Author: Admin

PhilDHRRA Case Study on Rural Youth

Reinforcing the role of youth in Responsible Agricultural Investment amidst COVID-19 pandemic, The case of Young Farmers of the Golden Parauma Cooperative (GPAC) in Pamplona, Camarines Sur, Philippines. Read GPAC’s case study here: {phil-RuralY.pdf)

PhilDHRRA Case Study on Rural Women

Mrs. Mela Gipanao of Bulan, Sorsogon, is a farmer organizer and the founding President of the Bulan Women Farmers Association (BWFA), organized in 2018. BWFA’s initiative is about the Integrated Diversified Organic Farming System (IDOFS) Technology for adult women & youth farmers, and the study was conducted in Bulan, Region V, Sorsogon, Philippines. Read more […]

LaoDHRRA Case Study on Rural Women

Thongmung Organic Agriculture Cooperative is a cooperative formed by Mrs. Khammon Luanglat, a farmer group that aims to improve the lives of women in the suburban areas of Xaythany district, Vientiane, Lao PDR. The founder advocates empowering women for their role in the family economy, including strengthening the capacities of widows in the agricultural sector. […]

CamboDHRRA Case Study on Rural Youth

The Story of Thoeun Tola, a Youth Farmer and a young agri-entrepreneur supported by CamboDHRRA. Tola’s Youth Network Community is composed of 30 young people between 18 and 36, including ten women and 20 males. They primarily raise animals, tubers, and green crops. Read Tola’s story HERE {cambo-RuralY.pdf)

CamboDHRRA Case Study on Rural Women

The study is on Cheab Samtipheap Satrey Klahan Agricultural Cooperative, led by its president, Mrs. Chan Sophal, and located at Chiep Commune, Teuk Phos District, Kampong Chhnang Province, Central Cambodia. The cooperative, which has 251 members, 214 of whom are women, produces palm sugar, sells and purchases agricultural fertilizers, and cares for livestock. Read the […]

MarCCO: Stories of Change

Farmers’ Organization Story: Christie Marasigan “Harvesting the fruit of partnership to serve” – The program AFOSP and FO4A has opened the door for everyone to realize the possibilities to improve, learn, know their roles, and understand their duties to collaborate. From farmers to MarCCO staff and people from the government, Christie fastened the rope of […]

COMFAS: Impact Story

The COVID-19 pandemic has paralyzed or moreover, ceased several businesses in the commercial and agriculture sector in a local and global territories. These challenges were resolved sensibly by the Coalition of Municipal Fisherfolk Associations (COMFAS), a farmers’ organization in Zamboanga Sibugay, Philippines, who shifted an effort to producing oyster/oyster products and seaweeds, from the previous […]

FFP Impact Stories (PPT Versions)

Click to download the Powerpoint versions of the FFP Impact Stories. 1.  Journey of COMFAS 2.  Journey of KSPS 3.  Journey of KTLFA 4.  Journey of ISLACO

Asiadhrra holds virtual 12th General Assembly

Asiadhrra 12th GA

AsiaDHRRA is holding its 12th Generaly Assembly today. Originally planned to be conducted in Vietnam, the GA is being held virtually due to the Covid19 pandemic. VietDHRRA is hosting the event, with support from the Board and the AsiaDHRRA Secretariat.

This year’s GA takes stock of the milestones of the 2016-2020 Strategic Action Plan and will approve the 2021-25 Strategic Plan of AsiaDHRRA. It will also be a venue for AsiaDHRRA to reflect on the implications of the Covid19 pandemic on its rural development and poverty eradication programming in the region.

AsiaDHRRA attends PAKISAMA's Partners Conference

Baguio City, Philippines – Last February 10 – 11, 2017 the Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (PAKISAMA) – a national peasant confederation and movement towards the empowerment of small farmers, fishers, rural women, youth, and indigenous peoples – held its Partners’ Conference in Bagiuo City, Philippines, and attended by representatives from We Effect, CSA, […]

AsiaDHRRA attends IFAD's 9th ACPOR Meeting

Butuan City, Philippines – Last January 25 to 27, 2017 the 9th Annual Country Programme Review (ACPOR) was organized in Butuan City, Philippines and attended by 52 representatives coming from IFAD assisted projects, oversight and lead government agencies, and implementing partners. Ms. Marlene Ramirez, Secretary General of AsiaDHRRA attended the activity representing also the AgriCORD […]

AsiaDHRRA joins ComFAZS and XAESFI during project launch on Collective Marketing in Mindanao

Kabasalan, Zamboanga Sibugay, Philippines – Last January 26-27, 2017 a project launching on “Enhancing Collective Marketing of Grouper, Snapper, Sea Bass and other high value fish species” in Zamboanga Sibugay was organized by the Coalition of Municipal Fisherfolks Association of Zamboanga Sibugay (COMFAZS). The project’s objective is to build an economy of scale for snapper, […]

AsiaDHRRA co-organizes the Post-ACBF Planning Workshop with AFA, Farmers' Organizations, & Agri-agencies

As a follow through of Farmers’ organizations (FOs), Agri-agencies, and international development partners working together on agri-cooperatives across Asia, the Post – ACBF Planning Workshop with the theme “ASEAN Farmers Priorities, Strategies, Actions for Strengthening Agricultural Cooperatives in Asia” was held last 1-2 of December 2016 at Sulo Hotel, Quezon City, Philippines. Around 77 delegates […]

AsiaDHRRA co-organizes the 6th ASEAN Cooperative Business Forum

Quezon City, Philippines – With the theme “Enhancing ASEAN Economic Collaboration through Cooperatives”, 6th ASEAN Cooperative Business Forum was held last 29 and 30November 2016 at Novotel Hotel, Quezon City, Philippines. It was a coming together of around 135 participants from Cooperative Development, Co-op and Farmer leaders, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Regional and International Development […]

AsiaDHRRA celebrates with Family Farmers the KLM – PE 2016/IYFF+2

Quezon City, Philippines – With the theme “Engaging Development Partners towards Sustainable Development of Smallholder/Family Farmers”, 350 representatives from CSOs, Farmers’ and Peoples’ Organizations, Government representatives, and International development partners gathered together to celebrate the 2016 International Year of Family Farming Knowledge and Learning Market – Policy Engagement (IYFF KLM-PE) at the Bureau of Soil […]

R8 Alliance meet with NATCCO and SIDC on Agri-Coop building

Quezon City, Philippines – Last November 19, 2016 around 20 representatives coming from Farmers’ Organizations of Region 8 or R8 Alliance, AsiaDHRRA, PhilDHRRA, and PAKISAMA met with key officials of the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO) and Sorosoro Ibaba Development Cooperative (SIDC). The meeting objectives are the following: Explore the support of NATCCO and SIDC […]

AsiaDHRRA continues support to FAKZ and FASAP

Xiengkhouang Province, Lao PDR – Last October 30, 2016, Mr. Florante Villas, AsiaDHRRA Program Manager, met with farmer leaders of Farmer Association of Khangvieng Zone (FAKZ) and Farmers Association for Sustainable Agricultural Production (FASAP) to discuss with their leaders about the progress of the projects that AsiaDHRRA has supported. FAKZ project will soon progress from […]

10th AsiaDHRRA GA held in Vientianne, Lao PDR

Representatives of DHRRA network-members, DHRRA country partners, and FO partners, key ASEAN officials, and government representatives of the Lao PDR, and international development partners attended AsiaDHRRA’s 10th General Assembly held in Vientiane, Lao PDR last 24-26 October 2016. With the theme “Localizing the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and ASEAN Community 2025: The Role of Rural […]

ASEAN to localise its vision in rural areas

(from ASEAN.org)     VIENTIANE, 26 October 2016 – “The fruits of ASEAN regional integration have to be shared and enjoyed by all, including the rural poor, the vulnerable and underprivileged,” stated Dr AKP Mochtan, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs. He emphasised this in his keynote address at the 10th General Assembly […]

DHRRA Members attend Regional Learning Session on MEAL

Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar – The Regional Learning Session on Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) was held last September 18, 2016 in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. The learning session was organized by MyanDHRRA and AsiaDHRRA, and attended by MEAL Focal persons from DHRRA Malaysia, PhilDHRRA, InDHRRA, ThaiDHRRA, CAEV-VietDHRRA, MyanDHRRA, Cambodia partners Farmer’s Life Improvement […]

Training of Trainers on the BBL Program held

Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar – With the objective of strengthening the capacity of DHRRA network members, FO leaders, and their respective second liners on basic competence and attitude towards participatory processes, the Training of Trainers on the Building a Better Life (BBL) Program was held last 15 – 17 September 2016 in Nay Pyi Taw, […]

AsiaDHRRA co-organizes the Civil Society Forum on Engaging the AMAF

Last August 22, 2016, the  CSO Forum on Engaging the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Attended by 21 CSO representatives coming from international, regional, and national Peoples’ Organizations and NGOs,  the CSO Forum on Engaging the AMAF was co-organized with AFA and Oxfam, and supported by the European […]

New AgriCord President Jean-Francoise Isambert visits AsiaDHRRA and R8 Alliance

Quezon City, Philippines – Last July 25, 2016 newly elected AgriCord President Jean-Francoise Isambert with Ms. Hannelore Beerlandt, agricultural economist and staff of AgriCord, visited AsiaDHRRA. The visit is part of the new President’s series conversations with each Agri-agency. Marlene Ramirez, Secretary General of AsiaDHRRA, gave a brief history of AsiaDHRRA, and how each network […]

Asiadhrra to hold 9th General Assembly in Myanmar on October 2-4, 2014

Asiadhrra will hold its 9th General Assembly on October 2-4, 2014 in Yangon, Myanmar.  The event will also commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the DHRRA Network which was born in 1974 in Swanganiwas, Thailand ushering the birth of country DHRRAs accompanied by CENDHRRA until 1994, when AsiaDHRRA was evolved to focus on the regional DHRRA […]

Kyone Ta Loke Farmers Association starts implementing its project

A project launching and planning workshop was held recently in Kyone Ta Loke participated by officers, representatives from 6 villages and members of Kyone Ta Loke Farmers Association (KTLFA).  The launching and planning workshop is a start-up activity of KTLFA’s project entitled “Enhancing rice productivity and organizing for collective marketing” involving 3,500 farmers in Eimme […]

FASAP successfully concludes Leadership and Organizational Strengthening Project

By Florante Villas Farmers Association for Sustainable Agriculture Production (FASAP) conducted an end-of-the-project evaluation last May 14-15 in FASAP Office and Training Center, Khoun District, Xingkhouang Province. The project entitled “strengthening of leadership and organization capacity of FASAP” is funded by AsiaDHRRA under the Farmers Fighting Poverty programming of AgriCord with support from the DGD […]

FAKZ gets a boost for organic rice production and marketing

By Florante Villas Farmers Association of Khangvieng Zone (FAKZ) and AsiaDHRRA held a joint planning workshop for a project “Enhancing capacities of 3,000 farmers in organic rice production and marketing.” Attended by officers and farmer-leaders from 9 villages in Khangvieng, the planning workshop facilitated a unity of understanding between and among members and leaders of […]

New edition of FAO's “State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture” released

FAO released their latest edition of the  “State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture” which highlights growing role of fish in feeding the world. The accompanying  infographic sums it up well. Interestingly, in the report, FAO highlights the very important role of smallholder activities (a perspective and strategy which Asiadhrra strenously promotes in its programs and […]

VNFU Training on Effective Policy Advocacy

Training activities related to the 2nd Phase of Asiadhrra cooperation with the Vietnam Farmers’ Union on Constructive Engagement for effective policy advocacy resulting to responsive services and programs to its members continue on with the latest  activity conducted on March 30 – April 6, 2014 in Hanoi, Vietnam. The knowledge exchange is being brought down […]

Vietdhrra conducts capacity development trainings in Quang Ninh Province

Vietdhrra continues to provide capacity development trainings to rural communities in Vietnam in line with its goal of accelerating rural development. From April 20-27 2014, under the guidance of Mr. Thang Tai of Vietdhrra, trainings on goat raising techniques and establishing interest groups were successfully conducted in 4 different communes in Binh Lieu district, Quang […]

Mid-Term Review of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint (2009-2015) now available!

