Food Security Working Group FSWG is pleased to share this E-flash news with you. E-flash news contains the latest news and events related to food security for FSWG members e- Flash 16 December, 2014 FSWG NewsUpcoming event Upcoming event 1. Member Consultation and Coordination Meeting / 19 December 2014 (Friday) The FSWG secretariat is pleased to invite all members to “Member Coordination and Consultation Meeting” . The meeting will have presentations and interactive discussion and consultation among members. It takes place on the 19th of December starting at 1 pm (followed by end of year reception around 4:30 pm). The working agenda has been circulated to members yesterday: Objective: Inform and consult members on policy advocacy activities and coordinate general members’ activities Draft Agenda: 12:30 – 1:00 Registration 1:00 – 1:10 Word of welcome, objectives of the meeting and outline of the agenda Dr Ohnmar Khaing, Coordinator, FSWG 1:10 – 1:30 Adoption of FSWG Policy Advocacy Strategy and Action Plan 1:30 – 2:00 Update and discussion on Policy Advocacy activities FSWG and its members on Farmer Protection and Welfare Enhancement Act, (speaker from responsible committee to be confirmed) 2:00 – 2:30 Update on Seed Forum, Metta, U Sei San Khan, and discussion Seed Law advocacy activities 2:30 – 3:00 Tea Break 3:00 – 3:30 Updates from donors and development partners, including Call for Proposals 3:30 - 4:00 Updates on policy advocacy activities and programme/project activities by different organisations present 4:00 – 4:30 Evaluation of meeting and planning of next meeting 4:30 Reception Note – FSWG will reimburse members for transportation and accommodation those who come from outside Yangon region and from Local NGOs and CBOs. Members are requested to submit original receipts of transportation and accommodation. Please let us know if you need any assistance for reservation of a hotel. Please confirm to Communications Officer, Ko Nay Lin Aung (fswgmunicationsofficer@gmail) latest 17 December 2014 (Wednesday) 2. Capacity development training for members: Integrated Crop Management from 16-18 December 2014 at FSWG office Training outline: Integrated farming system, seed production and selection practices at farmers’ Level, soil formation Process, Plant Nutrition and Fertilizers, Management of Problem soils in Myanmar, Diagnosis of Pest & Disease, Plant diseases of cereal crops, Pulses and Vegetables, Integrated Disease & pest management, Insect pests on Rice, Cotton and Pulses, Biology and control of pests other than insects (Rodent ,Golden apple snail), Impact of climate change on the population dynamics of some insect pests and damage to the crops, Important weeds and their controls 3. FSWG and LCG jointly organized the workshop on 13 December 2014 at Myanmar People Forum (MPF). The title is “Land rights and food security for Myanmar’s people”. Sixty people participated in the workshop. People forum’s statement - https://sendspace/file/9oe2jc 3. IEC List of FSWG IEC publication are Paddy Cultivation Manual, Forage, Vegetable Manual, Plant Diseases, Plant insects and Pests, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and many more. Please get in touch with our Resource Officer Ma Khin Myo Kyi (fswg.rc@gmail) if you want to order IEC materials, which can also be reprinted with your organization’s logo included. See more - https://sendspace/file/df4c5k 6. FSWG Membership Form Membership is open to LNGOs, INGOs, CBOs, private sectors and individuals interest in or working on food security and livelihood related activities and who agree to the conditions for organizational membership, including payment of membership fees. See more - https://sendspace/file/cjao30 7. Rent of FSWG Training Room FSWG’s Training Room can be rented for trainings and other events. A reduced rate applies for FSWG members. Please get in touch with our Receptionist Ma Chaw Su Thwe (fswg.reception@gmail). 8. Rent of FSWG Translation Devices FSWG’s translation devices for simultaneous translation can be rented. A reduced rate applies for FSWG members. Please get in touch with our IT Assistant Ko Tun Tun Soe (fswgict@gmail). Member News 1. Understanding rural land issues to engage comprehensive policy dialogue in Myanmar The GRET’s land tenure team would like to remind you about the final workshop of the GRET’s study on « Understanding rural land issues to engage comprehensive policy dialogue in Myanmar. » The workshop will take place on the 18th of December 2014, from 9:00am to 5:00pm - lunch provided. We would be grateful if you can confirm your presence at the workshop for organization purpose. The workshop will be the opportunity to share the main findings of the study as well as propose some open discussions based on case studies regarding current land governance issues in Myanmar lowlands (Ayeyarwaddy and Dry Zone): - Land titlings impact on small farmers: an overlooked process? - Beyond the reforms: what’s happening on the ground - Credit