Objective

 This pre-event of the TARASA international Workshop will generate recommendations on policy support for agroecology (AE) transition. It will contribute to developing ASEAN policy guidelines on agroecological transition to accompany the implementation of the ASEAN Regional Guidelines on Sustainable Agriculture, and strengthen cooperation for sustainable agriculture in the region and beyond.    

Background                                                          

• The Lao-facilitated Initiative on Agroecology (LICA) was established in 2012 to support agroecology (AE) transitions in the ASEAN region. Discussions at the 38th ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Crops and 43rd special SOM respectively noted LICA’s role in developing draft ASEAN policy guidelines for AE transition under its workplan, and support for LICA’s role as a “Reference Group” for ASEAN on agroecology.

• In 2022, the ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry adopted the ASEAN Regional Guidelines for Sustainable Agriculture that point to the goals of: a. Environmental integrity b. Economic resilience c. Social Well Being d. Good Governance e. Food Security, and f. Poverty Alleviation. The Regional Guidelines document the hope that “these sustainable agriculture guidelines will galvanize the development of an ASEAN sustainable food market, in the face of an increasing number of trade barriers, tariffs and other restrictions imposed on ASEAN agricultural and food products… and build increased trust and confidence in global supply chains on the quality and value of the agricultural produce from ASEAN. 

• The draft ASEAN policy guidelines on agroecology transition are proposed to support the strategic orientation of the ASEAN Regional Guidelines on Sustainable Agriculture and its implementation. The results from an initial analysis will be reviewed and enriched by national consultations, regional discussions and LICA consultations in the last quarter of 2023.

• An increasing number of countries from the ASEAN region are joining the Agroecology Coalition*, and a representative for the South-East Asian countries has been nominated. This is expected to strengthen international cooperation on agroecological transition.  The discussion at this one-day workshop will also serve to help identify possible areas for action at regional level and for grounding the AE Coalition in the regional setting