ASEAN has recently made public the Mid-Term Review of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint (2009-2015). The ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint’s primary goal is “to contribute to realising a people-centred and socially responsible ASEAN Community by forging a common identity and building a caring and sharing society.” What has been achieved thus far?  To know, […]

Fondation de France Post-Yolanda Reconstruction Guide for Philippines

Benjamin Bellegy, International Aid Program Manager of Fondation de France, is sharing their Reconstruction Guide. It “aims at guiding NGOs in the elaboration and implementation of their building reconstruction/rehabilitation projects. This guide can be used in order to help FO’s that plan some rebuilding activities to (build back better) and to have a clearer vision […]

Asia-Pacific Civil Society Organizations meet on food and agriculture

Sourced from FAO ROAP Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 08 Mar 2014 — Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) from Asia and the Pacific opened a two-day Consultation today to discuss their joint concerns about the future of small farmers, landless farmers, farm workers and other concerned stakeholders. This parallel Consultation is organized just prior to FAO’s Thirty-Second Regional Conference […]

Asiadhrra funds development cooperation project with Laos Farmers

By Nonoy Villas, Regional Program Manager, Asiadhrra In another groundbreaking milestone, Asiadhrra launched its first development cooperation project in Laos. On the occasion of FASAP’s planning workshop held last January 16-17, 2014,  Asiadhrra and Farmers Association for Sustainable Agriculture Production (FASAP) in Khoun District, Xiengkhouang Province, Lao PDR signed an agreement of cooperation to strengthen […]

Asiadhrra breaks ground for new opportunities for rural development cooperation in Myanmmar

In October 2013, hosted by ECE of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Myanmar (CBCM), Asiadhrra  leaders  engaged in a partnership dialogue with MyanDHRRA leaders. This is in light of the new opportunities to strengthen cooperation focused on supporting  farmers’ organizations and building learning models of rural farming communities. The stakeholders’ capabilities are also expected to […]

Asiadhrra assists VNFU in the launching and conduct of start-up planning workshop

Last December 16-18, 2013, AsiaDHRRA participated in the launching and conduct of the start-up planning workshop held in VMQ Hotel, Hanoi, Vietnam. This activity is part of the Phase 2 of the Project entitled Building VNFU staff’s capacity in using right tools to support the development of collective economic forms in agriculture.  This project is […]

ASEAN share ASCC MTR Report

The ASEAN has published the ASCC MTR Report. This can be accessed at the following links: (Page link)  http://www.asean2013.gov.bn/index.php/asean-socio-cultural-community (Direct link to report) http://www.asean2013.gov.bn/images%5CASCC%20Documents%5CReport%20of%20the%20Mid-Term%20Review%20ASCC%20Blueprint_FINAL.rar Asiadhrra was tapped to conduct the Medium Term Review of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint. About the ASCC MTR (excerpted from the report) The Cha-Am Hua Hin Declaration on ASEAN […]

Asiadhrra joins in launching AgriCord Philippine Network

Asiadhrra together with fellow Agri-agencies will launch the AgriCord Philippine Network during the workshop entitled  “Social Solidarity Economy: How family farmers benefit from it” which takes takes on October 16, 2013 at the University of the Philippines College of Social Work and Community Development (UP- CSWCD) Room 301 and 302. The workshop will showcase family […]

Asiadhrra gearing up for IYFF 2014

At the global level, both the official and CSO processes are rolling for the International Year of Family Farming (IYFF) 2014. CSO and Official side events on the IYFF are taking place from Oct 3-11, 2013 in Rome in conjunction with the upcoming 40th Session of the Committee on World Food Security. Asiadhrra will be […]

Asiadhrra tapped to draft the report on ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint

Delegation members at the meeting discussed the draft report prepared by the Asian Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Asia (AsiaDHRRA), providing feedback and suggestions, aiming to consolidate recommendations for the Senior Officials Committee of the ASCC (SOCA) and ASCC consideration at scheduled meetings from September 24 to 26. The Permanent Secretary […]

Vietdhrra hosts exchange visit of Philippine Agri Teachers

CAEV-Vietdhrra hosted an an exchange visit by teachers and professors from the Nueva Vizcaya State University of the Philippines where they learned how CAEV-Vietdhrra utilizes participatory approach in promoting agricultural extension services and gender-responsive activities in the rural communities of Vietnam.            

DHRRA Malaysia to celebrate a decade of achievements

DHRRA Malaysia is set to celebrate a decade of meaningful service to malaysian people. The event, to be held on Sept. 07, 2013 from 07:30 pm onwards at the Crystal Crown Hotel, Petaling Jaya will showcase success stories, presentations and a sumptuous dinner. Our very best wishes to DHRRA Malaysia on this momentous occasion! As […]

CAEV Newsletter on ToT on Poultry Raising

CAEV-VietDHRRA is sharing their latest newsletter with this issue highlighting the recently conducted ToT Training on Poultry Raising Techniques. Download the newsletter in PDF here..

Vietdhrra honored with ASEAN RDPE Award

            CAEV -VIETDHRRA  was among the inaugural recipients of the ASEAN Leadership Award on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication presented by ASEAN Secretariat during the ASEAN Forum on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication, held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia on 4-5 July 2013. The awards stemmed from the 7th AMRDPE held in […]

CAEV-VietDHRRA conducts ToT Training

CAEV conducted a successful T0T training for agricultural extension workers of different districts in Thai Nguyen province. The training was conducted by Mr. Thang Tai, CAEV-VietDHRRA Training Officer.    

Bina Swadaya 45 Years

The present Bina Swadaya was actually named Yayasan Sosial Tani Membangun (YSTM) when it was founded in Jakarta on 24 May 1967 by Ikatan Petani Pancasila (IPP) or the Pancasila Farmers Union. Bina Swadaya is intended to function as a legal body in charge of managing projects commissioned by IPP. In 1969, when ‘Trubus’ farming […]

Asiadhrra participates in the SEA CSM rai Consultation in Jakarta

Asiadhrra, represented by Ms.Marlene Ramirez, is set to participate in the upcoming Southeast Asia CSM Sub-regional Consultation focusing on “Development of Principles for Agricultural Investment, VG on Land, and other Priority Issues of CFS”. The consultation will be held on May 23-25, 2012 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Updates on the consultation can be accessed at the […]

Asiadhrra to participate in the 46th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of ADB

Asiadhrra, represented by its Secretary General, Ms. Marlene Ramirez, is set to participate together with more than 4,500 participants, including heads of state, finance ministers, central bank governors, and representatives from the private sector, academe, media, and civil society in the 46th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank to […]

AsiaDHRRA organizes project mission in Myanmar

On April 7 to 13, 2013, AsiaDHRRA organized a project mission to Myanmar. The Asiadhrra Mission Team was composed of Marlene D. Ramirez, Asiadhrra Secretary General,  Florante Villas, Asiadhrra Market Access Manager,  Rev. Kya Moo and Lucrecia Naw Kyu Khin, focal points of Myandhrra in Yangon. The political and economic transformation are taking place in […]

First VNFU Policy Advocacy Training Workshop held

The first training workshop of the project “Building VNFU staff and leaders’ Capacity in Policy Advocacy” was organized and held in Hai Duong Province in Vietnam. A total of 34 participants from Provincial Farmers Union in the northern part of Vietnam came to participate. Ms. Pham Thi Thu Binh, chairwoman of Hai Duong Farmers Union […]

Farewell and Godspeed Ismail…

  The consumer movement has just lost a hardcore consumer activist, that Ismail Abdul Aziz, who died on March 27, 2013 due to heart disease. Ismail Abdul Aziz, 52, is Chairman of the Association of Consumers and Social Petaling District, which is a member of the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA). Ismail Abdul Aziz […]

AsiaDHRRA participated in the start-up workshop of the project “Building VNFU staff’s capacity of using right tools in supporting the development of collective economic forms in agriculture

AsiaDHRRA joined the Start-up workshop for project “Building VNFU staff’s capacity of using right tools in supporting the development of collective economic forms in agriculture.” The workshop was held last February 25-27, 2013 at the VNFU Headquarter in Hanoi, Vietnam. The project entitled “Building VNFU staff’s capacity of using right tools in supporting the development […]

VNFU and Asiadhrra co-organize Advocacy Capacity Workshop for Vietnam Farmer’s Union staff

Link to VNFU News Page AsiaDHRRA is supporting VNFU’s project entitled “Building Policy Advocacy Capacity for Vietnam Farmer’s Union staffs” with financing from DGD Belgium through Agricord. The project aims to, among others, equip VNFU leaders and staff with some fundamental knowledge, skills and competence in policy advocacy. Last February 28 to March 1, VNFU […]

ACSC/APF 2013 to be held on April 6-8, 2013 in Brunei Darussalam

The ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN People’s Forum 2013 (ACSC/APF 2013) will be held in Brunei Darussalam on 6 – 8 April 2013. The theme of this year’s gathering is “ASEAN: Building Our Future Together”. The event will be hosted and led by the Council of Women of Brunei Darussalam (CWBD) (or Majlis Wanita Negara Brunei […]

GAFSP Nepal

Visit to a Women Farmers Organization -Himawanthi in Lalitpur, Nepal

Asiadhrra participates in 2nd SATNET Meeting

Asiadhrra, a SATNET Associate Partner, participated in the Second Meeting of the SATNET Asia Network held in Bogor, Indonesia on 12 February 2012. The yearly meeting organized by CAPSA “is  an important opportunity to discuss the analytical work being conducted by the project, share the progress being made in the implementation of activities and agree […]

Asiadhrra participates in the WCC-IYFF coordination meeting in Rome

Asiadhrra, represented by Ms. Marlene Ramirez, participated in the meeting of the World Consultative Committee of the International Year of Family Farming 2014- IYFF-2014 held on January 29th to 31rst, 2013 in Rome, Italy. The meeting, organized by the WRF, took place in connection with the second meeting of the FAO IYFF-2014 Informal International Steering […]

Asiadhrra to participate in the High-Level Consultation Meeting on Integrating Nutrition into ASEAN Integrated Food Security Framework and its Strategic Plan of Action for Food Security

Asiadhrra, represented by Mr. Florante Villas, Program Manager, is participating in the High-Level Consultation Meeting on Integrating Nutrition into ASEAN Integrated Food Security Framework and its Strategic Plan of Action for Food Security to be held on Jan 21-Feb. 1, 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand. Organized by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and FAO […]

The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012 – FAO

The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012 presents new estimates of undernourishment based on a revised and improved methodology. The new estimates show that progress in reducing hunger during the past 20 years has been better than previously believed, and that, given renewed efforts, it may be possible to reach the MDG hunger […]

Strength in Numbers: Effective forest producer organizations

Forest producer organizations can be highly effective agents of poverty reduction through their advocacy and economic roles. Given the increasing amount of forest land now managed and controlled by individuals and communities, there is a need to strengthen cooperation in terms of forest products and services. Published by FAO, the Forest & Farm Facility and […]

Asiadhrra participates in international agri seminar on FO participation

Asiadhrra was invited to present on  the involvement of farmers’ organizations in public programs during the International Agricultural Seminar entitled “How to Better Involve Farmers’ Organizations in Agricultural Public Programs? “ held on November 28th-29th2012, at the Auditorium International,  International Trade Union House Boulevard du Roi Albert II, No. 5 / 2 B-1210 Brussels.  The […]

Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) in Asia Knowledge Management Workshop

Nov 9-11, 2012 Phnom Penh, Cambodia A knowledge sharing and learning session among implementors of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) in Asia which include national farmers organizations in Nepal (All Nepal Peasant Federation Association for Nepal or ANPFa), Bangladesh (Action Aid Bangladesh for Kendrio Krishok Moitree or AA-B-KKM), Cambodia (Farmers and Nature […]

Agricord-member agri-agencies working in the Philippines and Southeast Asia met for learning exchanges

A learning exchange meeting among Agricord-member agri-agencies, namely: Trias, Agriterra, Swedish Cooperative Center (SCC), Collectif Stratégies Alimentaires (CSA) and AsiaDHRRA, all working in the Philippines and Southeast Asia was held last 5-6 November 2012 at Fersal Place Hotel in Quezon City, Philippines. The learning exchange meeting was an opportunity for Agricord members to interact instructive of their […]

Asiadhrra and Agricord to jointly organize Session on Capacity Building in Practice during the Civil Society Policy Forum at the 2012 WB-IMF Annual Meetings

Asiadhrra is set to participate in the  Civil Society Policy Forum at the 2012 World Bank-International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings in Tokyo to be held on October 10, 2012 in Tokyo, Japan. In partnership with Agricord, a network of agri-agencies in Europe, Africa and Asia, Asiadhrra is co-organizing the Session on Capacity Building in Practice: […]

Summary of CSO Inputs – 2nd AMAF-Private Sector Dialogue on Food Security

Summary of CSO Inputs (Cross-cutting) 2nd AMAF-Private Sector Dialogue on Food Security September 27, 2012 Vientiane, Lao PDR Your excellencies from the ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF), once again, on behalf of the CSO delegation, please accept our sincere appreciation for this opportunity to dialogue with you. Our strong presence here indicates our […]

First Day Summary of Proceedings of the Preparatory Workshop for the 2nd AMAF Private Sector Dialogue on Food Security

The Preparatory Workshop for the 2nd AMAF Private Sector Dialogue (PPD) on Food Security began  with 26 participants representing farmers organizations, cooperatives, and civil society organizations from the national and regional levels. Representatives from the FAO and national governments also joined to observe. The Preparatory Workshop was organized by the ASEAN Secretariat in collaboration with […]

Asiadhrra participates in 5th Human Rights Defenders Forum

Florante “Nonoy” Villas, represented Asiadhrra in  Forum Asia’s 5th Human Rights Defenders Forum last 3-5 September 2012 at the Holiday Inn Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. The forum  with its theme “Defending Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in A Consolidated Asian Regional Human Rights Movement” focused on the issues and challenges facing defenders working on economic, […]