and land insecurity: looking at indebtedness and land as collateral, past-present-future. - Social vs. legal justice: is it possible to move forward without looking at past illegitimacies? - A detailed agenda will be sent to you by the end of this week. 2. Oxfam is jointly organizing Advanced Market Training from 18-19 December 2014 with Save the Children and Concern Worldwide for the purpose to fill gaps in market research knowledge and expertise that practitioners may have. The training covers introduction to Advanced Market Analysis, Rapid Market Opportunity Assessment (MOA), Market Actor Power Analysis, Value Chain Analysis, Price and Supply Trend Analysis, Demand and Beneficiary Engagement (ability to pay) Analysis, Profit Capture Analysis by Market Actor, Comparative Financial Analysis, Guidance on conducting secondary research, Income Gap Analysis, Labour Market Analysis, Food Deficit Calculations, Guidance on Interviewing Traders, Projecting Potential Positive and Negative Impacts of Market Interventions . Other News 1. 2nd Annual international conference on agriculture and forestry (ICOAF) 2015 Sustainable agriculture and global food security, 10-12 June 2015, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The International Institute of Knowledge Management (TIIKM) of Sri Lanka will hold the 2nd ICOAF 2015 with the theme Sustainable Agriculture and Global Food Security. The conference is an avenue to provide a scientific platform for academics, scholars, thinkers, practitioners, scientists, as well as corporate and public policymakers around the world to exchange knowledge, discuss issues, share innovations, and establish networks. more 2. Harvest the future international symposium 2015: Innovations in climate-smart agriculture for small-scale producers14-17 June 2015, Montego Bay, Jamaica: The symposium provides a forum to learn and share multi-sector solutions that can equip grassroots producers to lead the vanguard toward sustainable development goals for food security, nutrition and health, climate change adaptation, water conservation, income generation and livelihoods. Registration is now open. more 3. National youth forum on agro-based entrepreneurship development 2015, 9-11 January 2015 Kathmandu, Nepal, Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD), Nepal: Nepalese agriculture is undergoing rapid changes. While a large number of experienced human resources are retiring, young professionals are taking their place, generating wider gaps in agricultural research and knowledge. Besides this, the lack of adequate agricultural workers has resulted in a growing tendency to leave farms fallow. However, there is a small but growing number of young people who are reorganizing farming into viable enterprises through sustainable intensification, and creative marketing. The forum will bring together around 40 young professionals currently involved in agricultural extension and research, farming and marketing, as well as finance and public policy to discuss the future of agro-based entrepreneurship development in Nepal. Deadline for application: 25 December 2014 more Funding opportunities 1. The USAID Powering Agriculture Grand Challenge: Up to $ 2M Grants for Clean Energy Solutions: Deadline: 12 February 2015 The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in cooperation with the Government of Sweden, Duke Energy Corporation, the Government of Germany, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) invite US and non-US organizations and institutions to submit Concept Note for Powering Agriculture: An Energy Grand Challenge for Development (PAEGC) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). The call seeks to identify and support new and sustainable approaches to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy solutions for increasing agriculture productivity and/or value in developing countries. See more - fundsforngos.org/latest-funds-for-ngos/usaid-powering-agriculture-grand-challenge-2m-grants-clean-energy-solutions/ 2. MERN/IUCN call for proposals FSWG members who are interested are very welcome to get in touch with Aung Thant Zin (mern.myanmar@gmail) and Julia Fogerite ([email protected]) and discuss their proposal and get feedback and advice about how the proposal can fit into the CEPF strategic directions. Note for this round of CEPF that the organization should be registered or in the process of registering to be eligible to apply. See more - fundsforngos.org/funding-schemes/the-cepf-large-small-grants-to-organizations-in-indo-burma-hotspot-region/ cepf.net/SiteCollectionDocuments/indo_burma_ii/CEPF_IBII_Call_for_LOIs_4_10Nov14.pdf 3. Call for Proposal Switch Asia II – Promoting sustainable Consumption and Production , See more - https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?ADSSChck=1417846905078&do=publi.detPUB&searchtype=AS&zgeo=35508&debpub=06%2F12%2F2013&orderby=upd&orderbyad=Desc&nbPubliList=15&page=1&aoref=136362 Reading Materials 1. Climate