-------- Original Message --------Subject: RV: AFA holds 6th GAFrom: "wrfsecretary at ruralforum.net" To: "wrfsecretary at ruralforum.net" CC: Dear friends, Kindly find below a summary of the 6th General Assembly held by AFA-Asian Farmers? Association, with the theme Seizing the Momentum to Get Concrete Gains for Small Scale Farmers this IYFF. Sincerely, Joseba Imaz Communication / Comunicaci?n / Komunikazioahttp://www.ruralforum.net International Year of Family Farming. IYFF 2014.A?o Internacional de la Agricultura Familiar. AIAF 2014.Ann?e Internationale de l'Agriculture Familiale. AIAF 2014http://www.familyfarmingcampaign.net De: AFA [mailto:ebulletin at asianfarmers.org] Asunto: AFA holds 6th GA June 27th 2014 AFA holds 6th GA The Asian Farmers? Association (AFA) held its 6th General Assembly (GA) last May 6-9, 2014 at Hotel Santika, Bali, I Like Tweet Pin +1 in ebu header - 6th afa ga small June 27th 2014AFA holds 6th GA10246582_10203462521141012_7341110055324508964_n The Asian Farmers? Association (AFA) held its 6th General Assembly (GA) last May 6-9, 2014 at Hotel Santika, Bali, Indonesia with the theme ?Seizing the Momentum to Get Concrete Gains for Small Scale Farmers this IYFF.?The GA was hosted by Aliansi Petani Indonesia (API), with support from Agriterra, Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP), and the International Land Coalition (ILC). It was attended by 30 men and 10 women, from 17 national farmer organizations in 13 countries, as well as partners and supporters from Agriterra, Collectif Strat?gies Alimentaires (CSA), AsiaDHRRA, World Rural Forum (WRF), Food and Agriculture Organization Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAORAP), Asia Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutes (APAARI), Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR), International Land Coalition (ILC) Asia and Konsorsium Pembaruan Agraria (KPA).Among the highlights of the event were the election of a new AFA Chairperson from Japan, confirmation of five new member organizations in three new covered countries, approval of major thrusts for 2014-2016, and knowledge sharing on attracting youth in agriculture, on tools for sustainable and inclusive agri-based enterprises and gender responsive land laws, and on opportunities for more farmer-directed public programs on agriculture and food security (such as the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program) and research for development. It was capped by a dialogue with partners, who gave solidarity statements indicating areas for further cooperation with AFA, and a solidarity night among AFA members and partners.For the International Year of Family Farming, AFA is working on six priority agenda, such as: (1) recognition of family farmers; (2) land rights; (3) investments in sustainable agroecological approaches; (4) increased market power of farmers; (5) farmers? representation in key consultative and decision making bodies; and, (6) attracting the youth to agriculture.The GA was preceded by a lessons learned workshop and training of trainers on Farmers Advocacy Consultation Tool (FACT) on May 3-5 organized by Agriterra together with AFA, and was attended by selected participants from AFA member organizations. FACT is a method of lobby and advocacy for farmers? organizations that is based on four pillars of consultation to members, participatory research, writing SMART proposals, and lobby mapping and stakeholder analysis.Recognition of the role of farmer organizationsThe GA officially opened with a traditional Balinese dance followed by welcome remarks of AFA Chairperson Mr. Sophal Uon and API Chairperson Mr. Muhamad Mudzakir. A display of farmers? innovative products from different countries was also opened during the ceremony.In his opening speech, delivered by FAORAP Deputy Regional Representative Mr. Vili Fuavo, FAORAP Regional Representative Mr. Hiroyuki Konuma acknowledged the important work done by farmer associations like AFA towards the objective of ensuring nutritious and safe food for all and prosperity for farming communities and their critical role in voicing the opinions and needs of men and women farmers and fisherfolk and ensuring that their issues are heard in international and regional fora, ?especially when these (fora) are discussing critical future directions of global programmes and investments.??All kinds of evidence shows that deprived family farmers can quickly deploy their productivity potential when the appropriate policy environment is effectively put in place. In this region, it is surely essential that FAO and AFA collaborate to promote these policies and turn policies into tangible and real benefits,? said Konuma.Confirmation of new AFA regular membersDuring the business meeting of the General Assembly, five new regular AFA members were confirmed -- Farmer and Water Net (FWN) in Cambodia, National Association of Mongolian Agricultural Cooperatives (NAMAC), Union of Water Users Association (UWUA) in Kyrgyztan, Central Tea Cooperatives Foundation (CTCF) in Nepal, and the Association of Farmers Federations in Myanmar (AFFM), increasing the total number of AFA members from 12 to 17.In their acceptance speeches, representatives from the four organizations expressed thanks for the approval of their membership and pledged to cooperate closely with AFA in strengthening farmer organizations and bringing the voices of farmers to decision makers at the national and international levels.Election of new chairperson and other Execom officersShimpei Murakami, an organic farmer from Japan and Board Member of AFA member AINOUKAI, was elected as the new Chairperson of AFA and will serve a two-year term in 2014-2016. In his acceptance speech, Murakami emphasized the important tasks of AFA in the region as small farmers are facing huge challenges from all fronts.The following are the complete set of Officers and Members of AFA?s Executive Committee:Chairperson ? Shimpei Murakami, Vice Chairperson, AINOUKAI (Japan) Vice-Chairperson ? Som Prasad Bhandari, President, National Land Rights Forum (NLRF), Nepal Treasurer ? Muhamad Rifa?I, Board Member, Aliansi Petani Indonesia (API)Members: - U Than Swe, President, Association of Farmers Federations in Myanmar (AFFM) - Mudzakir, President, Aliansi Petani Indonesia (API) - Rabin Rai, Secretary General, Central Tea Cooperatives Foundation (CTCF), Nepal - Seu Rany, President, Farmer and Nature Net (FNN), Cambodia - Kim Boy, President, Farmer Water Net (FWN), Cambodia - Jun Bong Kim, Vice-President, Korean Advanced Farmers? Federation (KAFF), South Korea - Alauddin Sekder, Secretary General, Kendrio Krishok Moitree (KKM), Bangladesh - N. Bayartsaikhan, President, National Association of Mongolian Agricultural Cooperatives (NAMAC) - Ireneo Cerilla, President, Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (PAKISAMA), Philippines - Niran Buasiri,Chairperson, Farmer?s Federations Association for Development Thailand (Sor Kor Por), Thailand - Daniel Huang, Board Member, Taiwan Dairy Farmers? Association (TDFA) - Shun Te Tsai, Board Member, Taiwan Wax Apple Development Association (TWADA) - Erkinbek Kozhoev, President, Union of Water Users Association (UWUA), Kyrgyztan - Hong Mee Hee, President, Women Advanced Farmers? Federation (WAFF), South KoreaAttracting the youth to agricultureOn May 6, a session on the theme ?Attracting the Youth to agriculture? was held, where AFA members shared their experiences and results in piloting the Farmers? Advocacy Consultation Tool (FACT) in their organizations.Among the issues highlighted was the migration of youth to cities due to lack of opportunities in rural areas and the low income from farming due to lack of access to basic means of production, and effective government policies in support of agriculture. While there were some initiatives like training and support on various sustainable agriculture technologies that help reduce the cost of input, and programs to support youth who want to go into agriculture and training programs through cooperatives, several recommendations were identified pertaining to capacity building, organizational development, policy advocacy and partnership with various actors.Some of the needed support to attract the youth to agriculture that were identified include: (1) capacity building ? e.g. training on constructive engagement, youth education, scholarship programs, etc.; (2) research ? e.g. comparative study of the use of organic and non-organic fertilizer, policy research on incentives for young farmers, research on impacts of climate change, etc.; (3) technical support on seeds, production techniques, etc.; (4) policy advocacy promoting agriculture ? e.g. soft loan for young farmers, ASEAN agricultural bank, right to seeds, campaign on land, etc.; and, (5) regional exchange program ? e.g. youth farmers? gatherings, farmer exchange, etc.Land, production, marketing and governance issuesOn May 8, several sessions were held on the theme ?AFA Initiatives on IYFF Priority Agenda: Land, Production, Marketing and Governance Issues.?Sustainable and inclusive enterprisesOne session was on ?Sustainable and Inclusive Enterprises,? where three topics were covered.AFA members API, PAKISAMA and FNN shared their experiences in promoting sustainable and inclusive agriculture enterprises through the development and application of AFA?s enterprise assessment and planning tool in a project supported by CSA. The tool uses criteria such as organizational capacity, profitability, stability, sustainability and inclusivity in assessing how enterprises are doing and planning for interventions for further improvement. Other AFA members found the tool useful and relevant and agreed to help further refine and use it in their own enterprises. They recommended strengthening cooperatives through various trainings, developing strong partnerships with different actors, advocacy for an ASEAN agricultural bank and ASEAN farmers? advisory council at the regional level, and regional learning exchanges on sustainable enterprises.AFA member VNFU also presented its study on the experience of farmers with the World Economic Forum?s (WEFF) New Vision for Agriculture project (NVA) project. Other AFA members observed that the public private partnership (PPP) approach in the project has not yet shown its benefit for small-scale farmers. They recommended strengthening farmers? cooperatives and federations for doing collective marketing, providing legal and technical support to farmer organizations especially