Asiadhrra and AgriCord co-organize FGD on Impact Indicators and Tools of Measurements

Asiadhrra in cooperation with AgriCord is set to hold a workshop and FGD on the Farmers Fighting Poverty (FFP) impact indicators and tools of measurements on September 8-9, 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Focused Group Discussion (FGD) aims to, among others, register and analyze the views and perceptions of selected leaders and staff of farmers’ […]

Phildhrra holds 21st General Assembly

PhilDHRRA held their 21st GA from August 15-17, 2012 at the Ritz Hotel at Garden Oases. Bo. Obrero,  Davao City.  The theme for this this year’s GA, ““LOOKING BACK, STRENGTHENING SYNERGY AND ACHIEVING GREATER IMPACT IN SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT” builds on previous results of PhilDHRRA’s GA and 25th Anniversary. The objectives for the GA were: […]

Asiadhrra welcomes Taiwanese interns

Asiadhrra is hosting two interns from the National Pintung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) in Taiwan. Ms. Ya-hui and Ms.Fang-chi are both graduate students taking up Masters in Agribusiness. They are both student of Dr. Wen-chi Huang who is also the Asiadhrra Chairperson. They will be staying with Asiadhrra for one month (July 27-August […]

1st GO-NGO Forum RDPE affirms continued dialogue between Governments and CSOs

The First ASEAN GO-NGO Forum on RDPE was held on 12 June 2012 in Da Nang City, Viet Nam. The theme of “Achieving Poverty Eradication and Rural Development through Improved Food Security, Livelihood and Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in ASEAN” brought together representatives of SOM-RDPE and SOM-AMAF, national and regional CSO representatives, and invited speakers […]

Asiadhrra presents CSO Perspectives during SOM-AMAF and SOMRDPE Meeting June 2012

Ms. Marlene Ramirez, Asiadhrra SecGen, presented civil society perspectives during the Consultation Meeting of Senior Officials Meeting of ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (SOM-AMAF) and Senior Official Meeting on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication (SOMRDPE) entitled “Achieving Poverty Eradication and Rural Development through Improved Food Security, Livelihood and Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in ASEAN” […]

Asiadhrra in Rio+20

Ms. Marlene Ramirez is currently participating in the Rio+20 taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from June 20-22, 2012. “Rio+20 – the short name for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2012 – is an historic opportunity to define pathways to a safer, […]

Asiadhrra participates in The Pilot ASEAN Rice Trade Forum

Asiadhrra, represented by Mr. Nonoy Villas has been invited to participate in the ASEAN Rice Trade Forum to be held in Apsara Angkor Resort & Conference in Siem Reap, Cambodia on 19-20 June 2012. The Forum’s objectives are share and analyze rice market information identify areas of cooperation and policy coordination to mitigate or – […]

Asiadhrra to Co-organize CSO Preparatory Meeting for the 1st GO-NGO Forum RDPE

Asiadhrra in partnership with AFA, VietDHRRA and VNFU will co-organize the CSO Preparatory Meeting for the 1st GO-NGO Forum on RDPE to be held on 12 June 2012 in Da Nang City, Viet Nam. The Forum’s theme will be “Achieving Poverty Eradication and Rural Development through Improved Food Security, Livelihood and Climate Change Adaptation Strategies […]

Asiadhrra to present in the 2012 ASEAN Social Forestry Network Conference

Mr. Florante Villas, representing Asiadhrra will share a presentation on Asiadhrra’s experiences in engaging with ASEAN and other intergovernmental agencies during the ASEAN Social Forestry Network Civil Society Forum 2012 entitled, ‘ASEAN Civil Society Forum on Social Forestry and Climate Change’. The Forum will be held on June 2012 at the Angkor Paradise Hotel in […]

China publishes report on human rights record of US

Found on ChinaDaily is this report released by the The State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China, on the “The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2011. “The State Department of the United States released its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011 on May 24, 2012. As in […]

Saudis want long term leases for Philippine ricelands

Food Security advocates and farmers’ groups should take note of this and maybe ask to be included in the TWG. Saudi company is interested in leasing up to 200,000 hectares of rain-fed government land and private farms to produce 1.2 million metric tons (MMT) of rice for the Saudi Arabian market. Dante Delima, assistant secretary […]

Asiadhrra to participate in the the 2012 ADB annual Meeting

Asiadhrra was invited to participate in the Forty-Fifth Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank to be held from Wednesday, 2 May 2012 to Saturday, 5 May 2012 in Manila,Philippines. More info on the Annual Meeting here…      

Asiadhrra presents at first CSO 101 Brown Bag Session in ASEAN HQ

AsiaDHRRA, together with the Non-Timber Forest Products – Exchange Programme for South and Southeast Asia (NTFP-EP),  ASEAN Social Forestry Network (ASFN), Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and SDC  co-organized the first CSO 101 Brown Bag Event for the Civil Society Organizations & the Agriculture and Forestry Sector in the ASEAN Region held […]

Smallholder agriculture calls in the ACSC-APF 2012!

The CSO event statement highlights the adverse impact of the “loss of forest and agricultural land to monoculture plantations” to the  biodiversity, food security and human rights in the region and proposes to the ASEAN members states several measures to mitigate these effects. The agriculture and environment CSO stakeholders recommend that ASEAN and/or its member […]

JaDHRRA Intern in Asiadhrra

Mr. Makino Atsushi, a senior student of Kobe University in Japan taking up Economics, is currently on a six month internship (February-August 2012) in the Philippines hosted by Asiadhrra and Phildhrra. Maki, as he prefers to be called will focus his internship on studying Philippine NGO Programs and Activities. He began his internship with a […]

Atenean volunteer in Asiadhrra

Ms. Soc Orlina, a junior AB Communication student at the Ateneo de Manila University has joined Asiadhrra as a summer volunteer for the period April-May 2002. She will produce a video brochure for Asiadhrra.

Asiadhrra becomes the newest member of Agricord!

Asiadhrra in October 2011 joined AgriCord  as its newest member.  It hopes to promote the “Farmers’ Fighting Poverty” program of the network along its agenda of building partnerships to empower farmers in the Asian region. On a related note, Asiadhrra Execom met with AgriCord Managing Director Mr. Ignace Coussement, in Hanoi in March 2012 where […]

Banned Pesticides found in Chinese Teas

We consume a fair amount of tea here in the office and this newsbit from Greenpeace East Asia had us a bit worried. “A Greenpeace investigation has found pesticides banned for use on tea in the products marketed by some of China’s top tea companies. Some of the firms, which include China Tea, Tenfu Tea […]

CSO Statement on 31st FAO APRC: Our Calls for the Future of Food Sovereignty in Asia

We, 130 representatives of small food producers including farmers, fisherfolks, indigenous peoples, pastoralists, rural women, and youth, cooperatives, labor movements, consumers and NGOs from 20 countries worldwide met from March 10 to 11, 2012 for the CSO parallel consultation to the 31st FAO-Asia Pacific Regional Conference in Hanoi, Vietnam. We  are aware of the complex […]

Cool Wind Power

Treehugger featured 9 innovations shaping wind power technology. very very cool concepts indeed. I like the low-decibel concepts. go check them out!  

Are pesticides killing the bees?

FrankenThursday is back with this bit from Wired.  The cause of the recent bee colony collapse disorder continues to generate heated debates. And this new study will further ratchet up the discussions as everyone tries to figure out the cause and identify solutions to save our friendly pollinators . A controversial new study of honeybee […]

Track Climate Change with this free app from NASA

Found this at Treehugger.  A free app that “visualizes recent global climate data from Earth Science satellites, including surface air temperature, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, and water vapor as well as gravity and sea level variations. It was developed by the Earth Science Communications and Visualization Technology Applications and Development Teams at NASA’s Jet […]

Up and running again

Hallo folks! We’re back online again after a serious hack attack. Thanks to Bluehost and to Thomas Raef of wewatchyourwebsite.com for all the help.

Asiadhrra holds Execom meeting in Hanoi

Asiadhrra will hold its first ExeCom Meeting for 2012 in Hanoi, Vietnam today. Dr. Toan will host the meeting at the Vietdhrra office. Among the matters to be discussed include a review of the network operations for the past 2 years, an overview of the opportunities and challenges and partnerships for the upcoming period and […]

Asiadhrra invited to the 31st APRC (2012)

A five-member Asiadhrra delegation spearheaded by Ms. Marlene Ramirez, Asiadhrra Secretary General and Mr. Yoshikuni Yatani, Asiadhrra Execom member and Dr. Bui Quang Toan, Vietdhrra Chairperson, has been invited to participate in the 31st session of the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific which will be held in Hanoi, Socialist Republic of Viet […]

Asiadhrra co-organizes 31st APRC Civil Society Consultation

Asiadhrra is co-organizing with fellow regional CSOs and the Vietnam Farmers’ Union (VNFU) the “CSO Meeting: Consolidating Efforts for Effective Engagement on Food and Agriculture Governance”  in conjunction with the 31st FAO-Asia Pacific Regional Conference. It will be held at the Khan Quang Do Hotel in Hanoi, Viet Nam on March 10-11, 2012. The CSO […]

Congratulations to AFA on their 10th Anniversary!

Our warmest congratulations to the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) who celebrates their 10th Anniversary today as they hold the event entitled “AFA@10: Celebrating Successes, Taking On More Challenges: AFA Regional Consultations and 5th AFA General Assembly” on March 7-9, 2012 in Hanoi, Vietnam. AFA came into fruition after a series farmer exchanges […]

Asiadhrra participates in the 4th Farmers Forum

Ms. Marlene Ramirez, representing the Asiadhrra network, joined the Fourth Meeting of the Farmers Forum (FAFO)  held on Feburary 20-21, 2012 at the IFAD Headquarters in Rome, Italy. The Farmers’ Forum “is an on-going, bottom-up process of consultation and dialogue between small farmers’ and rural producers’ organizations (FOs), IFAD and governments, focused on agricultural and […]

China blocks GE Rice

Interesting news about China pushing out new legislations “restricting research, field trials, production, sale, import and export of genetically engineered grain seeds. The draft stipulates that no organization or person can employ unauthorized GE technology in any major food product in China.” “This is actually a world-first initiative that deals with GE food legislation at […]

DHRRA Malaysia assists poor Malaysians get MyKads

RAWANG, Feb 2 (Bernama) — Forty-two people received their identification documents, namely Mykad, Citizenship and birth certificate today. Among them were a 49-year-old barber M. Soundrarajan from Rasah, Negeri Sembilan and Hartini Abd Rani, 33 from Hulu Bernam. During the event organised by The Development of Human Resources in Rural Area (DHRRA Malaysia), its President […]

Invest more on farming and agriculture says Bill Gates

Here’s an interesting advice to world leaders from the tech titan and currently the biggest private philanthropist, Bill Gates who outlines in his 2012 Annual letter the need to invest more in agriculture “We can help poor farmers sustainably increase their productivity so they can feed themselves and their families. But that will only happen […]

UN Declares 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming!!!

Here’s great news straight from  José A. Osaba and our good friends at WRF. Thanks to all partners and friends and the Asiadhrra Network for actively participating in the IYFF campaign! “We have got finally the good news that many of our organizations have been waiting for. Today, December 22nd 2011, at 4.55 pm, New […]

AsiaDHRRA shares its linking small farmers to market experiences in China Forum

AsiaDHRRA joined two Seminars organized by the International Poverty Reduction Center of China (IPRCC). The first seminar on “Policies and Practices of Rural Poverty Reduction in China and ASEAN countries” was held in Wuhan City, Hubei Province last October 12-18, 2011. Twenty five (25) participants from 9 ASEAN countries and China. The second seminar on  […]

Asiadhrra participates in the FAO RAP Forum on Food Security

Asiadhrra is set to participate in a forum on food security sponsored by FAO RAP. The Forum entitled, “Nutrition-Sensitive Food Production Systems for Sustainable Food Security” will take place on December 7-8, 2011 in Bangkok, Thailand, at Conference Hall of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. Asiadhrra will be joined by participants […]

Building People’s Sovereignty in South East Asia Region

Binadesa shared with us a declaration document they signed together with a multitude of Indonesian CSO’s on the issue of people’s sovereignty in ASEAN. The declaration is entitled “Building People’s Sovereignty in South East Asia Region: Refuse and Oppose the Domination of Global Capitalism” “We, Indonesian people, representations of peasants, workers, migrant workers, fisher folk, […]

IYFF Final Declaration: Feeding the Word, Caring for the Earth

FINAL DECLARATION Family Farming World Conference: Feeding the World, Caring for the Earth October 5-7, 2011 / Bilbao, Spain   We, 200 women and men, leaders of national, regional and international farmers’ organizations, civil society groups and social movements, and key academic and research institutions, from four continents of the world –Africa, Americas, Asia and […]

Vietdhrra hosts RDPE National Consultation in Vietnam

“On 20th.July 2011 the RDPE National Consultation  for Viet Nam was held at the meeting room of the Center of Agricultural Extension Volunteers (CAEV), 4th.Floor, A1 Building, Phuong Mai, 102 Truong Chinh, Ha Noi which is also Executive Office of the Vietnam Partnership of Human Resource Development for Rural Areas (VietDHRRA).” Read the details of […]

Farmbots to the farms!