change in Nicaragua pushes farmers into uncertain world Mercedes Azevedo lost her house and 17 relatives when a mudslide triggered by hurricane Mitch engulfed her village in October 1998. More than 2,500 people died in the Casita Volcano tragedy, one of the worst in Nicaragua’s recent history. Now, 51-year-old Azevedo and her fellow survivors find themselves under threat from the weather once again. This time it’s too little rain, not too much. “I lost all my crops in the first harvest: three manzanas (5.2 acres) of corn and one manzana of beans. Everything, gone … I rent my land and now have debts I can’t repay,” she says, standing on the porch of the house in Santa Maria, Chinandega province, where she was resettled after the hurricane. See more - theguardian/global-development/2014/dec/10/climate-change-nicaragua-farming-drought-flood 2. Six things you need to do to change the world in 2015 Whether you agree with the emerging post-2015 development agenda or not, it is likely to steer trillions key areas of policy over the next 15 years. Its implementation will occupy the minds of governments, business and campaigners. So we need an agenda that is – to use UN jargon – “fit for purpose”. The proposal on the table from the 70 governments of the Open Working Group (OWG) contains an expansive 17 goals and 169 targets. The goals encompass the traditional preoccupations of the donor world: poverty eradication, governance and peace. They also capture the demands of an increasingly vocal south: growth, jobs, infrastructure and, critically, better policy behaviour from richer countries on issues that go beyond official development assistance (ODA). See more - theguardian/global-development-professionals-network/2014/dec/03/change-the-world-development-aid-advocacy-2015 3. Farmer Field Schools improving farming in Mozambique The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has helped many farmers in Mozambique through the establishment of Farmer Field Schools. These Farmer Field Schools have brought neighbours together to share knowledge and be taught about the best practices in farming. During United States Representative to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Agencies in Rome, Ambassador David Lane’s last day of his tour of agricultural projects in Mozambique, the team visited a number of areas which benefit from the farmer field schools. The ambassador’s first stop was at Chirodzo Village in Manica, where he was shown how farmers were taught different types of farming aimed at improving yield. Addressing the over 30 farmers who came to welcome him, Ambassador Lane stated that FAO and the World Food Programme were working the government of Mozambique to improve agriculture in the country. See more - observer.org.sz/community/68669-farmer-field-schools-improving-farming-in-mozambique.htmla Reading Materials ding Materials Publications 1. Global Sustainable Development Report, 2015 edition The 2015 Global Sustainable Development Report is expected to be launched in June 2015 and contribute to the 2015 session of the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development. Following the approach piloted for the preparation of the Prototype and the mandate given at Rio+20, the general approach to the 2015 edition of the GSDR report will be that of an assessment of assessments, documenting and describing the landscape of information on specific issues. The report will be global in coverage while taking into account the perspectives of the five UN regions. Extensive inputs will be sought from the UN system, government officials and stakeholders at all levels, including representatives of academies of sciences, of key international assessments, and relevant UN expert groups. See more - sustainabledevelopment.un.org/gsdr2015.html?open=1#call 2. Trade policy and food security: Improving access to food in developing countries in the wake of high world prices Ian Gilson and Amir Fouad (Eds.) World Bank, 2015 Because the global population is expected to surpass 9 billion by 2050, food security remains among the most pressing development issues of our time. The physical and economic access of not only nations, but also individuals and households to sufficient and nutritional foods is linked with poverty. Inadequate access to technology, land, water, and other agricultural inputs, as well as climate and other environmental factors, routinely imperils the ability of poor people to produce or secure sufficient food. Furthermore, the obligation of governments to nurture an enabling environment for food security based on economic openness, functioning markets, and sound policy making has been a development challenge too often unmet. Much of the increase in world food demand in the coming decades as a result of population growth will continue to originate in developing countries where, according to the United Nations, nearly one billion people (or about 16 per cent of the worlds population) still go hungry every