in negotiating contracts with companies, FO access to information, and strong government regulations, among others in order to make the approach really beneficial to farmers.Still another topic was the WEF?s East Asia Grow Campaign. AFA members listened to a brief presentation on the WEF?s East Asia Grow campaign and agreed to get more information and see how the interest of farmers can be promoted in this campaign.Promoting land rights with a gender lensThree topics were discussed in the session on ?Promoting Land Rights with a Gender Lens.?AFA members AFFM, NLRF and PAKISAMA shared their experiences in using the Gender Evaluation Criteria (GEC) in assessing land tools through a project supported by ILC. The GEC uses 6 criteria and 22 questions to assess if a land law promotes right for both women and men. Other AFA members found the GEC useful, relevant and timely. They recommended making it more farmer-friendly and adapted to country context, training for use by AFA members, translation into local language and documenting good practices on its use.The AFA secretariat presented the project proposal on popularizing the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT) in selected Asian countries. AFA members found the project timely as it can serve as follow up to their previous initiatives on the issue. They recommended maximizing the mandate from FAO to initiate the national IYFF committees to complement the initiative on VGGT popularization.The AFA secretariat also presented the project proposal on becoming the Asia regional partner for the Land Matrix, an open access global database on large scale land acquisitions. AFA members found it useful and relevant, despite some possible political sensitivity with some governments, and will look at how they can be involved.Initiatives in engaging agriculture development programsIn the session on ?Initiatives in Engaging Agriculture Development Programs,? AFA members shared updates on their involvement in the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) and the Medium Term Cooperation Programme with Farmers? Organisations in Asia and the Pacific, Phase II (MTCP2) in their countries.MTCP2 aims to strengthen the capacities of farmers organizations in Asia and the Pacific to deliver better, improved and inclusive services to their members and to engage in effective dialogues with governments. GAFSP, on the other hand, is is a multilateral mechanism to assist in the implementation of pledges made by G20 countries with the aim of improving the incomes and food and nutrition security in low-income countries by boosting agricultural productivity. One of the gains in GAFSP is the inclusion of CSO representatives in the steering committee. The challenge is how to help FOs catch up with the program. There are also problems and difficulties in FO participation in the program.In MTCP, the major gain is that the FOs are taking the lead in the implementation of the project. AFA members are actively taking part in the project and are reaching out to more FOs to be involved.Among the recommendations made is that there should be a more open dialogue between FOs and government partners in each country on GAFSP and MTCP2. Moreover, field visits should be conducted to disseminate more widely the information about GAFSP and MTCP2.AFA members also identified support needed to build capacity to engage in agriculture development programs like joint meetings at country level with implementing organizations, institutional capacity building for FOs and capacity building for advocacy.AFA initiatives in agriculture research and innovations for developmentFour topics were discussed in the session on ?AFA Initiatives in Agriculture Research and Innovations for Development.?FNN shared its experience with the learning network PROLINNOVA (which stands for Promoting Local Innovation in ecologically-oriented agriculture and NRM) in promoting local innovation as a way of doing agriculture research for farmers. FNN farmers were chosen and their experimentation in the field on growing of organic rice was documented.Dr. Bhag Mal presented APAARI?s initiatives such as different projects in AR4D and various fora supported by GFAR. As a reciprocal member of APAARI, AFA can influence their directions and activities and maximize the space provided for farmers. AFA members will look at possible cooperation with APAARI.Thomas Price of GFAR shared the global processes on agriculture research and development and the efforts to make agriculture research and development more farmer-directed and to bring in more ideas from farmers. AFA members would like the research community know about the work of farmers as researchers such as making the soil more fertile without the use of chemicals. They would also like GFAR to help recognize and spread farmers? research through documentation. AFA would also like to influence the reform process at GFAR by influencing governments to involve more farmers at in decision making at national and regional levels.Auxtin Ortiz of WRF gave a presentation situating AFA?s work in the global IYFF campaign, while giving examples of various national IYFF initiatives in different continents. AFA members also resolved to take part in national committees in their respective countries. PAKISAMA, for example, is part of the IYFF committee in the Philippines, and have chosen the recovery of the 71 billion peso coco levy fund as their priority issue. They have also done a national consultation among its youth members and have come out with a policy proposal for the magna carta for young farmers.Field visit to API members in BaliOn May 7, a field visit to three sites of API Bali was held. A program was held in the community, where local government officials as well as local API farmer leaders welcomed the 6th AFA GA participants and engaged with them in a dialogue. They also displayed and talked about their organic cacao production project.The second site was a coconut sugar production project, where participants listened to a farming couple who shared their experience in producing and marketing coconut sugar and the coconut wine for their own consumption. After tasting the products and the sales pitch of the farmer leader from Taiwan, the participants bought all the supplies available.The third site featured the economic projects of the youth group, which included collective production and selling of items from recycled materials, organic compost, and livestock.Click here and here for photos of the 6th AFA GA.Click here and here for photos of the 2nd FACT workshop and ToT.*** 1px ?2014 AFA | Room 206, No. 59 C. Salvador Street, Loyola Heights, 1108 Quezon City, Philippines Tel/Fax: +632-436-4640 | E-mail: afa at asianfarmers.org | Website: www.asianfarmers.org Web Version Forward Unsubscribe Powered by Mad Mimi ?

July, 2014 VOLUME : 5 Welcome!! Welcome to the Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community's e-newsletter "Cultivating Community". POETCom aims to be a learning organisation and the objective of our bi monthly newsletter is to strengthen our network through sharing information, exchanging experiences and learning, and simply getting to know each other and each other's programmes better. It is also a way we can share our work, achievements and challenges with the broader community of stakeholders and supporters who share our vision for the region where organics and ethical trade are ' the key contributors to sustaining our cultures and communities, improving farmer livelihoods, people's health and the environment in the Pacific.' We will look forward to receiving news from you for inclusion in our future editions! A young woman takes up organic farming As the early morning sunlight bathes the Sabeto Valley in Fiji's west a farmer wakes up, leaves home and walks about 20 minutes to a plantation, greeting others also on their way to their farms. There the farmer begins work, weeding and caring for the crops - aiming to get a few hours of work done before the heat of the day starts in earnest and the sun drives workers into the shade to take a break for breakfast. This is a common scene all over the Pacific Islands, but a difference in this case is that the farmer is a woman and is only 22 years old. Tokasa Vadrasola from Sabeto has turned her hand to farming as a career - commercial organic papaya farming to be precise. Read More New Caledonia disseminates its rules on GMOs to the Pacific region The Pacific is composed of many islands, the majority of which are independent states. Most of these areas are heavily dependent on food imports, mainly from Australia, Asia and the U.S., where GM crops are already well established, and more worryingly - massive importation of seeds. Therefore, the question must be posed: how can these areas regulate GMOs without giving up the imports of essential goods to their economy? New Caledonia is currently considering a legal framework that takes this question into account and it will soon be implemented. In the process it seeks to inspire other areas that are in a similar situation. Read More Photo courtesy STOP GMO Pacifique A seed exchange network at BioCal?donia Farmers who want to adhere to the Pacific Organic Standard have to use organic seeds and plants of appropriate varieties and quality. Biocal?donia recently set up a seed exchange network designed to make it easier to get such seeds. For the moment the selection of organic seeds is extremely limited locally. Such seeds are costly and have disappointing germination rates. This places farmers in a bind. This seed-exchange network pools and preserves local genetic diversity that is adapted to New Caledonia's soil types and, over the medium term, may help producers offset the import of certain species and varieties. Read More Sporting event in Fiji's Lau Group promotes organic farming The 2nd Annual Cicia Island Organic Games were held recently on Cicia Island in Fiji's Lau Group. Teams from the islands of Vanuabalavu, Mago, Yacata, Kaibu, Nayau, Vanuavatu, Cicia and a lone team from Savusavu participated in this very special rugby 7s and netball sports tournament. Cicia has just completed the initial stage of organic certification and the sports programme aims to encourage people to go into organic farming. Players had to plant a certain number of crops before they could participate; the initiative has therefore already resulted in substantial numbers of crops being planted. The project is supported with funding