Robots for TechTuesday! Bots in the farms is pretty interesting in itself coz, well, they’re robots. Apparently commercial farmers are enamored with robots because they help address the farmers’ perennial problem of labor costs and labor availability. But you have to wonder though the sense of this as world population continues to increase which means […]

Guidelines in using the Maligaya Flatbed Dryer

FarmFriday has this to share to our readers who have installed the maligaya flatbed dryer or planning to install one. Here’s a few reminders from PhilRice: Check/monitor the temperature of drying air, air static pressure at the plenum, and grain depth when operating the dryer. When drying palay for seed purposes, the temperature should not […]

The Global Adaptation Index

Here’s a cool website that show’s each country’s adaptability to climate change. Very well designed. Another great work from our idols at Development Seed What is GAIN? The Global Adaptation Index™ (GAIN™), a project of the Global Adaption Institute, provides a data-driven approach to help countries and the private sector invest in adaptation to climate […]

Developing new food systems to mitigate climate change

From Grain Food is a key driver of climate change. How our food gets produced and how it ends up on our tables accounts for around half of all human-generated greenhouse gas emissions. Chemical fertilizers, heavy machinery and other petroleum-dependant farm technologies contribute significantly. The impact of the food industry as a whole is even […]

Asiadhrra highlights need for support to small holder agriculture in RDPE Workshop

AsiaDHRRA together with its members and partners participated in the recently concluded Workshop On The Framework Action Plan On Rural Development And Poverty Eradication held at the ASEAN Secretariat last Sept.29-30, 2011. Dr. Toan of VietDHRRA, in his talk during the information sharing, highlighted the centrality of small-holder farmers,fishers and indigenous peoples both men and […]

PhilRice Machines to use biodiesel

Crossposting from PhilRice (they’re up again) this interesting news: Farmers can soon cut on fuel expenses as the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) tests the efficiency of its developed biofuel on machines. The plan is an offshoot of a recent lecture by Dr. Rico O. Cruz, an expert on biofuel from Oregon, USA, who promoted […]

DIY Anaerobic Digester

From the good people advocating resilient communities comes this nice DIY biogas producer… click to view the instructional  videos  

Setting up your own personal Telco

So you live in a fairly remote farming area where the good graces of the telco seldom if ever makes it presence known. What to do? well, TechTuesday says set up your own telco! MobileActive will show you how: The Village Base Station is built around voice and low-bandwidth data transmissions. It is an economical […]

Organic veggie farming in shipping containers

Here’s a new twist on urban farming -hydroponics basically. An article in FastCo describes a rising business venture that grows organic vegetables in shipping containers using hydroponic farming technology. Awesome!!! Liotta decided to use recycled shipping containers as “grow pods,” which are outfitted with organic hydroponic nutrient solutions; computer-controlled environmental systems to regulate temperature, humidity, […]

Fixing Fair Trade

Here’s another take on the fair trade issue which of late has been under criticism for its less than convincing performance in helping out poor farmers Today, on World Fair Trade Day, we have something else to feel guilty about. That fair-trade cup of coffee we savour may not only fail to ease the lot […]

Managing your pigs with the LongArm

Say you have a thousand head pig farm going, and you’re alone to do all the work. How would you herd your pigs from one place to another? Enter canadian pig farmer Mary Haugh. She came up with “The Longarm”, “a roller that dispenses a swath of red cloth–a sort of farm version of the […]

Legowo System for Fish-Rice Intercropping

Fish and rice is always a tasty combo right? FarmFriday shares this farming method developed by the Assessment Institute of Agricultural Technology (AIAT), Ungaran, Indonesia.  Thanks again to FFTC. Learn how to setup the Legowo System here….

The wonderful Polyface Farm

Ok this is not from Asia but this farm is amazing and we can get some ideas that can be applied to the asian farming context. Polyface Farms is a “grass-farming” operation in Swope, Virginia run by Mr. Joel Salatin and his family and a bunch of staff and interns. It has become the “mecca of […]

Building a Biogas Plant to Supply a Farm Household

Farm technology again for FarmFriday courtesy of FFTC Archives. This is a  concise howto on building  a small Biogas plant that can supply the energy needs of a farm household. This technology was developed by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry Extension, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam.read the full howto on Building a […]

Multi-Purpose Paddy Sowing Machine

FarmFriday is back again after a long rest 🙂 and today we feature this machine  developed by the Department of Agriculture of Thailand. We got this from our friends over at FFTC. This machine attempts to resolve the following problem encountered using manual sowing “for a consistent spread, farmers have to constantly cast the seeds […]

Beware the climate loan sharks

A very interesting reading about another reprehensible facet of the climate change issue. Essentially,  as  Rezaul Karim Chowdhury says “By pushing climate loans, the UK is making people in countries like mine pay twice for climate change, even though we played virtually no part in causing the problem.” In Climate Loan Sharks, the World Development Movement […]

Bangladesh wants no part of climate loans

Guardian.co.uk This week in Cape Town, the World Bank will decide whether to approve new climate adaptation loans for five countries. In Bangladesh and around the world, campaigners are resisting these loans and urging their governments not to accept new debt for climate change. More than 50 organisations from countries due to receive the loans […]

FAO endorses IYFF Campaign resolution to the UN

A historic event in the IYFF campaign, WRF shares this very important step that transpired in the FAO Side Event on Family Farming: Last Saturday, 2nd July 2011, the plenary of the 37th FAO Conference ratified the Resolution introduced by the Philippino delegation (see attached text),   supported by more than 15 countries, without any opposition, […]

Asiadhrra welcomes New FAO Chief

Asiadhrra warmly welcomes the recent election of José Graziano da Silva from Brazil as the new director general of FAO. “He received a total of 92 votes out of 180 votes cast, winning over former Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos Cuyaubé, who received 88 votes. There were no abstentions. The election took place on […]

Asiadhrra participates in IYFF-WCC activities in 37th FAO Conference

Asiadhrra, represented by Ms. Marlene Ramirez, Secretary General, is set to participate in two important meetings related to the campaign for an International Year of Family Farming (IYFF). As a member of World Consultative Committee of the IYFF, Asiadhrra will participate in the first meeting of the committee to be held in Rome on 30 […]

Asiadhrra anchors ASEAN 2011-2015 RDPE Framework drafting process

AsiaDHRRA has been tapped by the ASEAN Secretariat to anchor the drafting process of the ASEAN Rural Development and Poverty Eradication Framework Action Plan (RDPE FAP) for 2011-2015.  We are facilitating, together with our national CSO partners and in coordination with the national ASEAN SOMRDPE Focal Points, a series of national consultations this month of […]

Food for Revolution

Some interesting insights from Harold James at Project Syndicate where he reflects on the possible directions that the looming global food crises may influence or lead to  – noting that “rising food prices have historically been the trigger for political revolutions”. He also points out this paradox: Higher food prices have had a major impact […]

Final call to sign the Dakar appeal against land grabbing!!

Reposting this call from Grain. Pls. sign this appeal and help put a stop to this reprehensible global land grabs! During the World Social Forum in Dakar, Senegal, in February 2011, social movements and organisations released a collective appeal against land grabbing. Over 150 organisations have already signed. If your organisation would also like to […]

Are we on the brink of a new global food crisis?

In this podcast from Guardian, “Madeleine Bunting takes a look at what needs to be done to stop millions more people going hungry. She looks at India, where more than a quarter of the world’s hungry people live and where the government is working on a new national food security bill, and examines the role […]

Asiadhrra Chairperson Dr. Wenchi Huang meets with the secretariat

Dr. Wenchi Huang, the current Asiadhrra Chairperson had a fruitful discussion with the staff at the secretariat office in the Philippines on current concerns, updates on activities and projects  and strategic objectives. This was the first time she met with the full staff after being selected as the chairperson of the network last year and […]

Food Price Volatility and Food Reserves in ASEAN Plenary Report

We are happy to share to the plenary the highlights of our ACSC/APF workshop held on May 5, 2011 at Ciputra, Jakarta and attended by more than 50 CSO participants from the  ASEAN region representing different sectors and organizations. The important workshop was co-organized by AFA and AsiaDHRRA, API and Binadesa/InDHRRA. Our speakers came from […]

Philippine farmers reduce production cost and increase yield by going organic

OrganicSaturdays shares this tidbit from GlobalResearch.ca about how Philippine Farmers are reaping the benefits of going organic. MASIPAG-trained farmers have not used chemical pesticides for decades now, he said, with ducks for example an excellent natural control against golden snail; “it converts biomass into eggs and meat as well,” he observed. MASIPAG organic farms, he […]

GM Crops and the future of food and farming

FrankenThursday wants you to study more about GM issues and this journal we got at Eldis is just perfect 🙂 to arm you with insights and facts about the interplay of GM on the issues of food and farming. A good read most def. Download the PDF here…. Articles included: Diversity in international biosafety regulation: […]

Join our workshops at ACSC/APF 2011!

You are most welcome to participate in the three wonderful workshops we are holding today (May 04, 2011) in partnership with various Asian NGOs at the ACSC/APF 2011. The three workshops will be held from  09:00AM – 6:30PM at the Hotel Ciputra, Jakarta, Indonesia. The 3 workshops are: Agriculture and the Peasantry in ASEAN: Challenges […]

ACSC/APF 2011: Workshop on Food Price Volatility and Food Reserves in ASEAN

The second workshop on Food Price Volatility and Food Reserves in ASEAN (co-organized with API, Bina Desa, AFA and AAI) will converse on the causes and effects of food price volatility particularly on small scale producers. It will also take a closer look at the ASEAN Rice Reserve Scheme especially on making it more benificial […]

ACSC/APF 2011: Workshop on CSO Engagement with the ASEAN

The workshop on CSO Engagement with the ASEAN and its member states (co-organized by AsiaDHRRA with CODE-NGO, Demos, HRWG, INCITEGov, ROA, SRD, Star Kampuchea, VUSTA, WMD, YAPPIKA) hope to bring the voices and perspectives on the status of CSO engagement at different levels and varying degrees of democratic spaces available. The workshop will feature concrete […]

ACSC/APF 2011: Agriculture and the Peasantry in ASEAN: Challenges and Way Forward

The workshop on Agriculture and the Peasantry in ASEAN: Challenges and Way Forward (co-organized by Asiadhrra with API, SPI, SP, BINA DESA, AFA, APNFS, LRAN) will discuss the challenges facing agriculture and peasantry in the ASEAN Region in the context of food sovereignty and land reform. Download the Agriculture in ASEAN workshop program here…

Agriculturesnetwork.org module on Sustainable small-scale farming

FarmFriday features module 1 of the Learning AgriCultures series put up by the admirable folks over at agriculturesnetwork.org. Module 1 provides an overview of issues to be explored in the Learning AgriCultures series. This series aims to provide support to educators in explaining the principles behind sustainable small-scale farming. Module 1 serves as the introduction […]

Improving the governance of the global food system to address structural hunger

HungerWednesday shares this interesting viewpoint on the issue of global hunger from Eldis Agriculture and Food Security News If, however, we look back over the past two decades, we can observe that except for the current downturn, hunger has been on the increase. Between the early 1990s and 2007, we had periods in which food […]

Japanese farmers protest against nuke plant owner

YahooNews Angry farmers brought two cows to Tokyo where they shouted and punched the air Tuesday in a protest to demand compensation for products contaminated by radiation spewing from Japan’s crippled nuclear plant. The 200 farmers from northeastern Japan wore green bandanas, held aloft cabbages they said they couldn’t sell and carried signs saying “Stop […]

DHRRA Malaysia conducts Entrepreneurship Training

A seminar on entrepreneurship was organized by DHRRA Malaysia in collaboration with Puchong Indian Women Welfare Society. Around 80 entrepreneurs participated in this program. 40 of the participants took part in the sewing class while the rest attended the session on grooming (persolekan). Read more about exciting empowering activities that DHRRA Malaysia is conducting…

GIZ Seminar: The Future of Smallholder Farming in Agribusiness – June 2011

Our friends at GIZ Thailand sent out this invite for a regional training they will conduct on June 21-25, 2011 in Krabi, Thailand dubbed “The Future of Smallholder Farming in Agribusiness“. Agriculture must produce more from less, and do so in an environmentally sustainable, efficient and socially just manner. The GIZ partnership farming approach provides […]

IYFF Africa Continental Meeting Booklet

Our friends at WRF is sharing the results of the IYFF Africa Continental Meeting held on 24 October 2010 in Lilongwe, Malawi. Click to download/read the pdf… Read more about the IYFF African Continental Meeting here….

