Proposals on a

Regional Agri Trade

Agenda
Asian Farmers Association (AFA)
APF 6 Hanoi,Viet Nam
WS on Regl Eco Integration and Trade
Sept 25, 2010

Introduction
AFA as an alliance of FOs
Peasant agenda includes :

-fair and just treatment for farmers

-promotion of food security
-study of alternatives for economic
globalization

2008: research on regional trade

agenda

Agriculture in ASEAN
Share of agriculture to GDP, 2004

Substantial percentages
of land resources in many countries in ASEAN are
32.9
35
devoted to agricultural productionIndoesia has the biggest
30

agricultural area, followed by Thailand and the Philippines.

25

20

21.8
15.6

15.2

15
10
5
0

Source: ASEAN Database

10.1

Agriculture is an important source of

income and livelihood in many
ASEAN
countries
Share of agriculture to employment and total population
81

90
80

74

69

68

(in percent)

70
53

60

53

46

50

66

37

40

38

30
20
10
0

Cambodia

Indonesia

Philippines

Share of agri labor to total labor force

Source: FAOSTAT

Thailand

Viet Nam

Share of rural population to total population

Share of agricultural exports to total

exports is generally small for many ASEAN
countries

( in U S $ M illio n )

Share of agricultural Exports to Total

Exports, 2004
96,064

100,000
90,000
80,000

71,261

70,000
60,000
50,000

39,700

40,000
30,000

20,176

20,000
10,000

11,926

9,401

3,312

2,051

2,555
55

0
Cambodia

Indonesia

Total exports

Philippines

Thailand

Agricultural Exports

Source: ASEAN Statistical Pocketbook

Viet Nam

Common issues among 5

ASEAN countries
Poor investment in agriculture,
especially for important services
such as irrigation, credit support,
marketing, rural infrastructure,
among others

Common issues among 5

ASEAN countries
Lack of farmers capability to fully
and directly benefit from trade
Lack of capability to effectively
compete in the international
market

Common issues among 5

ASEAN countries
Increased pressure to adopt
unsustainable farm production
technologies to meet the quantity
and quality requirements of export
markets

Common issues among 5

ASEAN countries
Lack of farmers participation in
agriculture and trade policy
making, including in the forging of
trade agreements

General Critique of ASEAN

FTAs
FTAs provisions for sensitive products are not
sufficient to safeguard sectors important to
developing countrys food security and poverty
alleviation objectives
FTA provision on special safeguard measures
limited by WTO parameters
FTAs do not address the issue of trade
distorting domestic support and subsidies
SPS setting is based on Western standards

Agri Trade Agenda to

ASEAN
1. Trade agreements that:
- protects sensitive sectors from
liberalization;
- provides sufficient safeguard measures
and remedies;
- Levels the playing field through removal
of trade distorting subsidies
2. Development of an ASEAN based SPS

Agri Trade Agenda to

ASEAN
3. Adoption of an ASEAN Agricultural
Policy and the creation of an ASEAN
Agricultural Development Fund
4. Establishment and Implementation of
an ASEAN Rice Reserve
5. Creation and Recognition of an
Agricultural Producers Advisory Council
to the ASEAN

Strategies-Marketing
Formation, organizing, federating, strengthening of
commodity based producers associations/cooperatives
Development and improvement of traditional, local
markets including wholesale markets owned and
managed by local governments in partnership with
organized small scale food producers
Enhancement of the position of small scale farmers in
sustainable agri food value chain to become a significant
player
Claim making for policies, support services and rural
infrastructure basic for productivity (security of land
tenure, irrigation, production capital, farm to market
roads, crop insurance, market information)
Networking for advocacy and knowledge sharing

Thank you
for your attention