from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and is implemented by POETCom (the Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community, housed in the Secretariat of the Pacific Community [SPC]) in partnership with Fiji Ministry of Agriculture. Read More Contribute to building a sustainable future, join POETCom today.The Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community(POETCom) is moving to a new phase of development and calling out to all interested parties including- founding members, friends and stakeholders- to formalise their membership with POETCom and join now. Membership forms here. This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union and the International Fund for Agricultural Development(IFAD). The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of SPC, the European Union or IFAD. -------------- next part --------------An HTML attachment was scrubbed...URL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image005.jpgType: image/jpegSize: 6470 bytesDesc: image005.jpgURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image003.jpgType: image/jpegSize: 6304 bytesDesc: image003.jpgURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image010.jpgType: image/jpegSize: 3908 bytesDesc: image010.jpgURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image016.jpgType: image/jpegSize: 7247 bytesDesc: image016.jpgURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image018.jpgType: image/jpegSize: 5647 bytesDesc: image018.jpgURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image020.jpgType: image/jpegSize: 5034 bytesDesc: image020.jpgURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image021.jpgType: image/jpegSize: 5067 bytesDesc: image021.jpgURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image002.pngType: image/pngSize: 165130 bytesDesc: image002.pngURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image004.pngType: image/pngSize: 321 bytesDesc: image004.pngURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image014.pngType: image/pngSize: 42734 bytesDesc: image014.pngURL:

-------- Original Message --------Subject: [pafpnet] FROM PACNEWS this week: New 40 million Euros project to revive coconut industry in the PacificFrom: Miriama Kunawave Brown To: Pacific Agriculture and Forestry Policy Network CC: Dear All, NEWS lifted from PACNEWS this week: ? New 40 million Euros project to revive coconut industry in the Pacific? UN reports on new roadmap to boost small-scale, family forest producers? $2 million ADB grant from Japan to boost trade in the Pacific region ? New UN report outlines top 10 food-borne parasites of greatest global concern? UN expert panel urges collective action to reduce global food losses, waste? With focus on sustainable development, UN praises role of cooperatives at 'critical time' PAC - COCONUT INDUSTRY: PACNEWS 2: Mon 30 Jun 2014 New 40 million Euros project to revive coconut industry in the Pacific SUVA, 30 JUNE 2014 (PACNEWS) ---- Five Pacific Island Countries will benefit from a 40 million Euros (US$54 million) regional coconut project funded by the European Union, soon to get underway. The project has been hailed 'the biggest ever project to be undertaken in the region' by the consultant assisting Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu put together the regional coconut project. Vinay Chand based in London was in Port Vila last week to meet farmers and stakeholders to discuss final preparations for the establishment of the first coconut plant in the island of Santo in Vanuatu. "The regional hub for the regional coconut project will be in Vanuatu and the plant will be in Santo. The plant will process 25 million coconuts a year and we are going to pay the farmers 25 US cents per coconut, 20 times what they are currently getting, Chand told PACNEWS in Port Vila. Chand said the regional coconut project will focus on green and fresh coconuts. "The plants will produce high value coconut products like ice cream mix, activated carbon, rubberized coir mattresses and matured coconut water drink. Already, the project has identified markets in Europe, Australia and Japan for the high value coconut products from the Pacific. Apart from markets for the niche products, Chand told PACNEWS coconut farmers and producers will be the biggest winners. "When the project gets off the ground the process value of each coconut will be around US$2. Of that amount, we pay 25 cents US to the farmers. Currently farmers get 2 US cents per coconut. The idea is to involve them directly so that they get direct benefits. At the end of five years, we hope the farmers will also own the production, explained Chand. After the Santo plant is up and running, the plan is to set up independent coconut production plants in Samoa, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Fiji. Already there are commitments to set up plants in Rabaul (Papua New Guinea), North Malaita (Solomon Islands), Savusavu (Fiji) and in Samoa. "From my consultations in these countries, farmers don't plant regularly because the current price they are getting is not worth it. They replant when they want to but with our project they will have the financial incentive to replant a lot and they will, said Chand. He said there is a lot of enthusiasm in the rural communities of the five Island countries. "I have talked to hundreds of farmers. They want project yesterday because it will change their lives and make them wealthy. Coconut is one of the biggest assets of the Pacific as it grows naturally. This project wants to make good use of the coconuts to bring benefits to the people of the region. For Santo, the project is expected to employ 200 people in the factory and another 500 at the field level. "We see this as a huge revival in the coconut industry for the Pacific. By using 10 percent of the coconuts in the region, we are increasing income by 100 percent, said Chand. Chand paid tribute to the work done by Pacific Ambassadors in Brussels to secure the 40 million Euros from the European Union, especially the contributions of the Ambassadors of Samoa and Vanuatu, Pao Luteru and Roy Mickey Joy.... PACNEWS UN reports on new roadmap to boost small-scale, family forest producers ROME, 01 JULY 2014 (UN NEWS CENTRE) --- If small-scale forest and farm producers joined to form producer organizations, they could increase forest productivity and improve livelihoods of local communities, the United Nations agricultural agency and its partners today reported. In two separate co-publications, the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) wrote that indigenous peoples, local communities and private smallholders own or manage a growing proportion of the world's forests and can play a significant role in tackling deforestation and reducing poverty if they band together. "Coming together in forest and farm producer organizations can help overcome their isolation as well as other very real constraints such as a lack of secure forest tenure and financial and business development instruments," said FAO Forestry Officer Jeffrey Campbell. Two policy papers, published by the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF), a partnership between FAO, the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), argue that a better policy environment, coupled with targeted support to help small-scale forest and farm producers organize could overcome some of the challenges these groups face. A crucial constraint is their isolation from each other, from markets, information, business services, policymakers, financing and investment opportunities. "They must compete with large-scale businesses that often receive preferential treatment, access to markets, financing and resources," Campbell explained. According to the report authors, there are six ways to help forest and farm producer organizations become more effective. These are summarized as increasing the visibility of forest and farm producer organizations in policymaking; helping forests and farm producers build capacity; creating an enabling environment; clearing a path for increased finance; connecting forest and farm producers with services; and encouraging a global coalition. The release of the reports comes one week after the 22nd Session of the FAO Committee on Forestry was held in Rome during World Forest Week. One of the main themes of the session was shifting the focus from data collection and policymaking in respect to forests, to the people who are managing the forests - in other words, from trees to people... PACNEWS PAC - GRANT: ADB PACNEWS BIZ: Tue 01 Jul 2014 $2 million ADB grant from Japan to boost trade in the Pacific region MANILA, 01 JULY 2014 (ADB) --- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will help identify and ease constraints on international trade in the Pacific through a US$2 million technical assistance grant from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, financed by the Government of Japan. The technical assistance will conduct a regional analysis of trade and transport linkages and provides insights on how the region can boost trade and access to international markets. "Interregional and intraregional trade growth is held back by a variety of trade and transport constraints in the Pacific," said Sarosh Khan, an ADB Senior Transport Specialist. "Improving efficiency and reducing the cost of trade services and logistics can help the Pacific perform closer to its economic potential." Total Pacific trade with the world increased from US$6.4 billion to US$25.4 billion during 2000-2012, mostly due to exports of palm oil, coffee, coconut and fish, and imports of electrical machinery, cars, equipment, petroleum, and food. The direction of trade has shifted in the past 13 years, trade with Australia and New Zealand has declined while there has been a significant increase in the share of trade with Southeast Asia, China, and India-from around 15% to 26% in 2012. The region's high dependency on imports, mean that sea and air transport need to be improved to achieve more benefits from economic integration with regional and global markets. The support from ADB will help establish tools to assess and improve trade facilitation and transport logistics performance. It will also help national and regional agencies to assess trade and transport demand, design investment and policy options, and improve logistics and custom performance. ADB will partner with The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Oceania Customs Organization, and the World Customs