IYFF Campaign Updates 2011

The IYFF campaign continues to ramp up with more and more organizations and states signing up and  pledging support.  Join us in this campaign to make Family Farming an important focus worldwide and a viable alternative to corporate farms. Here are the latest updates sent by Mr. Jose Osaba of the WRF. 315 farmers and […]

Potentially catastrophic climate impacts on food production over the long-term

HungerWednesday found this at the FAO newsroom… “Potentially catastrophic” impacts on food production from slow-onset climate changes are expected to increasingly hit the developing world in the future and action is needed now to prepare for those anticipated impacts, FAO warned today in a submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. “Currently […]

Mr. Youqiong Wang, IFAD Philippines' new Programme Manager visits Asiadhrra

IFAD Philippines’ new Country Programme Manager Mr. Youqiong Wang dropped by Asiadhrra office for a quick visit. He was accompanied by Mr. Sana Jatta, IFAD Country Manager for Asia and the Pacific  and Mr. Yolando C. Arban, CPO- IFAD Philippines Country Office. Asiadhrra expressed appreciation for IFAD’s continued engagement with various Asian CSOs and reiterated […]

Remembering Dr. Tony Ledesma

Today is the birthday of  our dear departed founder Dok Tony. Our heartfelt prayers for his peaceful rest and our deep appreciation also for his hard work, vision and advocacy for the rural poor as manifested today in the development work that the DHRRAs undertake in various partnerships with the rural peoples of Asia. The […]

WRF visits AsiaDHRRA

Ms. Miren Larrea, WRF Program Officer had a short visit at the AsiaDHRRA office on March 21, 2011 to update the secretariat on the recent activities  and news about the IYFF campaign. AFA secretariat and Pakisama also joined the lively sharing. Visit the IYFF website at www.familyfarmingcampaign.net for the latest news on the campaign

Farmers and Seed Producers to challenge Monsanto anew

Stumbled upon this newsbit in time for FrankenThursday at the Cornucopia Institute. Seems like american organic farmers and seed producers have filed a lawsuit against Monsanto to “prohibit  the biotechnology giant from suing organic farmers and seed growers if innocently contaminated by roundup ready genes.” NEW York: On behalf of 60 family farmers, seed businesses […]

How banking speculation causes food crises

An interesting read for your downtime. HungerWednesday it is… “The World Development Movement has compiled extensive evidence establishing the role of food commodity derivatives in destabilising and driving up food prices around the world.” click here to view the report  (issuu pdf)….

FAO Policy Guide Highlights Role of Small Seed Enterprises to Secure Food Security

Another interesting read from FAO about the role of small seed enterprises to secure food security. Thanks to Mr. Osaba of WRF for the share. The guide highlights successes from Brazil, India and Cote d’Ivoire, underscoring the importance of a favorable policy environment that promotes quality control and certification systems, private sector support, flexible legislation […]

Asiadhrra participates in EU ARD platform dev workshop

Ms. Marlene Ramirez has been invited to participate in the 2 day regional workshop on “Supporting Southern-European alliances/platforms on ARD” under the Food Security Thematic Programme (FSTP) of the European Union.  The workshop is is being held from Wednesday 16th March to Thursday 17th March and is hosted by the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), […]

Nine million mouths to feed

HungerWednesday shares this fascinating report from The Economist.com about the impending global problem on food scarcity This special report concentrates on the problems of feeding the 9 billion. It therefore gives greater weight to the first group. It argues that many of their claims are justified: feeding the world in 2050 will be hard, and […]

Goodbye WTO!

Hmmmm, a good idea don’t you think so?  Newsweek sez …… Representatives of 153 nations and regions will meet in Geneva this week to try and salvage one of the longest and most laborious trade negotiations in modern times. For almost a decade, the World Trade Organization has been trying to lower trade barriers for […]

Asiadhrra participates in the Joint FAO/Civil Society planning-cum-team building meeting

Ms. Marlene Ramirez, Asiadhrra Secretary General is participating in the Joint FAO/Civil Society Planning-cum-Team Building Meeting being held on 11 and 12 March at the Royal Princess Hotel, Larn Luang, Larn Luang Road 269, Watsommanut, Bangkok, Thailand The proposed CSO-FAO Joint Planning meeting is expected to allow the core members (or Team members) of the […]

AsiaDHRRA joins the FAO consultation on high food prices in Asia

Ms. Marlene Ramirez, Asiadhrra Secretary-General is participating in the Regional Consultation on Policy and Programmatic Actions to Address High Food Prices in Asia and the Pacific Region being held at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Bangkok, Thailand from 9 to 10 March 2011. “High level agriculture, trade and finance representatives from 20 Asia […]

MyanDHRRA visits AsiaDHRRA

Mr. Zaw Zaw Han, Chairman of Ever Green Group – Social Enterprise Partnership for Development, a member of MyanDHRRA dropped by our office for a visit after attending the CSO Forum on AFCC held in Manila on March 1, 2011. Mr. Han and Asiadhrra staff had a fruitful discussion as they discussed the activities of […]

Bina Desa presents Asiadhrra proposal on ASEAN Peoples' Field School on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change

Ms. Dwi Astuti, Binadesa Executive Director and AsiaDHRRA Vice-Chairperson for Southeast Asia sub-region, participated in the CSO Forum on AFCC held in Manila on March 1, 2011. She presented AsiaDHRRA’s proposal for the establishment of ASEAN Peoples’ Field School on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change, a small-scale producer focused regional knowledge management mechanism. Ms. Dwi […]

NGO-in-a-Box redux

TechTuesday is back!!! and for you dear NGO workers we bring back this fab toolset famously known as NGO-in-a-box. “NGO-in-a-box is a collection of essential tools for running a small-to-medium sized NGO. You can use this toolkit to set up and coordinate your office, organise and manage projects, collaborate online and support your campaigns. The […]

Maligaya Flatbed Dryer Inquiries

To our readers who have been requesting for assistance in purchasing the maligaya flatbed dryer, here’s the updated contact details of the program manager in charge of the machines. Apologies for the bad links in our posts on maligaya flat bed dryer, it seems like PhilRice Online revamped their website and put in new permalinks […]

World food prices rising again

From NYT -IHT World food prices continued to rise sharply in December, bringing them close to the crisis levels that provoked shortages and riots in poor countries three years ago, according to newly released United Nations data. Prices are expected to remain high this year, prompting concern that the world may be approaching another crisis, […]

Honey bee collapse threatens global food security

An interesting newsbit from The Telegraph about how the massive kill-off of these pollinators may severely impact the already critical levels of global food supply…. Almost a third of global farm output depends on animal pollination, largely by honey bees……  The bee crisis has been treated as a niche concern until now, but as the […]

ATIGA Unbound

We are releasing another downloadable ebook for your reading pleasure, this time about the Implications of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) on the livelihood and welfare of small stakeholders in Philippine agriculture and industry This research on ATIGA was anchored by AsiaDHRRA for the Trade Advocacy Group (TAG) and was undertaken by Ms. […]

Asiadhrra scoping study on Strengthening Social Accountability Mechanism for Food Security and Agricultural Development out now!

This study is part of an initiative to strengthen social accountability mechanisms for food security and agricultural development. Specifically, the program aims to strengthen the capacity of CSOs to monitor and analyze public expenditure processes of IFIs, in particular, the ADB, and the national agencies focusing on agriculture. This paper will: Provide background information on […]

Radically Rethinking Agriculture for the 21st Century

As the year draws to a close, FarmFriday leaves you with this interesting bit from ScienceMag. Food for thought as another year is about to start. Happy New Year everyone and may we all have a peaceful, just and bountiful year ahead… Population growth, arable land and fresh water limits, and climate change have profound […]

“FarmVille” vs. Real Farms

Here’s an interesting and witty  infographic from Mashable stacking up virtual farming vis-a-vis real farming. Interesting gender angle in there too. wonder what the GAD wonks would think…. “With all those millions of Facebook and iPhone users tending to virtual crops and sharing them with friends, have you ever wondered how their toils stack up […]

Measuring food insecurity

HungerWednesday enjoins you to read this interesting viewpoint from ScienceMag on measuring food security. Abstract Food security is a growing concern worldwide. More than 1 billion people are estimated to lack sufficient dietary energy availability, and at least twice that number suffer micronutrient deficiencies. Because indicators inform action, much current research focuses on improving food […]

Online database of research accountability tools

Here’s a toolset that would be very helpful to researchers everywhere.. The One World Trust, with support from the International Development Research Centre, has created an interactive, online database of tools to help organisations conducting policy relevant research become more accountable. The Trust has built the online accountability database to support researchers, campaigners and research […]

Conditional cash transfers works!

Something we picked up while browsing The Economist. Food for thought when planning anti-poverty programmes The Economist CELIA ORBOC, a cake-seller in the Philippines, spent her little stipend on a wooden shack, giving her five children a roof over their heads for the first time. In Kyrgyzstan Sharmant Oktomanova spent hers buying flour to feed […]

IFAD releases Rural Poverty Report 2011

Something to read and think over during your downtime… The Rural Poverty Report 2011 is a comprehensive resource for policymakers and practitioners, especially those in developing countries.  The report looks at who poor rural people are, what they do and how their livelihoods are changing.  It explores the challenges that make it so difficult for […]

Precision Agriculture and Food Security

FarmFriday is here and glad to share this article to help you brush up on latest agri technologies in use and how they can be instrumental in attaining food security… Abstract Precision agriculture comprises a set of technologies that combines sensors, information systems, enhanced machinery, and informed management to optimize production by accounting for variability […]

The State of the World's Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

Hunger Wednesday shares FAOs Second Report on State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture The Second Report on the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture was published in 2010. The main objective is to update the First Report with the best data and information available, through […]

GM Mosquito out and about now

FrankenThursday’s where it gets a bit freaky.  I’m not sure though if i like self-terminating mosquitoes. Surely some even more freaky mosquitoes would evolve from this. Anyways just tellin’ you all that frankenmosquitoes are available now. to. bite. you. Seriously though, why didn’t they just make those mosquitoes averse to human blood or to humans? […]

Support for the IYFF Campaign continues to grow

Support for the International Year of Family Farming continues to grow worldwide. Among the latest endorsers are the Department of Agriculture of the Philippines and the Pan-African Farmers Association. We need your support dear readers, to encourage your states and governments to endorse this very noble campaign! Kindly visit the IYFF website for more information […]

To feed the world, governments break new ground with civil society

An excerpt from the IPS interview with the AsiaDHRRA SecGen Ms. Marlene Ramirez… In an unprecedented nod toward civil society organisations, this year’s annual FAO event to shape global food security policy rolled out the welcome mat to some 150 activists who took part in the just-finished meeting – on equal footing with government delegates. […]

Is the "‘Culture of Poverty’ in fashion again?

an interesting read from IHT. i remembered intense discussions about this years ago. whaddya think of this? For more than 40 years, social scientists investigating the causes of poverty have tended to treat cultural explanations like Lord Voldemort: That Which Must Not Be Named. The reticence was a legacy of the ugly battles that erupted […]

CSO Statement on the 30th FAO-APRC: Our Food, Our Future, Our Urgent Calls

We, seventy ( 70)  representatives of organizations of small farmers, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples, rural women, pastoralists, youth, cooperatives, and NGOs from Asian Civil Society met from September 27-28 for the CSO parallel consultation to the 30th FAO-Asia Pacific Regional Conference in Gyeongju, Korea. We discussed  the critical issues affecting global food security namely: climate change […]

Day 2 Presentations of CSO Parallel Meeting to 30th FAO-APRC

The following presentations given during the second day (Sept. 28) of the CSO Parallel Meeting to the 30th FAO-APRC held in Gyeongju, Korea are now available for download over at the event website http://csomtgfaoaprckorea.blogspot.com/ Plenary Session 4: The Global Food and Financial Crisis: Lessons and the Way Forward Grassroots Strategies to address the crisis: An […]

Day 1 presentations of CSO Parallel Meeting to 30th FAO-APRC available now

The following presentations given during the first day (Sept. 27) of the CSO Parallel Meeting to the 30th FAO-APRC held in Gyeongju, Korea are now available for download over at the event website http://csomtgfaoaprckorea.blogspot.com/ Opening Session Opening Message by AHC Hunger for Justice and the Struggle of Peasants for Land and Reform by Danilo “Ka […]

AsiaDHRRA to participate in 30th FAO-APRC CSO Parallel Consultation in Korea

AsiaDHRRA is set to participate in the CSO Parallel Consultation held in conjunction with the 30th FAO-Asia Pacific Regional Conference in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea on September 27-October 1, 2010. The consultation will bring together representatives of farmers, fisherfolk, Indigenous Peoples, rural women, rural youth, cooperatives, NGOs and other civil society organizations, to discuss the […]

Our big thanks to Taiwandhrra volunteers!

