregional hub for Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and the Pacific. The APR Workshop was preceded by the Pacific Roundtable to discuss IFAD’s sub-regional partnership approach and to map out the strategic areas of engagement. The workshop put strong emphasis on the partnership

In October 2015, IFAD and PROCASUR signed an agreement to launch the Cross Regional Programme called Strengthening Capacities and Tools to scale up and disseminate Innovations. This program will be implemented over a period of three years (from January 2016 to December 2018) and its main goal is to reduce poverty in rural areas of Latin America (LAC), East and Southern Africa (ESA) and West and Central Africa (WCA). Its main objective is to improve the performance and impact during the implementation of rural development projects in LAC, ESA and WCA, through an increased access to innovative solutions, capacity building and scaling of good practices to reduce rural poverty. The program involves four IFAD divisions: Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA), Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), West and Central Africa (WCA)

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ProcasUR asia-PACIFIC Newsletter January 2016

and the Division of Policy and Technical Assessment (PTA). While in LAC and ESA the program will build on the knowledge, skills and alliances developed by PROCASUR’s prior experience in those territories, in WCA the Learning Route methodology will be newly introduced. Thanks to the direct involvement of PTA, the program will focus on the cross-cutting issue of Land Tenure Security and Natural Resources Management; additionally, all training activities will have a crossregional approach to ensure global learning on relevant rural development topics.

KLMPE in the Philippines: Inclusive development at its best See more at: africa.procasur.org In November 2015, the Knowledge and Learning Market with Policy Engagement (KLMPE) opened its doors in Quezon City in the Philippines, to provide first hand access to farmer innovations and solutions for more than 300 people, half of them farmers and indigenous people.

The KLMPE negotiates several changes in the ongoing programs and projects among all sectors, and its resulting messages are based on evidence and participatory consultation. The messages enter the system, and through technical notes and policy briefs they nurture the changes that local people want. The KLMPE tells us that knowledge flows and dialogue plays a role in our daily life whether we are in a city or on a farm. Read more about the KLMPE on IFAD’s Social Blog

Exhibitors from all over the country showcased indigenous products, good practices and advocacies to raise awareness for local innovations, agro-cooperatives and farmers organizations. A devoted advocate of the cause, Procasur was among the international delegates. Organized for the 9th time, the KLMPE is an example of inclusive development. Its unusual agenda follows the priorities defined the previous year, and all stakeholders make social accountability of the progress. This twoday exhibition is where providers of tools and services make new businesses, and technologies from the field complement the knowledge from the academic sector. “The KLMPE is part of a continuous platform for dialogue through the year. There is a KLMPE in every province where IFAD-funded projects are operating. This year recommendations included the plan to institutionalize the KMLPE as a dialogue mechanism.” - Ms. Linda Manluctao, Regional Director of the Department of Agrarian Reform, Philippines

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Impressum Editor: Gabor Teveli Designer: Alisa Gantner Publisher Ariel Halpern Published by PROCASUR 2016