Organization. ....PACNEWS New UN report outlines top 10 food-borne parasites of greatest global concern ROME, 02 JUNE 2014 (UN NEWS CENTRE) --- A new report released today by two United Nations agencies identifies a "top 10" of food-borne parasites with the greatest global impact, including those found in pork, fish, fresh produce, fruit juice and milk, among other foods. According to the report, produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the top ten are: o Taenia solium (pork tapeworm): In pork o Echinococcus granulosus (hydatid worm or dog tapeworm): In fresh produce o Echinococcus multilocularis (a type of tapeworm): In fresh produce o Toxoplasma gondii (protozoa): In meat from small ruminants, pork, beef, game meat (red meat and organs) o Cryptosporidium spp. (protozoa): In fresh produce, fruit juice, milk o Entamoeba histolytica (protozoa): In fresh produce o Trichinella spiralis (pork worm): In pork o Opisthorchiidae (family of flatworms): In freshwater fish o Ascaris spp. (small intestinal roundworms): In fresh produce o Trypanosoma cruzi (protozoa): In fruit juices "Obviously this top ten is a more general, global perspective and does not necessarily reflect parasite rankings at a national level where each country may have more precise information," Renata Clarke, head of food safety and quality at FAO, said in a news release. "But considering the problems they cause, these parasites do not get the attention they deserve. We hope that by releasing a top ten ranking we can increase awareness among policy makers, the media and the general public about this major public health issue," she added. The parasites affect the health of millions of people every year, infecting muscle tissues and organs, causing epilepsy, anaphylactic shock, amoebic dysentery and other problems, the agencies noted. Some can live on in people's bodies for decades. Despite their huge social costs and global impacts, information is generally lacking regarding just where these parasites come from, how they live in the human body, and - most importantly - how they make people sick. The list and report were developed following a request by the global food standards body, the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), for FAO and WHO to review the current status of knowledge on parasites in food and their public health and trade impacts. The Codex Committee on Food Hygiene is now developing new guidelines for the control of these parasites. FAO and WHO are supporting the process by providing scientific and technical information. The aim is to develop new standards for the global food trade that will help countries control the presence of these parasites in the food chain. The report lists a number of ways to reduce the risk of parasite infections. For farmers, it advises the use of organic fertilizer, particularly on produce, should be closely monitored to ensure it is composted properly and all faecal matter is removed. Water quality must also be closely monitored. For consumers, it advises that all meat should be well cooked and only clean water should be used to wash and prepare vegetables. The agencies noted that in Europe, more than 2,500 people are affected by food-borne parasitic infections each year. In 2011, there were 268 cases of trichinellosis and 781 cases of echinococcosis recorded in the European Union. In Asia, there is no precise national data but parasitic diseases are known to be widely spread and are recognized as major public health problems in many countries. Meanwhile, there is no data at all in most African nations on the prevalence of food-borne parasites in humans because of a general lack of surveillance systems. In the United States, Neurocysticercosis, caused by Taenia solium, is the single most common infectious cause of seizures in some areas of the US where 2,000 people are diagnosed with neurocysticercosis every year. Toxoplasmosis is a leading cause of food-borne illness and death.....PACNEWS UN expert panel urges collective action to reduce global food losses, waste ROME, 03 JULY 2014 (UN NEWS CENTRE) --- A newly issued United Nations-backed expert panel report takes a close look at where and how food waste occurs and recommends a number of actions that could help reduce the 1.3 billion tonnes of food that are squandered worldwide each year. Recently, global food losses and waste has become a high visibility issue and according to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), "globally around one-third of food produced is lost or wasted along the food chain, from production to consumption." Food loss and waste not only impacts food security and nutrition but also the sustainability of food systems - that ensure sufficient, quality food for this and future generations, says the new report. "FLW [food loss and waste] are consequences of the way food systems function, technically, culturally and economically," explains the High Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) in its report, Food Losses and waste in the context of sustainable food systems, which will see its official launch tomorrow at FAO headquarters in Rome. Adopting a systemic perspective, the report analyzes FLW impacts on the sustainability of food systems, security and nutrition by reviewing the wide range of causes. "Reducing food losses and waste are essential to improving food security and diminishing the environmental footprint of food systems," the report affirms. It also provides action-oriented recommendations for Governments, companies and individuals to tackle the problem, includes numerous examples and proposes a "way forward" for actors to build strategies to reduce FLW in diverse contexts and situations. According to the report, "all stakeholders should improve communication, coordination and recognition of efforts needed/made at one stage to reduce FLW at another (downstream or upstream)." The Committee on Food Security (CFS) is the top international and intergovernmental platform for discussions and agenda-setting on issues related to global food security. Its membership includes Governments, UN agencies and other UN bodies, civil society and non-governmental organizations, research institutions, financial institutions and development banks, private sector associations and philanthropic foundations. The High-Level Panel of Experts is an independent scientific panel that provides the CFS with scientific, knowledge-based analysis and advice on food security and nutrition policy issues.....PACNEWS With focus on sustainable development, UN praises role of cooperatives at 'critical time' NEW YORK, 04 JULY 2014 (UN NEWS CENTRE) --- As the international community focuses on climate change, sustainable development and a new anti-poverty agenda beyond 2015, United Nations officials are highlighting the role cooperative enterprises can play in economic development, social justice and environmental protection. In his message for International Day of Cooperatives, marked annually on 5 July, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that this year's Day falls at a "critical time" with the UN working to reach the 2015 deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and adopt a long-range sustainable development agenda, as well as a new climate agreement. "Cooperatives are particularly important to agriculture, food security and rural development. In the finance sector, cooperatives serve more than 857 million people, including tens of millions who live in poverty," . Ban said. He added that they are helping communities in both developed and developing countries to generate energy, manage water supplies and provide other basic services. Ranging from small-scale to multi-million dollar businesses across the globe, cooperatives operate in all sectors of the economy, and provide 100 million jobs worldwide - 20 per cent more than multinational enterprises, according to 2011 figures from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP). In 2008, the largest 300 cooperatives in the world had an aggregate turnover of $1.1 trillion, comparable to the gross domestic product (GDP) of many large economies, the UN agencies said. "As member-owned, member-run and member-serving businesses, cooperatives can put social justice and equity at the heart of economic progress," Ban said, adding that they also help to ensure that the production and provision of goods and services matches the needs and aspirations of communities. In his message, Guy Ryder, Director-General of the UN International Labour Organization (ILO), noted that cooperatives reach many of the poor and excluded who are out of reach from the government, and from conventional markets for goods and services, such as smallholder farmers. There are an estimated 500 million family farms - those that rely primarily on family members for labour and management - across the developed and developing world, according to the FAO. In many developing countries, family farms represent up to 80 per cent of all farm holdings. In an effort to highlight the potential family farmers have to eradicate hunger, preserve natural resources and promote sustainable development, the UN had named 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming. In his message, Ryder said that cooperatives and mutual are "enterprises of the future" which can complement conventional markets and government action. He called on members of the international community working on the sustainable development agenda to keep cooperatives in mind when setting out strategies and means for the new targets. According to a recent study by the ILO and the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), "Cooperatives and Sustainable Development Goals," cooperatives contribute to sustainable development and hold the potential to do much more: from creating employment and enhancing gender equality to providing clean energy and financial inclusion to ensuring food security and extending social protection. "Cooperatives are present in all sectors of the economy and adaptable to a range of contexts," Ryder said. "They respond to the triple bottom line of sustainable development: economic development, social justice, and environmental protection," he added.....PACNEWS --------------You are currently subscribed to pafpnet as: stephenh at spc.intSUBSCRIBING:Send a blank message to: join-pafpnet at lyris.spc.intUNSUBSCRIBING:Send a message to leave-886318-100502.40e592f4e1ef7450ddf54a124038f866 at lyris.spc.intCONTRIBUTING TO THE LIST: Send a message to: pafpnet at lyris.spc.intWEB: http://www.spc.org.nc/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=pafpnetWhere you can change your settings at any time.LIST OWNER: owner-pafpnet at lyris.spc.int