Big thanks to the tireless, diligent and always happy Taiwandhrra volunteers from the NPUST Agribusiness Grad School under Ms. Wenchi Huang.  Together with the TaiwanDHRRA team, the volunteers led by the indefatigable duo of Edgardo Calderon Reyes and Ya-Hui Huang made it possible for the event to flow seamlessly and with nary a hitch.  Nicest […]

AsiadDHRRA signs MOA of Cooperation with NPUST

AsiaDHRRA represented by its chairperson, Datuk Marimuthu Nadason and National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST), represented by its President, Dr. Mike Guu, signed today a memorandum of agreement aimed at “furthering cooperation in both education and academic research” between the two organizations. Datuk Marimuthu, signing the MOA along with Dr. Mike Guu. Looking […]

AsiaDHRRA holds 8th General Assembly in Pingtung, Taiwan

AsiaDHRRA is holding its 8th General Assembly from September 15-17 in the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology located in the bucolic city of Pingtung, Taiwan. The theme of the GA is Responding to the Challenges of the Global Food and Financial Crisis and Climate Change. “The General Assembly will focus on defining our […]

DHRRA Malaysia gender program featured on national TV

Once again, for the second consecutive year, DHRRA Malaysia was invited to feature in a National Television programme aimed towards empowering women viewers at home. While in the previous season DHRRA demonstrated various income generating skills, in this season, the viewers were enlightened with knowledge and awareness on everyday-family-issues. The segment aired weekly as a […]

The miracle of Brazilian agriculture

FarmFriday, shares this thought-provoking article from the The Economist about Brazil’s success in developing its vast savannah into one of the world’s great breadbasket. Make sure to read the article comments for some interesting viewpoints. The increase in Brazil’s farm production has been stunning. Between 1996 and 2006 the total value of the country’s crops […]

A Taxonomy of Poverty Tourism

Here’s an interesting graphic outlining a “taxonomy” of the much discussed practice of “poverty tourism”.  Update: Aaron Ausland, the author, has recently updated the graphic which i think added some context and made it more meaningful. Read more here…

Examples of mechanical dryers in Southeast Asia

Farm Friday found this bit in the IRRI Knowledgebank about dryers that have gained popularity in usage in SEA. “The dryers featured here are not neccessarily the best technical solution but, because they are accepted by the users, they seem to offer a good compromise between drying cost and benefits in terms of higher quality […]

VietDHRRA staff visit AsiaDHRRA

Mr. Vu Dangquy, VietDHRRA staff, dropped by the secretariat office yesterday for a brief visit before returning to Vietnam. Quy has just finished his year-long stint with the AWCF exchange program “Capacity-Building for Gender and Co-operatives in Asia” Project funded by the “South-South Exchange Programme” of Fredskorpset (FK) Norway. With the AsiaDHRRA Secretariat staff Quy […]

Careers in Food Security

Here’s something to interest you if you’re planning your career path or thinking of embarking on a new line of work. ScienceMag presents a nice overview of career opportunities in the area of food security. The demand for scientists with expertise in the agriculture/food sector is likely to increase in the next decade, says Celia […]

Creating the "Ideal Crop"

FarmFriday shares this interesting article by Elizabeth Pennisi in ScienceMag about the scientific community’s efforts in creating “the ideal crop” and “developing new technologies for a better farming future” Substantial improvements are needed in current crops to achieve higher yields and sustainable farming. To achieve those gains, agricultural companies have turned to robotics and other […]

GMO Canolas found growing in the wild in the US

FrankenThursday brings this worrying article from NPR which says that “A survey of North Dakota has turned up hundreds of genetically modified canola plants growing along roads across the state.” Aint that scary? Apart from safety, health and ecological concerns this has legal ramifications as well, as GMO purveyors like Monsanto has  been known to […]

SRD launches e-newsletter

The Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD)is proud to announce the launching of their first bi-annual e-newsletter in 2010 containing recent events, news and stories about their projects and activities. Click here to read the newsletter… Or better yet pay their website a visit here…

Improving literacy through cellphones

TechTuesday shares this fascinating story about how mobile phones are being used to increase literacy among teens in South Africa. Why don’t they just call these books “movel” instead of “m-novel”? South African teens were happy to give their thumbs a rest for a while and take a break between MXit chats to read the […]

The big fat lie about doubling food production

Here’s an interesting read from the http://www.soilassociation.org asserting that those saying we need to double global food production by 2050 are basically using the wrong figures and interpretations. ‘Telling porkies: The big fat lie about doubling food production’, reveals that all those claiming we need to double global food production by 2050, or 50% by […]

Endangered African rice varieties gain elite status

Here’s an interesting news about increasing yield of african rice varieties: New findings reported by the Africa Rice Center counter the widely held view that African rice, preferred by local consumers for its taste, is inherently lower yielding than Asian rice. They also confirm its remarkable adaptability to harsh growing conditions in Africa and hence […]

Phildhrra Mindanao visits Asiadhrra

Phildhrra Mindanao Staff dropped by the AsiaDHRRA Secretariat Office today for a quick look see. They are currently here in Manila for an exposure/learning activity. Earlier in the day,  Ms. Lany Rebagay and Ms. Marlene of the AsiaDHRRA Secretariat presented to them an overview of the shared history and goals of the DHRRAs. Ms. Lany […]

Bina Desa visits Asiadhrra

AsiaDHRRA welcomed Yuyu Rahayu, Lily Noviani, Nanang Hari, Yasfin, Dwi Astuti of Binadesa who just came from a 7-day exposure visit in organic and agrarian reform communities in Bacolod, Negros Occidental in the Philippines. The visit held from July 19-26, 2010 was supported by Misereor and was arranged by the Paghidaet Foundation, a Misereor partner. […]

Day 1 Updates from the CSO Side Event Investment Forum for Food Security in Asia and the Pacific

Civil society organizations convene today to deliberate on concrete proposals for the promotion of responsible investments in agriculture to address world hunger, by ensuring that the smallholders who are food producers do not themselves experience hunger and undernourishment by enabling them to become active, viable, empowered partners of governments, donors, international communities, and various other […]

AsiaDHRRA participates in the CSO Side Event of the Investment Forum for Food Security

Its all systems go for the CSO Side Event entitled “Investment For Whom and for What?: Bringing in Asia Pacific Peoples’ Voices in the Investment Forum for Food Security” which will be held on July 5-6, 2010 at the Crowne Hotel,  Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. The two-day preparatory CSO meeting aims to organize […]

IYFF Asia Continental Meeting Booklet

Our friends at WRF  is sharing the results of the IYFF Asia Continental Meeting held in New Delhi, India on 23-25 March, 2010. The booklet contains the speeches, country and regional presentations and pictures of the event. We’re a bit proud to say that we had a little hand in the production as WRF entrusted […]

Eco-Friendly Farming Practices to Fight Hunger in Bolivia

Here’s an interesting article we picked up over at IPS. Franz Chávez interviews Bolivian expert in natural resource management WILFREDO QUIROZ Wilfredo Quiroz / Credit:Franz Chávez/IPS LA PAZ, Apr 3 , 2010 (IPS) – The gradual loss of traditional farming practices that preserve the land has pushed into extreme poverty small farmers in Bolivia who […]

Ms. Farrah Sierva completes OJT in AsiaDHRRA

Ms. Farrah Sierva, a incoming senior taking up foreign studies at Miriam College in the Philippines recently completed her one month OJT at the AsiaDHRRA Secretariat office where she performed coordination work and assisted in organizing our library. Our best wishes to Farrah as she continues her studies.

Chinese farmer fights off forced evictors with home-made cannon

Sad scenes like this are being played out all over China as the demands of modernization and opportunists clash with the lives of poor chinese farmers like brave Yang Youde. Yang Youde is a farmer who had contracted to rent 25 mu of land.  The lease was set to continue until 2019.  Over the years, […]

Super dense livestock herding to combat desertification

Here’s an interesting article from fastcompany.com about reversing desertification. The project, the winner of the 2010  Buckminster Fuller Challenge evangelizes the approach called  “holistic management” in combating desertification. “The core of Holistic Management is simply grazing local livestock in super dense herds that mimic the grazing patterns of big-game (which have since disappeared). Those livestock […]

PhilRice Farm Machines: MicroTiller

By popular demand we will be posting again farm machines developed by government and research institutions in Southeast Asia. Again here’s PhilRice with their microtiller which is just perfect for small family farms and those starting out on mechanizing their rice farms.  Am not sure if this machine is the one designed also for use […]

Filipino rice farmers’ socioecon status is improving

FarmFriday shares this interesting newsbit we picked up from PhilRice about a research they conducted that showed Filipino rice farmers have steadily improved their socio-economic status over the past 10 years or so. Any reactions? There is a steady improvement in the social and economic status among Filipino rice farmers and their household for the […]

AsiaDHRRA to participate in July 2010 Investment Forum for Food Security

AsiaDHRRA is set to participate in the Investment Forum and Market Place for Food Security in Asia and the Pacific to be held in Manila, Philippines on 7-9 July 2010.  It also joins other CSOs in preparing for the official CSO Pre-forum meeting on July 6 and the CSO side meetings during the event. The […]

LSFM wraps up Phase 1

AsiaDHRRA is currently finalizing the program evaluation of the Linking Small Farmers to Market program conducted by external consultants Dr. Nerlie Manalili and Mr. Jing Pacturan. The evaluation has generated several promising insights and possibilities that will ensure the continued success of the commodity marketing initiatives undertaken by the partners. LSFM is in exploratory talks […]

AsiaDHRRA and PhilDHRRA hold Social Accountability Workshop

AsiaDHRRA in partnership with its member in the Philippines, PhilDHRRA, and with support from the Associated Network for Social Accountability in East Asia Pacific (ANSA-EAP) co-sponsored a regional forum entitled “Strengthening Social Accountability towards Food Security: A look at the Asian Development Bank”. The forum was participated by national and regional network in Asia and […]

Visit the website of the Asia Pacific Food Security Consultation

Have a look-see at the website of the FAO Civil Society Regional Consultation on Food Security in Asia and the Pacific Region. Available for download are the consultation proceedings, various documents and presentations during the activity. You can also view the activity photos. The overall objective of the regional Civil Society consultations was to agree […]

ATIGA enters into force May 17, 2010

Latest press release from ASEAN on the ATIGA ASEAN Secretariat, 17 May 2010 The cost of doing business in ASEAN will be lower and trade-related transactions simpler as the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), one of the region’s landmark economic agreements, entered into force today. The ATIGA, which is comprehensive in its scope and […]

Map of rice genebank collections

From Rice Today we got this rice genebank map that “maps out the geographical source of rice genetic diversity preserved in selected rice genebanks—one of the first steps towards producing a global picture of rice biodiversity. This will help identify any gaps around the world where rice biodiversity has not been collected yet for conservation.”

Book highlights promising approaches to address the needs of poor female farmers

Interesting reading on female farmers and gender issues we got from our inbox again. Promising approaches to address the needs of poor female farmers : resources, constraints, and interventions By Agnes R. Quisumbing and Lauren Pandolfelli IN World Development, vol. 38, no. 4, April 2010. This article critically reviews some recent attempts to increase poor […]

Korea shares japonica rice variety with filipino farmers

For FarmFriday we share this interesting newsbit we found in our inbox from IRRI. IRRI News | 04 May 2010 | Los Baños, Philippines Rice growers in Bohol, an island province of the Philippines, are expecting higher rice yields and income thanks to new japonica rice varieties developed in collaboration with Korea and the International […]

PhilDHRRA to hold social accountability forum on May 18

The Philippine Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas (PhilDHRRA)  will be conducting a forum on May 18, 9:00am to 2:30pm, at the Discovery Suites (Drake, 42nd floor) in Ortigas Center, Pasig City. The forum is a culminating activity of the  study on Strengthening Social Accountability Mechanisms for Food Security and Agricultural […]

Regional farmers network elects new leaders

In the recently concluded 4th AFA General Assembly last April 23 in Ping Tung, Taiwan, the new officers of the Executive Committee for 2010-2015 were sworn into office. The new leaders of AFA are as follows: Chairperson – Mr. Tsai, Shun-Te, TWADA (Taiwan) Vice-Chairperson – Ms. Jang, Jeong-Ok, WAFF (South Korea) Treasurer (appointed) – Mr. […]

The phosphorus crisis – jumpstarting urban mining?

So phosphorus is running out right? well, sort of, coz it turns out phosphorus can also be found in urban sewage. Will the phosphorus crisis spur urban mining? They sift the powder through their fingers, smell it and admire its soft, brownish shimmer. The members of the delegation from Japan, dressed in black suits and […]

Peak Phosphorus – the end of corporate farming?

