EMPOWERING AND ENGAGING RURAL PEOPLE WITH THE MARKET: AsiaDHRRA experience

EMPOWERING AND ENGAGING RURAL PEOPLE WITH THE MARKET: AsiaDHRRA experience

AsiaDHRRA Regional network focusing on human resource development towards sustainable rural development 11 members in 10 countries South east: Indonesia, Malaysia,Philippines Mekong: Vietnam,Thailand,Cambodia,, Myanmar North: Taiwan,South Korea, Japan started 1974 DHRRAW

AsiaDHRRA Efforts on Engaging Farmers with the market Facilitated farmers exchange visits which focused on sustainable production technology, trading and marketing as well as federation building Catalyzed the formation of Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) Conducted studies on alternative agricultural trading and marketing

AsiaDHRRA Efforts on Engaging Farmers with the market Actively participated in WTO campaign for fair and just trade Regional workshop among farmers, NGOs and government trade negotiators on Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) In-country consultations and campaigns (posters, issue papers, signature campaign, workshops) Shared country experiences in joining WTO (impact to farmers) to members and partners in Vietnam, Cambodia, etc.

DHRRA Country Level Efforts: Varying stages of building capacity of rural people both men and women (farmers, fisherfolks, Indigenous Peoples) Claim-making making over land and natural resource ownership and management Advocacy On-ground implementation (LTI, ancestral domain mapping, CBCRM) Partnership development Cooperative Development Microfinance Health

WHAT ARE THE EFFORTS OF OUR MEMBERS? Basic Services Education Health/Nutrition Water System Resource Tenurial Security Sustainable Agriculture Natural Resource Management Community Organizing Cooperative Development Gender Equity Promotion Engaging in the Local Governance Empowering communities to effectively participate in the market and local government decision making Sustainable Rural Development Lowland Upland Coastal

Land Productivity: Post Land Transfer Challenge First Stage: Improve Food Security for the Household Food Crops Diversified Farming Sustainable Agriculture Survival Strategy

Land Productivity: Post Land Transfer Challenge Second Stage: Improving Cash Flow Producing farm surplus Introduce new crops: Vegetables and livestock Income Augmentation and Sustenance

Land Productivity: Post Land Transfer Challenge Third Stage: Establishing Enterprises Developing new technology Learning Business Mgt Organizing Cooperatives Institutionalization

Increase investment in Capital Outlay: infrastructure Planting long term crops: e.g. Fruit and Timber trees

Land Productivity: Post Land Transfer Challenge Fourth Stage: Moving to Industry Perspective Product Development: Packaging and Product Branding. Entry to Major Markets: Supermarkets Expansion

Engaging local government Product Quality and Control: e.g. Product Standard and Certification System

Marketing Arrangements Cooperative Trading & Marketing Contract Growing Marketing Contract with Corporation Commodity Clustering Joint venture Marketing thru Individual Rural Enterpreneur

Stages of PO Capacity Building Access to productive resources Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia SURVIVAL Sustainable agriculture and farm diversification Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan PRODUCTIVITY Market participation Taiwan, Philippines GROWTH *TriPARRD ; PDAP-PPSE Experience Stages of Development of Rural

SURVIVAL PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH INDUSTRY-ORIENTED ENTERPRISE MICRO-ENTERPRISE 6 SUS AG & CROP DIVERSIFICAT N 5 LAND TENURE IMPROVEMENT AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY 3 4 INDUSTRY- FOCUSED APPROACH AR ADVOCACY & MOBILIZATION 1 2 SITE-FOCUSED APPROACH Main concern of beneficiary households Secure entitlement Obtain tenurial security Land parcelation Make land productive to ensure HH food security Reduce production risks & reduce production costs Earn additional income Ensure off-season livelihood Seek stable employment Some major factors needed to reach this level --- Basic organization Installation of beneficiaries Agricultural credit On-site presence Potable water source Availability of water for crops Availability & diversity of on-site raw materials Organizational capacity for enterprise Capital formation Sufficient & stable market demand PPSE development interventions Media advocacy Protest mobilization Legal support Negotiations w/ DAR & DENR Negotiations w/ LGU & GO for basic infrastructure Agricultural credit Provision of social services to address basic needs Farming systems & SA technology SA niche marketing Enterprise seed capital Skills training Product improvement Organizational capacity for enterprise Marketing Marketing Technology Support for certification, licenses, trademark & processing

Lessons & Insights

Lessons and Insights 1.The entry point for farmer to get access and benefit from any market engagement is via land ownership. 2.Critical factor in the determination of appropriate agra-enterprise management arrangement is the type of existing crop, its productivity status and labor requirement considering economy of scale

Lessons and Insights 3. Sector-focused organizing is proven effective for advocacy purposes but not in engaging the market. Commodity-based multi-stakeholder organizing is an emerging option in the light of growing trade liberalization.

Lessons and Insights 4.Monocropping is a response to market demand which at times forfeit the objective of biodiversity/environment protection 5.Incentive to shift to sustainable agriculture through output price mechanism is more potent than mere input subsidy and technology promotion thru demo. farm

Lessons and Insights 6.Management of Agra-based Enterprise requires the right mix of home-grown farmer entrepreneur, professional managers,crop and industry experts 7.Managing an agri-based enterprise composed of small homogenous cooperative is more vulnerable than big multi-sectoral primary coop.

Lessons/Insights 8. There is a need to explore new forms of management structures and institutions for rural enterprises. Collective management is problematic. In the end, the fate of any rural enterprise rests on the shoulder of individual managers.

Lessons/Insights 9. Rural enterprise development is a multi-stage process where succeeding phases are built on the achievement of previous stages

Lessons/Insights 10. To be successful, rural entrepreneurs, whether individual or group, must learn to contend with the normal operational problems of doing business.

Lessons/Insights 11. Because it is multi-dimensional, complex process, rural enterprise development requires the coordinated effort of many actors, that is, it requires convergence.

Lessons/Insights 12. The institutional development component of rural enterprise development is a long term and costly process.

Moving Forward

Regional Challenges and Plans Country level Mapping and Assessment of NGO-PO marketing initiatives Inventory of products Mapping of marketing mechanism e.g. UMFI Series of Regional multi-stakeholder workshop on marketing towards possible foramtion of mechanism on marketing Continuing Advocacy on agricultural trade Capacity building of NGOs and POs on marketing

Thank you