Very useful for the Organic Movement From: bounce-886317-100502 at lyris.spc.int[mailto:bounce-886317-100502 at lyris.spc.int] On Behalf Of MiriamaKunawave BrownSent: Friday, 4 July 2014 9:08 AMTo: Pacific Agriculture and Forestry Policy NetworkSubject: [pafpnet] A mini Review: Climate-Smart Landscapes:Opportunities and Challenges for Integrating Adaptation and Mitigationin Tropical Agriculture. Dear All, For your information and would be of interest, attached is A miniReview: "Climate-Smart Landscapes: Opportunities and Challenges forIntegrating Adaptation and Mitigation in Tropical Agriculture" AbstractAddressing the global challenges of climate change, food security, andpoverty alleviation requires enhancing the adaptive capacity andmitigation potential of agricultural landscapes across the tropics.However, adaptation and mitigation activities tend to be approachedseparately due to a variety of technical, political, financial, andsocioeconomic constraints. Here, we demonstrate that many tropicalagricultural systems can provide both mitigation and adaptation benefitsif they are designed and managed appropriately and if the largerlandscape context is considered. Many of the activities needed foradaptation and mitigation in tropical agricultural landscapes are thesame needed for sustainable agriculture more generally, but thinking atthe landscape scale opens a new dimension for achieving synergies.Intentional integration of adaptation and mitigation activities inagricultural landscapes offers significant benefits that go beyond thescope of climate change to food security, biodiversity conservation, andpoverty alleviation. However, achieving these objectives will requiretransformative changes in current policies, institutional arrangements,and funding mechanisms to foster broad-scale adoption of climate-smartapproaches in agricultural landscapes. Best,Miri Miriama Kunawave Brown (Ms.) PAFPNet AdministratorPacific Agricultural & Forestry Policy Network (PAFPNet)Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Land Resources Division (LRD)SP C | LRD | PAFPNet For any feedback, comments or query concerning PAFPNet, please contactme off-list on email miriamak at spc.int Think Green. Don't Print this Unless You Really Need To. --------------You are currently subscribed to pafpnet as: stephenh at spc.intSUBSCRIBING: Send a blank message to: join-pafpnet at lyris.spc.intUNSUBSCRIBING: Send a message to leave-886317-100502.40e592f4e1ef7450ddf54a124038f866 at lyris.spc.intCONTRIBUTING TO THE LIST: Send a message to: pafpnet at lyris.spc.intWEB: http://www.spc.org.nc/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=pafpnetWhere you can change your settings at any time.LIST OWNER: owner-pafpnet at lyris.spc.int-------------- next part --------------An HTML attachment was scrubbed...URL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image001.jpgType: image/jpegSize: 1419 bytesDesc: image001.jpgURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: Climate-Smart_Landscapes_Opportunities_and_Challenges_for_Integrating_Adaptation_and_Mitigation_in_Tropical_Agriculture_1782.pdfType: application/octet-streamSize: 615835 bytesDesc: Climate-Smart_Landscapes_Opportunities_and_Challenges_for_Integrating_Adaptation_and_Mitigation_in_Tropical_Agriculture_1782.pdfURL:

From: Via-info-en [mailto:via-info-en-bounces+stephenh=spc.int at viacampesina.org] On Behalf Of La V?a CampesinaSent: Tuesday, 8 July 2014 1:59 AMTo: via info enSubject: [Info EN] La Via Campesina calls for the International Treaty on seeds to reject biopiracy La Via Campesina Press ReleaseLa Via Campesina calls for the International Treaty on seeds to reject biopiracy (Geneva, 7th of July 2014) The International Treaty on seeds (ITPGRFA) celebrated on July 3 in Geneva its 10th anniversary. It has been recognizing for a decade now farmers? rights to use, exchange and sell their seeds. By organizing the sharing of seeds gathered from peasants? field in 131 countries, it makes a critical contribution to global food security. Given climate change is on the rise, these local seeds are often the only ones guaranteeing harvests, while varieties selected in laboratories to work with chemical inputs are unable to adapt to any unexpected stress. The success of the Treaty should not however mask its broken promises. The industry has still to service the debt contracted when ?borrowing? for free seeds from peasants to create its commercial seeds. As such, the Treaty is unable to fulfil the sharing of benefits. Meantime, peasants lose their right to use the seeds they generously gave to the Treaty, as the industry contaminates these seeds with its engineered genes or patent them based on their natural features. Farmers? rights cannot remain a statement of general intent and if the Treaty persists to trample on these rights, farmers cannot carry on to graciously give their seeds.Without effective safeguard mechanisms for farmers? rights and fair benefit sharing, along with concrete measures against patents on life, the seeds bank of the Treaty will become biopirates? commons.This Treaty must change, and La Via Campesina is ready to assist.More on www.viacampesina.org -------------- next part --------------An HTML attachment was scrubbed...URL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: Part 2.2.pngType: image/pngSize: 127916 bytesDesc: Part 2.2.pngURL: -------------- next part --------------An embedded and charset-unspecified text was scrubbed...Name: ATT6823976.txtURL:

VOLUME: 5 Juillet, 2014 Chers lecteurs,Voici de Culture Bio, le bulletin d'information ?lectronique de la Communaut? oc?anienne pour l'agriculture biologique et le commerce ?thique (POETCom). La POETCom se veut une organisation en apprentissage permanent ; le pr?sent bulletin d'information bimestriel vise, par cons?quent, ? renforcer notre r?seau en facilitant l'?change d'informations, le partage d'exp?riences et l'acquisition de connaissances, et en favorisant tout simplement une meilleure compr?hension mutuelle. Ce bulletin nous permet ?galement de partager notre travail et nos r?alisations, et d'aborder les difficult?s rencontr?es, avec l'ensemble des parties prenantes et ceux qui d?fendent notre vision de l'agriculture biologique et du commerce ?thique dans le Pacifique en tant que ? conditions sine qua non pour p?renniser nos cultures et nos communaut?s, et am?liorer les moyens d'existence des agriculteurs, la sant? des populations et l'environnement dans le Pacifique ?. Nous attendons avec impatience vos contributions pour les prochains num?ros ! Une jeune Fidjienne tente l'aventure du bio Alors que les premiers rayons du soleil r?veillent la vall?e de Sabeto, dans l'ouest des Fidji, Tokasa Vadrasola se l?ve et entame une marche de 20 minutes pour rejoindre ses plantations, saluant au passage d'autres agriculteurs qui partent aux champs. Une fois sur place, Tokasa se met ? d?sherber et ? travailler ses cultures. Il faut profiter au maximum de ces quelques heures de fra?cheur, avant que les rayons implacables du soleil ne sonnent l'heure de la pause du petit-d?jeuner. Voil? une sc?ne champ?tre comme on en rencontre souvent en Oc?anie, ? une diff?rence pr?s : Tokasa est une jeune femme ?g?e de 22 ans ? peine. Originaire de Sabeto, elle a choisi de se lancer dans l'agriculture, et plus pr?cis?ment dans la production biologique de papayes. En savoir plus La Nouvelle Cal?donie essaime dans le Pacifique sa r?glementation sur les OGM Le Pacifique est compos? de nombreuses ?les, dont la grande majorit? constituent des ?tats ind?pendants. La plupart de ces territoires sont fortement d?pendants des importations de denr?es alimentaires en provenance principalement d'Australie, d'Asie et des USA, o? les cultures d'OGM sont d?j? bien install?es, et aussi -plus inqui?tant - d'importation massive de semences. D?s lors, comment ces territoires peuvent-ils encadrer les OGM sans avoir ? se passer d'importations indispensables ? leur ?conomie ? La Nouvelle-Cal?donie r?fl?chit ? un tel cadre juridique, en passe d'?tre d?finitivement adopt?, et cherche ? inspirer d'autres territoires qui se trouvent dans une situation similaire. En savoir plus Photo gracieuset? STOP OGM Pacifique Un r?seau d'?change de semences ? BioCal?donia Les producteurs souhaitant produire selon la Norme Oc?anienne d'Agriculture Biologique doivent utiliser des semences et des plants biologiques de qualit? et de vari?t?s appropri?es. Pour faciliter l'acc?s ? de telles semences, un r?seau d'?changes de semences a r?cemment ?t? mis en place ? Biocal?donia.. Il existe pour l'instant un faible choix en semences biologiques localement. Le co?t de cette semence est important et les taux de germination sont souvent d?cevants. Le producteur se trouve face ? une impasse. Ce RES permet de mettre en commun et de pr?server la diversit? g?n?tique locale et adapt?e aux terroirs cal?doniens et permettra peut-?tre ? moyen terme au producteur de palier ? l'importation sur certaines esp?ces et vari?t?s.En savoir plus Fidji, archipel des Lau : Des rencontres sportives c?l?brent l'agriculture biologique L'?le de Cicia, dans l'archipel fidjien des Lau, a accueilli il y a peu la deuxi?me ?dition annuelle de ses ? Jeux bios ?.Plusieurs ?quipes des ?les de Vanuabalavu, de Mago, de Yacata, de Kaibu, de Nayau, de Vanuavatu et de Cicia, ainsi qu'une ?quipe venant de Savusavu, se sont retrouv?es pour disputer des comp?titions de rugby ? 