You’ve probably never heard of this crisis. After Peak Oil comes this news about Peak Phosphorus. Supposedly, this element, a key component of the global food chain is to run out in 30 years and a lot of people are concerned because “Our dwindling supply of phosphorus, a primary component (mainly as fertilizer) underlying the […]

World Bank sees "end of Third World"

Interesting pronouncements from the World Bank. Makes you wonder though, what it REALLY means… IPS | By Jim Lobe WASHINGTON, Apr 14, 2010 (IPS) – The 2009 global financial crisis marked the definitive end of longstanding paradigms of the global economy and development, such as the “Third World” and “North-South”, according to World Bank President […]

International Agri Policy marginalizes farmers

FarmFriday shares this interesting newsbit from IPS. This highlights again the need to support agriculture in general and smallholder farmers in particular. IPS|By Stephen Leahy How’s this for short-sighted: A billion people go hungry every day, food prices have climbed 30 to 40 percent, climate change is reducing agricultural production – and for the past […]

Sustainable livelihoods and pro-poor market development

MarketSunday shares this bit from Eldis. What can sustainable livelihoods approaches and pro-poor market approaches learn from each other? Similarities and complementarities between SL and PPM include: They are both multidisciplinary, in that they draw on political economy, social analysis and economics to generate insights into the way these influences affect the livelihood processes and […]

Report on the Future of Family Farming Conference

FarmFriday shares this nugget. Available for download is the report of the ileia organised conference on the Future of Family Farming. ileia organised a conference on the Future of Family Farming, on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. Keynote speakers like Camilla Toulmin from the UK, K.S. Gopal from India and Olufunke Cofie from Ghana […]

Rewarding poor rural people for nurturing the land

Here’s an interesting approach taken by IFAD in facilitating environmental protection. Poor rural people manage vast areas of land and forest. They have the potential to be important players in protecting natural resources and providing important environmental services. An IFAD-supported project has helped build momentum and public interest in rewards for environmental services and has […]

Land Grab? The Race for the World's Farmland

Got this from our friend Diderik. HungerWednesday shares this informative book published by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars about the worrisome trend of international landgrabbing for food production. The world is experiencing a grain rush. With increasing frequency, food-importing countries and private investors are acquiring farmland across the developing world. This new publication, […]

GREEN NET & PDAP Training on Organic Rice Chain in Davao

PDAP is inviting everyone to attend this exciting training: Thailand has found success in promoting its Organic Rice to the local and export market. Here’s the good news: Thailand is coming to the Philippines.   Green Net Cooperative and Earth Net Foundation of Thailand in partnership with the Philippine Development Assistance Programme, Inc.   (PDAP) will conduct […]

BBC Photo Masterclasses now available free online!

This was supposed to be for TechTuesday but got filed away. For noobs and pros alike interested in  nature photography, the BBC has made the BBC Wildlife Magazine Photo Masterclasses freely available online. The downloadable PDFs will surely enhance your photography skills. Click here to to view the full list of the Photo Masterclasses…

WRF organizes IYFF Asia Continental Strategy Meeting in New Delhi

The WRF, together with AFA, AsiaDHRRA, and CIFA as the host partner, are organizing an IYFF Asia Continental strategy meeting, to be held in New Delhi, March 23-24, 2010. The participants will be Asian Farmers’ organisations supporting the IYFF Campaign as well as representatives of national and international policy makers. The aim of the Continental […]

Asiadhrra hosts DHRRA Pioneers Dialogue

Asiadhrra is hosting the DHRRA Pioneers Dialogue today, March 19, 2010 in Katipunan, Quezon City alongside the commemoration of the first year death anniversary of our beloved Dr. Tony Ledesma.  The open sharing will flow in remembrance of the life of Dr. Tony and his unwavering dedication and commitment to the empowerment of the grassroots […]

Genesis of the DHRRAs: The History of CENDHRRA by Antonio L. Ledesma

In remembrance of Dr. Tony Ledesma, whose first death anniversary we commemorate  and whose life we celebrate today, we are sharing this article he wrote about the origins and development of the DHRRAs. The Seed, the Spring, the Stone A mighty river starts from a trickling mountain spring. A massive tree starts from a tiny […]

Philippine Gov't distributes to farmers and fisherfolk State-of-the-Art BIF Freezers

This is a very interesting tidbit which we stumbled upon while googling for the filipino inventor Mr. Hernando Decena because we were interested in this agribusiness forum  given by MAP about “Cutting Big Post Harvest Losses Using Filipino Invented Multifunction Freezing Machine”. BTW, go visit the MAP website and subscribe to their e-newsletter –might interest […]

A look at FAO's Gender and Land Rights Database

We’ve been clicking stuff  ”round the FAO Database and its been an interesting time  so far. Good for FarmFriday. The coolest feature was the ability to choose and create 3 types of report in a kind of mix and match way. Give it a try! pay a visit to the FAO Gender and Land Rights […]

Cheap food causes hunger

HungerWednesday shares this interesting article from Resurgence about how  the globalization of the food market has made food cheap but ironically has also caused hunger. Chanced upon this in our Facebook as shared by FB friend Imam Cahyono. Cheap food causes hunger. On its face, the statement makes no sense. If food is cheaper it’s […]

TKN releases book on gender and trade liberalization in SEA

The Trade Knowledge Network (TKN) Southeast Asia has recently released a new electronic publication, entitled: Beyond Barriers: The Gender Implications of Trade Liberalization in Southeast Asia, written by Alexander C. Chandra (TKN Southeast Asia Coordinator), Lucky A. Lontoh (Public Policy Analyst) & Ani Margawati (Lecturer of Anthropology Dept. of the University of Diponegoro, Semarang, Indonesia). […]

The DHRRA Malaysia Community Centre welcomes the Honourable Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe

The DHRRA-ERA Community Centre was honoured to welcome delegation from Zimbabwe, headed by the Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Honourable Thokozani Khupe to the Headquaters of the Community Centre Project, located in Petaling Jaya on 22nd of February, 2010. The delegation which comprises prominent individuals includes the Executive Director of ADI, Tashinga Mtindike and Embassy […]

AsiaDHRRA is NGO Host for FAO CSO Food Security Consultation in Asia and the Pacific

The FAO Civil Society Regional Consultation on Food Security in Asia and the Pacific Region of which AsiaDHRRA is the NGO host is currently underway at The Richmonde Hotel in Ortigas, Pasig City, Philippines from February 24-25, 2010. We will be posting hourly updates at the activity blog over at http://faocsofoodsecurityconsultasiapacific.blogspot.com/ The overall objective of […]

Despair and Hope in Copenhagen: What We Need To Do About Climate Change

Intelligent and inspired reflections from our friend Tony about the failed Copenhagen Climate Change Conference. Got this from a climate change mailing list By Tony La Viña Dean, Ateneo School of Government Philippines Lead Negotiator, Copenhagen Climate Change Conference I can never forget what happened in Copenhagen, Denmark, in the early hours of December 19, […]

Mobile Devices Help Monitor Access to Healthcare in Ghana

TechTuesday shares this newsbit from IICD about an African NGO using open source mobile apps to monitor healthcare access in Ghana. SEND will develop an Open Source monitoring tool in cooperation with software developers to be used on handheld mobile devices to collect and share data. Due to the poor communication infrastructure, this will enable […]

Another rice crisis in the offing?

HungerWednesday shares this disturbing news at Asia Sentinel we picked up from Manuel Quezon’s FB updates about the yet another rice crisis looming just up ahead. “This year, I will not have enough rice to eat for the whole year,” says Kong Chanthorn, a rice farmer in Srayov Kharng Tbong village in Cambodia’s Kompong Thom […]

The Madness of Crowds and an Internet Delusion

TechTuesday brings this very interesting article by John Tierney of the NYTimes about the hive culture and pack behavior running rampant in the interwebz and how it is “fostering nasty group dynamics and mediocre collaborations.” When does the wisdom of crowds give way to the meanness of mobs? In the 1990s, Jaron Lanier was one […]

IFAD earmarks $73M for 3 projects in RP

An interesting newsbit from the Inquirer.net about IFAD’s new programs in the Philippines. MANILA, Philippines—Rome-based International Fund for Agricultural Development (Ifad) plans to allocate some $73 million for three proposed projects on coastal resource management, agribusiness and upland developments in the country. According to project documents, the amount represented Ifad’s share in the cost of […]

CRS Experience – Support to Agro-Enterprise Development in Nghe An Province (Vietnam)

Ms. Chu Thi Mai Anh, Agricultural & Rural Enterprise Development Project Officer, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) The CRS has partnered with the Province of Nghe An to promote a territory approach to agro-enterprise development. This means that the project needs to 1) be implemented through the Government administration structure; 2) improve the skills and knowledge […]

Mechanisms for Product Quality and Food Safety: Tips for Entry into the Supermarket

By Rene Guarin Executive Director, Upland Marketing Program Mr. Guarin introduced the Upland Marketing Program and related about its nearly twelve years of experience in selling directly to supermarkets. He said that direct selling to supermarkets is inevitable given the worldwide trend of increasing rate of grocery sales due to various factors, such as the […]

Value Chain Analysis of Calamansi

By Mr. Jesus Vicente Garganera, National Coordinator, PhilDHRRA A market research scanning on calamansi that was done revealed important statistics and information for any farmer or group of farmers interested in producing and marketing. It was found that the production of calamansi in the country has been increasing, with major supplies coming from Central Philippines […]

IYFF Campaign Update December 2009 – A dream nearer each day

Towards The Celebration Of The International Year Of Family Farming-IYFF. A dream nearer each day José María Zeberio-Executive Secretary of the World Rural Forum-WRF REPORT ON THE IYFF Before the end of 2009 we wish to update our report on the IYFF. In the world today there are 3,000 million people who live in the […]

Overview of Challenges Experienced by Small Farmers in Engaging with Markets

Overview of Challenges Experienced by Small Farmers in Engaging with Markets, by Mr. Nonoy Villas, presented the rationale behind supporting small farmers’ commodity-based associations. He started with the definition of terms to illustrate that the small farmers have the weakest link in both the supply and the value chains. He added that small farmers are […]

Food Safety And Product Quality Issues And Problems

Country Presentations from Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia Philippines Mr. Luis Caballero Jr., Vice Chairperson of Zamboanga Sibugay High Value Marketing Crop, presented their community’s experience in maintaining food safety and quality standards for calamansi. In terms of maintaining product quality, this involved the processes before planting, the maintenance requirements during planting season, as well […]

Latest IYFF Brochure

WRF has released the latest brochure of the Campaign for an International Year of Family Farming. Click to download

Understanding Agricultural Chains towards Enhanced Market Access

By Dr. Nellie Manalili, Regional Adviser for Asia on Market Access, Vredeseilanden (VECO) Much of the problems in the agricultural sector exist because we do not understand what is going on. That is why we need to understand what are agricultural chains and how these are linked to the market. In a simple marketing system, […]

Taiwainese farmers potty trains pig to reduce pollution

Potty trained pigs? An interesting tidbit from the Philippine Daily Inquirer…. TAIPEI, Taiwan—Farmers in southern Taiwan have started to potty-train their pigs in response to a planned water pollution fee, breeders and officials said Monday. To keep their livestock from defecating into nearby rivers, a growing number of farms have established special “toilets” smeared with […]

Breaking news: G77 Walks out of the Copenhagen climate talks!

Huffington Post has this breaking news about the Copenhagen Climate talks: The UN international climate change conference is in chaos as the G77, which represents 130 developing countries “pulled the emergency plug” suspending the talks over wealthy countries’ reluctance to discuss a legally binding emissions treaty. read more about the climate talk walkout here….

Indonesia Value Chain Analysis and Market Mapping book now available

We are sharing with you our latest publication – the Mapping of Marketing Intermediation of CSO in Indonesia and Value Chain Analysis of Organic Rice in Indonesia. You can download the PDF version here (right click and choose “file save as…” or drop by our office for the print version. Copies are limited though so […]

Enduring Farms: Climate Change, Smallholders and Traditional Farming Communities

Thanks again to our friend Jose Osaba for sharing this interesting book from TWN. “THE world is now facing a new era of climate change and the impacts of climate change are already being felt everywhere, particularly in the developing countries and small islands. The local knowledge systems and agricultural practices and techniques adopted by […]

Listening to Farmers

Danielle Nierenberg and Bernard Pollack  shared  this article with us about their visit to the  World Vegetable Center in Arusha, Tanzania. The intrepid couple are traveling in Africa and you can keep up with their discoveries and adventures in their personal blog at  BorderJumpers. The World Vegetable Center is focusing on “building a sustainable seed […]

Using mobile phones in advocacy campaigns

Here’s an oldie but goodie bag ‘o tips for TechTuesday from MobileActive.org about the effective use of mobile phones in issue campaigns. Speed is often critical in an advocacy campaign and mobile phones allow the rapid dissemination of messages to a network of supporters with specific calls for action. In the developing world, where internet […]

Agriculture at a Cross Road

Big thanks to our good friend Jose Osaba of WRF for sharing this info. A good read! Climate change, hunger and poverty, loss of biodiversity, forest destruction, water crises, food safety – what all these threats have in common is that a principal cause for each of them is in the way we produce, trade, […]

Impact of mobile phones on SME supply chains in Nigeria

TechTuesday presents this interesting study from Eldis about the mobile phone’s impact in Nigeria’s small businessmen. Can mobile telephony improve commercial supply-chains in developing countries? Informational challenges – absence, uncertainty, asymmetry – shape the working of markets and commerce in many developing countries. This paper is a case study of the impact of mobile telephony […]

AsiaDHRRA joins national forum on climate change

AsiaDHRRA is set to participate in the national Forum entitled Mapping the Road for a Climate Change-Ready PhilDHRRA to be held on Nov. 25, 2009 (Wednesday), 9:00am – 5:00pm, at the Ugnayan Hall PhilDHRRA Partnership Center, #59 C. Salvador St. Loyola Heights, Quezon City*. Specific objectives of the forum are as follow: 1) to present […]

AsiaDHRRA invites you to ACFTA and ATIGA research validation workshop

The Trade Advocates’ Group of which AsiaDHRRA is a member invites you to participate in the Focus Group Discussion and Validation Workshop for all affected sectors, on the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) and the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) to be conducted on Wednesday, November 25, 2009, 8:30 am-3:30 pm, at the Studio87, […]

AsiaDHRRA to participate in ASEC Symposium on Stakeholder Involvement

Ms. Marlene Ramirez, AsiaDHRRA Secretary General,  is set to participate in the ASEAN Secretariat Symposium on Stakeholder Involvement to be held on 23 – 25 Nov 2009 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Brainstorming Symposium, organized by ASEAN Secretariat, in coordination with the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) will involve leading representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC), officials involved with […]

The future is bright, the future is rice!