day. Demand for food in China alone will account for 46 per cent of the increase in global food consumption by 2050. At the same time, many developing countries are experiencing rapid urbanization and rising incomes that have been accompanied by an evolving diet away from traditional crops toward more animal-based foods. These trends are altering the food production landscape and calling into question how the world can best adjust to this new reality. more 3. Rice in the shadow of skyscrapers:Policy choices in a dynamic East and Southeast Asian setting David Dawe, Steven Jaffee and Nuno Santos (Eds.) Published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Bank, and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) December 2014 This compendium of policy notes is the result of cooperation among FAO, the World Bank, and IRRI. Across Asia, rice as food plays an important part of the human family. These policy notes seek to contribute to the ongoing policy dialogues and debates about rice and food security in East and Southeast Asia and make decision-making better informed. This compendium aims to synthesize and reframe a large body of recent literature into a readily-accessible format for public officials, business leaders, civil society, and other stakeholders involved in policy-making. more 4. New challenges to food security: From climate change to fragile states Christoplos, I. and Pain, A. (Eds.), Routledge, November 2014 This volume will describe a range of different perspectives on food security, with an emphasis on the various meanings that are applied to food security crisis. The challenges to be reviewed include market volatility, climate change and state fragility. Analyses of responses to food security crises and risk will cover rural and urban contexts, arenas of national policy formation and global food regimes, and investment in land and productive technologies. The book will also explore how food production and consumption is embedded in powerful political and market forces and how these influence local actions. more 5. Youth and agriculture: Key challenges and concrete solutions Published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) 2014 Rural youth are the future of food security. Yet around the world, few young people see a future for themselves in agriculture or rural areas. This publication provides real life examples on how to re-engage youth in agriculture. It shows how tailor-made educational programmes can provide rural youth with the skills and insights needed to engage in farming and adopt environmentally friendly production methods. Many of the initiatives and approaches reported in this study originate from the youth themselves. more Asia – Pacific News 1. FAO - 2014 cereal production will be all-time record Latest indications confirm that world cereal production will reach an all-time record of more than 2.5 billion tonnes in 2014, according to the FAO. Buoyed by bumper crops in Europe and a record maize output in the United States of America, this year’s cereal output should reach 2.532 billion tonnes, including rice in milled terms, or 0.3% higher than 2013, according to FAO’s latest Crop Prospects and Food Situation Report. The record global cereal harvest in 2014 will outpace projected world cereal utilization in 2014/15, allowing stocks to rise to their highest level since 2000 and pushing the worldwide stock-to-use ratio, a proxy measure for supply conditions, to rise to 25.2%, its highest level in 13 years, according to FAO. See more - insights.ingredientsnetwork/fao-2014-cereal-production-will-time-record/ 2. FAO - South-South Cooperation: “A relationship among equals” 15 December 2014, Rome/Marrakesh - Horizontal cooperation between countries of the global South is increasingly important to meeting the sustainable development challenges of our time, said FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva at the first International Conference on South-South Cooperation in Marrakesh, Morocco, this weekend. Many developing countries face similar challenges in food security and agricultural and rural development, and in many cases, the geographic, climatic, and socioeconomic conditions are similar, the Director-General said. This makes it easier to adapt successful experiences to local realities. FAOs role is to facilitate the sharing of experiences and development solutions among you, according to Graziano da Silva, who stressed the Organizations longstanding support for South-South cooperation. See more - fao.org/news/story/en/item/272505/icode/ FSWG address: No.114, Danatheikdi Lane, Gandamar Street, Kabbaye Pagoda Road, Ward 8, Mayangone Township, Yangon 11601 Tel: +959425026461 Ph/Fax: 010660064 E-Mail: fswgmunicationsofficer@gmail Website: myanmarfswg.org/ Facebook: https://sendspace/file/df4c5k download pdf - https://sendspace/file/jyex7x
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 09:35:58 +0000
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