7 et de netball pas comme les autres. L'?le de Cicia vient tout juste de franchir l'?tape initiale de la certification biologique. L'organisation de ces rencontres sportives visait, par cons?quent, ? encourager les communaut?s ? se lancer dans l'agriculture biologique. Pour pouvoir participer, les joueurs devaient en effet mettre en terre un certain nombre de plants, et l'op?ration a port? ses fruits, puisqu'une quantit? importante de v?g?taux ont ainsi ?t? plant?s. Ce projet b?n?ficie du concours financier du Fonds international de d?veloppement agricole (FIDA) et est ex?cut? par la Communaut? oc?anienne pour l'agriculture biologique et le commerce ?thique (POETCom, dont les bureaux sont implant?s au sein du Secr?tariat g?n?ral de la Communaut? du Pacifique [CPS]), en collaboration avec le minist?re fidjien de l'Agriculture.En savoir plus Rejoignez la POETCom d?s maintenant et contribuez ? b?tir un avenir durable !La Communaut? oc?anienne pour l'agriculture biologique et le commerce ?thique (POETCom) entre dans une nouvelle phase de d?veloppement et appelle toutes les parties int?ress?es, y compris ses membres fondateurs, ses sympathisants et ses partenaires, ? pr?senter une demande d'adh?sion officielle....Demande d'adh?sion La pr?sente publication a ?t? r?alis?e avec l'aide de l'Union europ?enne. Son contenu engage uniquement la responsabilit? de la POETCom et ne peut en aucun cas ?treinterpr?t? comme refl?tant le point de vue de CPS, FIDA, ou le l'Union europ?enne. -------------- next part --------------An HTML attachment was scrubbed...URL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image014.pngType: image/pngSize: 42734 bytesDesc: image014.pngURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image004.pngType: image/pngSize: 321 bytesDesc: image004.pngURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image007.pngType: image/pngSize: 139144 bytesDesc: image007.pngURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image019.jpgType: image/jpegSize: 7968 bytesDesc: image019.jpgURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image001.jpgType: image/jpegSize: 6651 bytesDesc: image001.jpgURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image003.jpgType: image/jpegSize: 3930 bytesDesc: image003.jpgURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image005.jpgType: image/jpegSize: 7514 bytesDesc: image005.jpgURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image006.jpgType: image/jpegSize: 6210 bytesDesc: image006.jpgURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image009.jpgType: image/jpegSize: 6368 bytesDesc: image009.jpgURL:

From: Hillol Sobhan [mailto:Hillol.Sobhan at actionaid.org] Sent: Thursday, 10 July 2014 6:38 PMTo: ALL AAI RESILIENT LIVELIHOODS TEAM; Communities of practice KCP1; Communities of practice KCP2; Ahmed Borhan AFSN; Amirul Islam; Boramey Hun; Byomkesh Kumar. lal; DAMAAN; Mahajabin Khan; Nasir Aziz; Rachana Bunn; Rafiqul Islam; Ratan Sarkar; SAAG; Shahidul Islam; Thanh Phuong CCRD; Tran Van Tuan; Aquiles D?valos; Beatr?z Pareja AIPE-ASASAN; Colombia AeA Mar?a Isabel Cer?n; Colombia Agrosolidaria Mario Bonilla; Ecuador AeA Enrique Barriga ; Ecuador Colectivo OSC Roberto Gortaire; Marco Pe?aranda Su?rez ASASAN-AIPE; Mar?a Luisa Mart?nez AeA; Paraguay AeA Victor Gallo; Paraguay Red Rural ONG Pedro Peralta; Per? AeA Mar?a del Carmen Parrado; Per? Confederaci?n Nacional Agraria Antol?n Hu?scar; Agnes Kirabo VEDCO; Bebettie Juwayeyi CISANET; CCRDA Gebremedhin; Fredrick Kawooya; Ken Matekenya; Lemma Belay; Shewaye Hirpa CCRDA; Tamani CISANET; Tamani2; Tsegaw Lencha; Yilma Muluken; Cesar Diaz AA Guatemala; Claudia Diaz ASONOG Honduras; Leonardo Pe?a REDCASSAN; Luis Moran; Manuel Salvador D?az Medina Nicaragua; Reina Rodriguez REDCASSAN; Aguinaldo David PONGs Cape Verde; Belarmino Jelembi Adra Angola; Elia Henriques; Joana Dias; Marcia Cossa; Miguel de Barros RESSAN-GB; Paulo Rangel ROSA-ATAP; RESCSAN-STP; Tomane Camara RESSAN-GB; Diery Gaye2005; Comms WAFSN Dabire Evariste; Faburama Fofana Gambia; FoodSPAN Ghana; Manon Parnaudeau SOS Sahel; Marius Dia CNCR; Momodouwuri Jallow; Nanan Gmail; Remi Hemeryck SOS Sahel; ROSSAD; Saka Parfait; Zakaria Sambakhe; SOS Finance Ismael Ouedraogo; SOS Sahel Adama Director; Salifou Ouedraogo; Stephen caleb Opuni; Yakubu Iddrisu; Zakaria Nanan; Angelica FIAN; Cecile Leuba; Abdelhamid Zammouri Remadel Tunisia; Agus Ruli Ardiansyah PSI Indonesia; Akylbek Rakaev KSBA Kyrgyzstan; Alessandra Costas Lunas CONTAG Brazil; Anaru Fraser Indian Treaty Council NZ; Andre Leu IFOAM Australia; Ashley von Anrep; Chris Leather; Christina Schiavoni Why Hunger USA; Davinder Lamba Habitat Kenya; Djibo Bagna ROPPA Niger; Elisabeth Atangana PAFO Cameroon; Erminsu Iv?n David Pab?n Instituto Mayor Campesino Colombia; Fatimatou Hima Niger; Francisco Guerrera ATC Nicaragua; George Dixon Fernandez; Gertrude Kenyangi SWAGEN Uganda; Henry Saragih; Jill Carr-Harris Ekta Parishad India; Jorge Stanley Icaza (Mani) Indigenous Caucus Panama; Judith Hitchman Urgenci Ireland France; Kalissa Regier La Via Canada; Kimera Henry Richard; Lalji Desai WAMIP India; Luca Bianchi CSM Secretariat; Luca Chinotti Oxfam Italy; Luis Gilberto Ruiz La Via Paraguay; Margaret Nakato Fish Uganda; Maria Noel Salgado MAELA Uruguay; Marlene D. Ramirez Asia DHHRA Philippines; Ibrahim Coulibaly; Muhammad Ali Shah; Natalia Landivar FIAN Ecuador; Razan Zuayter Arab Group Jordan; Safouratou Moussa Niger; Saoudata Aboubacrine Indigenous Caucus Mali; Sarojeni Rengam PANAP Malaysia; Stineke Oenema CONCORD The Netherlands; Svetlana Boincean IUF Moldova; Ujjaini Halim India; Wilhelm Schuster EcoRuralis Romania; Alberta Guerra; Emily Mattheisen; Faris Ahmed; Franciso Guerrero; Javier Sanchez; Karim Akrout; Michael Croft; Shalmali Guttal; Stephen Hazelman; Svetlana Boincean; Zoila BustamenteCc: Ruchi Tripathi; Aftab Alam; IFSN core teamSubject: FW: [Right to Food Forum] Online Discussion "Legal developments in the progressive realization of the right to adequate food" - Reply by 11.07.2014 FYI.English: http://www.fao.org/fsnforum/righttofood/ Espa?ol: http://www.fao.org/fsnforum/righttofood/es Fran?ais: http://www.fao.org/fsnforum/righttofood/fr From: Right to Food Distribution List [mailto:RTF-News-L at LISTSERV.FAO.ORG] On Behalf Of RighttofoodSent: Wednesday, July 9, 2014 7:21 PMTo: RTF-News-L at LISTSERV.FAO.ORGSubject: [Right to Food Forum] Online Discussion "Legal developments in the progressive realization of the right to adequate food" - Reply by 11.07.2014 Online Discussion: "Legal developments in the progressive realization of the right to adequate food"Until 11 July 2014Digest n.1 How to participateSend your contribution to righttofood at fao.org or post it on theRight to Food Forum website Dear Right to Food Supporters, Please find below the contributions received to the discussion Legal developments in the progressive realization of the right to adequate food . The facilitators present a working paper which explores legal advances of the right to food in constitutions, framework laws, and sectoral laws of different countries. ? Are you aware of specific examples that illustrate an implicit constitutional of the right to food in a broader human right? ? Are there any FSN framework laws or sectoral laws where the right to food is an important element, not included in the working paper? Read the topic online We would also like to inform you that there is a new online discussion that you could be interested in: Renew the commitment: Ten-Year Retrospective on the Right to Food Guidelines What can we learn from the first 10 years of implementation to get better for the future? Contributions to this discussion will be used to enrich the draft synthesis report on current trends and challenges to realize the right to food which will be discussed at the next Committe on World Food Security (CFS) session in October this year. Read the topic online. To participate please register to the FSN Forum here. Contributions received:Dilberto Trujillo Dussan, R?seau International des Droits Humains, SwitzerlandEl derecho a una alimentaci?n adecuada pasa por el derecho al acceso a la producci?n. Algunas normas locales que han aprobado algunos pa?ses para cumplir con los acuerdos de los TLC (Tratados de Libre Comercio) en el sentido de prohibir la producci?n de semillas aut?ctonas o locales atenta contra una adecuada alimentaci?n de las familias campesinas y pobres de ?stos pa?ses. [...]> Read the contribution Rajeev Bharathan, Foundation for Health, IndiaOne of the most dehumanizing aspects of living in the modern world is experiencing chronic hunger. Some eight hundred and forty two million (one in eight of the world's population) go to bed hungry every night. Many of them are children, for whom early hunger leaves a lifelong legacy of cognitive and physical impairment [...] > Read the contribution Franz Erwin Oberarzbacher, MexicoFor the discussion in the Forum, I am pleased to send you three contributions (in Spanish) regarding the Right to Food: The first one approaches the right to food as a complex social right that hast to be disaggregated so to understand its implications more properly: a right not only to receive food (when it is really needed) and not only not to be hungry, but also one that requires certain regulation in all the productive chain: production, distribution and consumption. [...]> Read the contribution www.fao.org/fsnforum/righttofood CONTACT US ? DISCLAIMER ________________________________To unsubscribe from the RTF-News-L list, click the following link:https://listserv.fao.org/cgi-bin/wa?TICKET=NzM1NDUzIGhpbGxvbC5zb2JoYW5AQUNUSU9OQUlELk9SRyBSVEYtTkVXUy1MIPgQTmdLAu64&c=SIGNOFF -------------- next part --------------An HTML attachment was scrubbed...URL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image001.pngType: image/pngSize: 24621 bytesDesc: image001.pngURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image002.pngType: image/pngSize: 386 bytesDesc: image002.pngURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image003.pngType: image/pngSize: 1270 bytesDesc: image003.pngURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image004.pngType: image/pngSize: 14431 bytesDesc: image004.pngURL: -------------- next part --------------A non-text attachment was scrubbed...Name: image005.pngType: image/pngSize: 3519 bytesDesc: image005.pngURL:

http://www.dailyexaminer.com.au/news/mororo-farmer-helps-mel-gibsons-fijian-island-gain/2312441/Michael Smith Dip.Ag.OrgPrincipalOrganic Matters Foundationmike at organicmatters.org.auhttp://organicmatters.org.aumob +61 428102015 ( Australia)skype mike.smith.4121B-uilding L-ongterm E-cologically S-ustainable S-olutions-------------- next part --------------An HTML attachment was scrubbed...URL:

From: addnvalueforyou at palaunet.com [mailto:addnvalueforyou at palaunet.com] Sent: Friday, 11 July 2014 9:34 AMTo: Karen L. Mapusua; Stephen Hazelman; Sant Kumar (NWC)Subject: Fw: Pest Management for Sustainable Season Extension Dear Karen and Steve, May be of help to some of our members. Best, Bob-- --- Original Message ----- From: Sean McGovern To: addnvalueforyou at palaunet.com Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2014 11:48 PMSubject: Pest Management for Sustainable Season Extension Having trouble viewing this email? Click here Add sare at sare.org to your address book to be sure we'll land in your inbox! You may unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our emails. Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Advancing innovations in sustainable agriculture since 1988 Join us! Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter ________________________________Grants | Project Reports | Learning Center | Professional Development | State Programs Events | Newsroom | About SARE | WebStore ________________________________ Pest Management for Sustainable Season Extension Having trouble with pests in your greenhouses and high tunnels? Interested in learning more about using biological control to manage them? Read SARE's new fact sheet, Sustainable Pest Management in Greenhouses and High Tunnels , to learn how beneficial insects can protect crops in season-extending structures and enhance the sustainability of your operation. Download the fact sheet now . SARE-funded researchers at Cornell University found that with a combination of controls, greenhouse and high tunnel pests could be managed effectively and, in some cases, eradicated. Highlights of 23 New York case studies include the development of an effective combination of parasitic wasps (Aphidius colemani and Aphidius ervi) to eradicate an aphid infestation on winter greens and peppers. And predatory mites (Amblyeius cucumeris) used in conjunction with minute pirate bugs (Orius insidiosus) helped eradicate thrips on cucumbers. Researchers also found that the two-spotted spider mite was effectively managed by applying a parasitic mite (Phytoseiulus persimilis) on eggplant and strawberries. The Nile Delta wasp (Encarsia formosa) helped manage, and in some instances, even eradicate whiteflies on tomatoes. The fact sheet includes an introduction to biological control, along with colorful photos that can be used to identify pests and their associated crop damage. It also provides specific how-to information on scouting for pests along with detailed release information, including optimal temperature, quantity of natural enemies and timing of release relative to pest populations. Management strategies for control agents, such as predatory mites and parasitic wasps, and a supply list for obtaining biological control agents are also found in the fact sheet. Download the fact sheet now . ________________________________ Grants | Project Reports | Learning Center | Professional Development | State Programs Events | Newsroom | About SARE | WebStore ________________________________ Distributed by SARE Outreach for the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture- National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) . SARE's mission is to advance - to the whole of American agriculture - innovations that improve profitability, stewardship and quality of life by investing in groundbreaking research and education. SARE Outreach operates under cooperative agreements with the University of Maryland to develop and disseminate information about sustainable agriculture. Archives Forward email This email was sent to addnvalueforyou at palaunet.com by sare at sare.org | Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe ? | Privacy Policy . SARE | 1122 Patapsco Building | University of Maryland | College Park | MD | 20742-6715 -------------- next part --------------An HTML attachment was scrubbed...URL:

From: Anju Mangal Sent: Saturday, 12 July 2014 2:00 AMSubject: [Pacific Islands Forum Update] - 2014 Forum Economic Ministers Action Plan 2014 Forum Economic Ministers Action Plan FORUM ECONOMIC MINISTERS MEETINGHeritage Park HotelHoniara, Solomon Islands10 July, 20142014 FORUM ECONOMIC MINISTERS ACTION PLANThe eighteenth meeting of the Forum Economic Ministers was held in Honiara, Solomon Islands on 10 July, 2014. This was preceded by Forum Economic Officials Meeting on 8-9 July, 2014. The Forum Economic Ministers Meeting (FEMM) was officially opened by the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, Honourable Gordon Darcy Lilo.2. The following Forum Member Countries were represented: Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. FEMM Observer representatives were from the Asian Development Bank, European Union, Food and Agriculture Organisation, Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Centre, Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation, Secretariat of the Pacific Community, South Pacific Tourism Organisation, United Nations Development Programme, University of the South Pacific, and the World Bank Group.3. Ministers noted the important role of FEMM in realising the opportunities for progressing economic development through strengthening sectoral linkages. The theme of the 2014 FEMM was ?Strengthening Economic Linkages?.State of the Region 4. Ministers noted the short to medium term economic growth prospects of the region and the update and progress of the Pacific Plan Review and its possible implications for consideration of Economic Ministers.5. Ministers noted the update provided by Samoa on the upcoming SIDS meeting in September this year and the update from Australia on the G20 issues and Australia?s Presidency in 2014 focussing on promoting strong sustainable and balanced global growth and making the global economy more resilient. Furthermore, Ministers considered the promotion of the private sector, especially SMEs, in the global economy.Options for Improving Tourism and Agriculture Linkages6. Ministers tasked South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) to work with relevant CROP agencies and the private sector to develop a multi-country tourist package for FICs to promote regional benefits.7. Ministers supported a regional marketing initiative highlighting tourism operators offering truly Pacific ?cuisine experiences? and training of chefs to develop menus that incorporate more local ingredients.8. Ministers called for the introduction of low interest loan products and risk reduction mechanisms to facilitate investment in labour saving and off-season production technologies to improve supply, consistency and quality of local agricultural and fisheries sector that would improve the cuisine experience associated with FIC tourism.9. Ministers considered product development (including marketing and feasibility studies) and related capacity building for the tourism and cruise-ship industry in FICs.10. Ministers agreed to implement during 2014 and/or early 2015 regional collaboration mechanisms to increase local content in the cruise ship tourism sector, such as purchase of locally produced food, beverages and handicrafts items and maximising economic benefits by supporting the development of a harmonised regional cruise ship policy and regulatory framework.Economic Empowerment of Women Initiatives and Opportunities in the Tourism Sector11. Ministers agreed to implement policies that support the Pacific Leaders Gender Equality Declaration, and national plans on women?s economic empowerment and specifically in relation to tourism, and committed to:i. Removing barriers to women?s employment including discriminatory pay and conditions;ii. Supporting the improvement of facilities and governance of local markets to improve the safety of women entrepreneurs;iii. Targeting support for women entrepreneurs through improved access to financial services and productive resources; andiv. Supporting measures that promote women?s professional development in non-stereotyped work such as management, engineering, ICT, resource management.12. Ministers supported the 2013 Women?s Ministerial Recommendation which ?urged FEMM to identify investment opportunities for women?s employment and women SMEs and entrepreneurs in all regional and national tourism strategies and plans, and called on PICTs, with support from development partners, to invest in these areas.?13. Ministers agreed to continue supporting improved legislation for the protection of women migrant workers, the prevention of the sexual exploitation of women, and the removal of discriminatory practices such as unequal wage and sexual harassment and called on the SPTO and relevant development partners to undertake detailed national research into the gender dimensions of the tourism industry, including sourcing relevant gender statistics, with a view to documenting the key opportunities and challenges, including discriminatory barriers facing women working and participating as entrepreneurs in the sector, and making recommendations for the mainstreaming of gender into tourism development.Climate Change Financing 14. Ministers encouraged development partners to support the implementation of key recommendations from the Climate Change Finance Assessment of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and requested donors and development partners to support the Forum Secretariat with additional resources, in collaboration with other CROP agencies and partners, to undertake similar national climate change finance assessments in other Forum Island Countries.15. Ministers tasked the Forum Secretariat to coordinate with the Green Climate Fund Secretariat on implementation of the readiness activities, in collaboration with relevant CROP agencies, and facilitate member country nominations for national designated authorities to access Green Climate Fund readiness support.16. Ministers requested that the Forum Secretariat in conjunction with other partners continue to explore further the feasibility of facilitating private sector investment in climate change projects in the Pacific and report to relevant fora including the next FEMM.17. Ministers reiterated that Climate Change Finance be considered in financial management and development effectiveness assessment and strengthening processes, aligned with agreed bilateral/multilateral priorities, such as the Forum Compact process and the development of medium term fiscal frameworks; and urged donors to detail their climate change finance pledges and means of disbursement to Forum Island Countries to ensure predictability for FICs in planning and accessing these funding. It may be included through the Annual Reporting by Development Partners under the Forum Compact where appropriate.18. Ministers encouraged donors and development partners to support the ongoing joint CROP efforts in supporting countries to effectively access climate change financing and reiterated Forum Island Countries? preference for using national systems and modalities for the disbursement of Climate Change Finance.19. Ministers supported the national development of a prospectus of prioritised projects to facilitate in accessing Climate