PhilRice invites everybody to a Rice Festival at the Mall of Asia. Join DA-PhilRice in experiencing rice on Nov. 23-26, at SM Mall of Asia Music Hall in celebration of the Rice Awareness Month. With the theme, “The Future is Bright, The Future is Rice,” the event showcases activities that will introduce rice farming to […]

AsiaDHRRA to participate in Asian Forum on CSR (AFCSR)

Ms. Marlene Ramirez and Ms. Lorna David will participate in the AFCSR panel session, entitled “Companies and Communities:  Waging The War Against Poverty” to be held on November 20, 2009  at the  Crowne Plaza Hotel, Manila, Philppines During this session, AIM will introduce the project, Mainstreaming Poverty Alleviation Initiatives among ASEAN-member Countries.  This project, funded […]

Updates on the WSFS CSO Parallel Forum

Sharing with you updates on the CSO Parallel Forum of the World Summit on Food Security from our partner WRF, represented by Mr. Jose Osaba. Monday, 16 November, 2009 Early morning greetings from Rome: Since the evening of Friday, 13 November, we have been here taking part in the activities of the parallel forum to […]

AsiaDHRRA to participate in ADB Accountability Mechanism Orientation

Mr. Nonoy Villas, AsiaDHRRA LSFM Program Manager, will participate in the Orientation on ADB’s Accountability Mechanisms on Nov. 19, 9am – 1pm, at the Discovery Suites, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Philippines. ADB conducts this orientation session to brief stakeholders on the Acccountability Mechanism and to familiarize them with the procedures for accessing OSPF and the […]

Laos green lights listing of local non profit organisations

This is a very welcome development in Laos. Vientiane Times, 13 Nov 2009 Individuals who want to set up a non-profit organisation can now apply for a licence through the Public Administration and Civil Servant Authority. State Administration Development Department Deputy Director General, Mr Ampha Simmasone, confirmed this week the department was ready to accept […]

Philippine CSO consortium to hold sugar industry stakeholder forum

On November 18, 2009, a consortium of civil society organizations (CSOs), involving PhilDHRRA, PDAP, CARRD, NATCCO, NAGKASAMA Multi-purpose Cooperative, and MUSICO, with support from Agriterra and CODE-NGO, will hold a forum entitled: Sugar Industry Stakeholders Forum on 2010 Tariff Reduction in Quezon City, Philippnes. This forum aims to generate a consensus position and policy recommendations […]

The Market Situation and the Challenges for Small Farmers: Agri-business and Competitive Agro-Industries

By Mr. David Hitchcock, Agribusiness and Infrastructure Officer, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Mr. Hitchcock’s presentation focused on the macro-side or larger picture of agribusiness, which is an important aspect to understand about agriculture. There are real differences between small holders (small farmers) and the agri-businessmen and recent sector trends and impacts […]

Financial Crisis Conference monograph out now!

We are very pleased to announce the publication of the second edition of the activity monograph of the Regional Conference on the Impact of the Global Economic and Financial Crisis on the Vulnerable Sectors in the Region: Civil Society Voices and ASEAN. The booklet is available in both digital and printed format. You can download […]

AsiaDHRRA joins CSOs' call for climate justice

Together with other CSOs, AsiaDHRRA joined the march to call for climate justice last October 5, 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand in line with the climate negotiations at the UNFCCC talks. AsiaDHRRA also joined the CSO strategy session on October 4, 2009 convened by Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) entitled “Agriculture in Global Climate […]

ASEAN plans rice reserve mechanism

Seems like the ASEAN is on the way to transforming the East Asia Emergency Rice Reserve (EAERR) Pilot Project into a permanent mechanism. From Philippines’ PDI Online ANILA, Philippines—Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are laying the groundwork for a permanent emergency rice reserve mechanism in anticipation of more calamities hitting the […]

Experiences of Small Cassava Farmers in Bukidnon

Experiences of Small Cassava Farmers in Bukidnon, a presentation by Ms. Agnes Bolaños, Executive Director, Agri-Aqua Coalition for Development- Mindanao during the 3rd LSFM RTW, related about the case of Balugo farmers’ Multi-purpose Cooperative in supplying cassava chips and by-products to San Miguel Corporation, one of the biggest food and beverage processing company in the […]

ASEAN is at the forefront of the Climate Change Challenge

By APICHAI SUNCHINDAH, PETRA PAILIN MUELLER Published on October 8, 2009, the Nation, Bangkok, Thailand RICH OR POOR, archipelago or landlocked, the effects of climate variability are becoming increasingly perceptible – melting ice and glaciers leading to rising water levels, extreme heat waves inducing forest fires, and intense rainfall causing severe storms and floods. Southeast […]

Rose Sharon Hartig concludes internship

Rose Sharon Hartig has completed her 2-month internship on project planning and management at AsiaDHRRA.  Apart from learning about the PME process, Sharon also attended seminars and joined an exposure trip to citrus farmers in Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. She also drafted a concept note on the impact of climate change in sustainable agriculture. From her […]

Philippine City offers tax breaks for green roofs

EcoSunday shares this news bit from BusinessWorld about a new law enacted by the city council of Quezon City, Phlippines “requiring private and government-owned buildings to reserve part of their rooftops for “greening.” New commercial/residential buildings, under the Green Roof Ordinance (Ordinance 1940) signed into law by Mayor Feliciano R. Belmonte, Jr. last September 10, […]

Chickens in the city

Well,  hens actually. Roosters are not welcome because of their crowing and they don’t lay eggs and don’t have good meat hehe. Farmfriday brings this interesting article from MSNBC about raising chickens in the city. While this may seem novel in modern western cities, this may not be so in most asian cities. Still its an […]

Goat farming is good money

Tired of real estate or money market investments  that turn out to be duds? Despair not! Do what we have been telling you forever: invest in agriculture. for starters, how about goats? Looking for a farming venture that is not only environment friendly but profitable as well? PCARRD suggests raising goats Goats are very popular […]

BPRE holds Visayas-wide technical symposium on tramline projects

Here’s a news bit we gathered from the Philippines’ Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension. Might be useful for our Philippine based readers. BPRE also has lots of interesting training courses you might wanna check out. The Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension conducted a Visayas-wide technical symposium on agricultural tramline projects on August 27-28, […]

Farms on the rooftops

Here’s an interesting bit we stumbled upon on MSNBC about urban farming in New York City, USA. As the worldwide trend towards urbanization continues to roll on, the prospects of urban farming becomes more and more evident, if not, a practical necessity.  I like this quote from the rooftop farmer “Food comes from not only […]

Making a mud stove

Here’s some FarmFriday handy tips we got from CELAC. Mrs Muwanga Jesca – Vice Chairlady of CELAC Masaka District Farmers Network shares her technique for making a long lasting and fuel efficient mud stove… I want to share with you how to make a cooking stove out of mud just like the one I made […]

Asian countries need to manage water supply efficiently

Here’s an interesting tidbit we picked up from Celcias… Asian countries urgently need to boost farmland productivity and use water more efficiently or the continent may not have enough water to support the agricultural needs of its growing populations, an Asian Development Bank-supported study found. Dwindling groundwater supplies are already threatening drinking water and crop […]

GMWatch monitors FrankenFoods worldwide

Need to keep abreast of the future terror that is GMOs? FarmFriday wants you to visit GMWatch so you can “Keep up to date with the latest news on the issue of genetically modified (GM) food and crops and find out about the deceptive PR campaigns being used to promote GM worldwide.” “GMWatch is an independent […]

ASEAN Solution to Economic Crisis Should Put People First

The road to regional economic integration of ASEAN countries has been undermined by the lack of a social dimension that should have put people first in addressing the impacts of the global financial crisis on the vulnerable sectors. While ASEAN and its member countries have succeeded in taking a more active positioning as a regional […]

Sharon Hartig starts 2 month internship

Rose Sharon Hartig, a student taking up Master of Arts in International Social Sciences at Friedensau Adventist University (Theologische Hochschule Friedensau) in Germany starts her two-month internship in AsiaDHRRA. Her learning objectives during the period will focus on project planning, management and evaluation. Ms. Hartig’s field of specialization is  planning, management and evaluation of sustainable […]

Yeo Joung Suh completes volunteer work

Ms. Yeo Joung Suh, KoDHRRA volunteer has concluded her 1 year internship at AsiaDHRRA during which time she was able to gain a deeper understanding of the NGO management process; developed skills on project development through a 1 month volunteer work in a women’s NGO in Khon Kaen, Thailand; enhanced research and documentation skills through […]

Effective Campaigns using Web 2.0

TechTuesday gifts you with this toolbox from the TacticalCollective via Eldis containing tips, techniques and advice on using new technologies for advocacy. How can Web 2.0 new interactive internet tools and multimedia be used for advocacy and international development? The toolkit provides information and advice on developing your communication and advocacy strategy and using the following types of […]

LSFM launches two books on Value Chain and Market Mapping

The LSFM Program is pleased to announce the publication (print and digital) of the following books: 1. Value Chain Analysis Report: Cambodia, Philippines and Vietnam 2. Mapping of Marketing Initiatives by CSOs: Cambodia, Philippines and Vietnam The books are available in print and in PDF for immediate download (click on the link to view or […]

2nd LSFM Workshop to be held in Cambodia

AsiaDHRRA together with the  Cambodian Center for Study and Development of Agriculture (CEDAC) will hold the Second Regional Training Workshop entitled “Complying with Market Requirements on Food Safety and Product Quality” under the Linking Small Farmers Project (LSFM) supported by the ASEAN Foundation and the World Rural Forum on January 19-23, 2009 in Monoreach Angkor […]

AsiaDHRRA statement of concern on the serious violation of Human Right in Korea.

AsiaDHRRA, a network of social development organization focusing on rural development in south east Asia, joins the international civil society organization in expressing our deep concern regarding the crackdown of protesters happening in South Korea . We are sad to note the government has not been sensitive to the voice of the people. The current […]

fightingftas.org

do visit this website to learn more about the worldwide struggle against the free trade agreements that so far have been so troublesome most especially to small rural farmers in developing countries. “Fighting FTAs” provides a big picture of what today’s frenzy over free trade agreements (FTAs) means, and an insight into some of the […]

Faults in the Arctic Seed Vault

Grain After months of extraordinary publicity, and with the apparently unanimous support of the international scientific community, the “Global Seed Vault” was officially opened today on an island in Svalbard, Norway. Nestled inside a mountain, the Vault is basically a giant icebox able to hold 4.5 million seed samples in cold storage for humanity’s future […]

LSFM PAC Meeting

The LSFM Project Advisory Committee (LSFM PAC) held its first meeting today in Partnership Center, Quezon City, Philippines. Present were advisers Mr. Senen Bacani, Ms. Nerlie Manalili, Rene Guarin of UMFI, Ms. Esther Penunia of AFA, Ms. Marlene Ramirez, Lorna David and Lany Rebagay of AsiaDHRRA and Mr. Sim Kong, Mr. Oum Savin and Mr. […]

Advisory: website upgrade ongoing

we’re having a difficult time upgrading our wordpress install to version 2.3.3 as such it may be a bit of time before we activate all features. please bear with us.

Are cellphones the new hope for small farmers?

I was reading Shareideas when i came across these interesting article about the effects (both real and possible)  of the mobile revolution in developing countries. Can the cell phone become an very invaluable tool for small farmers? In a BBC News article, “The Invisible Computer Revolution” (which is a very interesting read btw) Dr. Joel […]

AsiaDHRRA launches new 2 year project on linking small farmers to market

AsiaDHRRA with funding support from ASEAN Foundation is gearing up for the full launch of the 2 year regional project “Linking Small Farmers to Market” (LSFM) in the three pilot countries namely, Philippines,Cambodia and Vietnam.  Mr. Nonoy Villas, filipino and a veteran manager of several national and regional NGO projects will serve as the project […]

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