Change Funds and tasked PIFS in collaboration with ADB to coordinate this.Pacific Catastrophe Risk Insurance Pilot20. Ministers endorsed the continuation of the Pacific Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance Programme with due regard to national priorities and called on the World Bank to review and urgently look at ways and means for concessional financing to support the continuation of the Pacific Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance Programme, particularly using regional IDA funds to support this initiative and proposing options for high-income countries in the region.21. Ministers requested the World Bank, in collaboration with insurance companies, to re-consider the specific payment triggers of the Pacific Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance Programme, in particular to increase flexibility of payments triggers to improve accessibility of FICs to payouts in event of high economic impact of natural disasters.22. Ministers requested the World Bank to continue and strengthen a post-Disaster Finance Facility for FICs through the Pacific Resilience Programme if the Pacific Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance Pilot Programme is discontinued.Private Sector Development Issues23. Ministers welcomed the enhanced Private Sector Dialogue involving Economic Officials, Ministers and Leaders and requested the Forum Secretariat to develop a process in consultation with members for effective engagement at both meetings.24. Ministers requested the Forum Secretariat to work with Private Sector Representatives and members to develop a robust monitoring and evaluation mechanism that can track the success of the dialogue with FEMM and Forum Leaders.25. Ministers encouraged countries to discuss with their Private Sector measures to address delayed payments.26. Ministers urged FICs to undertake broader public administration reforms to introduce efficiency in the payment, compliance and refunds processes.27. Ministers considered a review of the investment and business development incentives to make them more attractive and comprehensive, with transparent, targeted and time bound incentives schemes. Such schemes should be monitored to ensure that they contribute directly to economic growth and to avoid abuses.28. Ministers considered developing policies aimed at supporting exporters and further strengthening the Pacific Islands Trade & Investment network to improve effective marketing of Pacific islands products and services overseas.29. Given the seriousness of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in the region, and their consequences on the private sector, Ministers urged to invest in effective mechanisms that seek behavioural changes, through awareness campaigns and public education.30. Ministers encouraged development partners to utilise procurement mechanisms that provide increased opportunities for local private sector operators.31. Ministers encouraged member countries to exchange private sector knowledge and expertise on strengthening economic development, particularly with regards to tourism.Access to Finance and Financial Infrastructure Development32. Ministers expressed grave concern on the closure of Money Transfer Operators (MTOs) and called for action by relevant institutions to resolve this issue. Ministers noted that the competition from MTOs has brought about a considerable reduction in the cost of remittances after much effort, and it would be of concern if a reduction in competition resulted in an increase in the cost of remittances.33. Ministers supported the current work of Pacific Central Bank Governors, supported by the Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Centre and Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme.34. Ministers requested Australia and New Zealand to consider ways to address the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Acts? unintended negative effects on remittances, and the direct impact they is having on the people across the Pacific.35. Ministers called on the World Bank to raise this crucial issue with the Ministers of Finance of the G20 in collaboration with the Australian Presidency of G20, and identify innovative solutions to tackle this issue for the FICs.36. Ministers requested Australia to stringently enforce the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Acts without contributing to the closure of MTOs which are an important source of low-cost remittance inflows for the FICs.37. Ministers supported the work of New Zealand?s cross-government agencies working group which is looking at the closure of the Money Transfer Operators and encourage FICs to furnish information to this working group in relation to the closure of MTOs.38. Ministers noted the possible impacts on remittance flows caused by the recent closures of MTO bank accounts. While anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) regulations appear to be one factor contributing to this problem. In addition, Ministers also noted that other factors have also been identified by the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion.39. Ministers noted that Australia highlighted that this is a serious issue for Pacific island countries, and that it is working through a number of approaches to gain a better understanding of what is causing the MTO account closures. These include: working with the G20 Development Working Group; progressing Australia?s review of its AML/CTF regime (to be completed in 2015); and participating in the Financial Action Task Force?s mutual evaluation of Australia?s AML/CTF regime. New Zealand also noted that it is looking at this issue as the incoming Chair of the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering.40. Ministers agreed to engage with the relevant institutions on banking and financial matters. Ministers requested that the outcomes of the Annual meeting of South Pacific Central Bank Governors be tabled at FEMM for the information of Ministers.Public Financial Management41. Ministers endorsed the Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Centre?s approach for greater PIC staff involvement in preparing and owning Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability Assessment and Public Financial Management Roadmaps.42. Ministers encouraged the Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Centre to continue supporting and assisting countries with ongoing tax and non-tax reforms.43. Ministers supported development and implementation of the Tax Administration Diagnostic Assessment Tool and future Tax Administration Reform Roadmaps that may subsequently be developed taking into account country-specific context.Forum Compact and Development Cooperation 44. Ministers noted the key highlights of the 2014 Pacific Regional Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Tracking Report and supported the proposed SDG goal on economic growth and the issues covered in the proposed targets but called for the consolidation of targets to ensure effective implementation in tracking progress, particularly for FICs with limited resources and capacity constraints, including in the area of statistics.45. Ministers acknowledged the supportive role and efforts of Forum Leaders, FIC Government Officials and Development Partners in the successful completion of all FIC Peer Reviews by November 2013 and pledged to continue to take an active role and collaborate with development partners in supporting coherent implementation of Peer Review recommendations to further improve development coordination efforts in the region.46. Ministers welcomed the initiative by Australia and New Zealand to be peer reviewed and encouraged other development partners to volunteer and/or participate in the peer review processes for development partners, and directed the Secretariat to expedite the peer review process of development partners and report back on results of the first development partner peer reviews at the next meeting of FEMM.47. Ministers supported the ongoing South-South Attachment programme amongst FICs for practical learning and support for the implementation of peer review recommendations.48. Ministers recognised and supported the role of the National Sustainable Development Strategy (NSDS) Partnership group in assisting countries address the integrated nature of national sustainable development planning to ensure effective linkages between national development plans, sector and Ministry business plans, budgets, aid and performance management systems, and requested a report at the next FEMM on the key outputs of the NSDS Partnership group.Regional Statistics Initiative49. Ministers noted the progress SPC has made on the compilation of international merchandise trade statistics and agreed to support the new Pacific Trade database by the upgrading of the Information Technology Systems used by Customs Departments and the electronic link between Customs Departments and National Statistical Offices for data transfer.50. Ministers supported actions to improve coordination between Technical Assistance providers and users of statistics.51. Ministers requested SPC to improve time between survey data collection and drafting of final reports in coordination with National Statistics Offices, such as Household and Income Expenditure Survey, and to build capacity of National Statistics Offices on interpreting and analysing data for economic policy analysis.Update on the Pacific Aviation Safety Office (PASO)52. Australia emphasised the need for continued support for the Pacific Aviation Safety Office (PASO) to ensure that the organisation becomes a sustainable and viable aviation safety and security regulatory body in the Pacific. Australia highlighted the progress made since the 2013 FEMM to strengthen the operations of PASO, including the appointment of Roy Barnett as PASO Manager and Senior Technical Coordinator. So as to put PASO on a more financially sustainable footing, Australia encouraged member states to make their annual subscription payments and resolve the backlog of payments owing to PASO.Proposal for a Pacific Economic Forum and Arrangements for 2015 FEMM 53. Ministers noted and supported the Forum Leaders? decision at their Special Leaders? Retreat on 5 May for options to be identified for rationalising the number of Forum-related meetings to ensure that the time and resources of regional officials and Ministers are optimised. Ministers agreed that the proposal for a Pacific Economic Forum should be considered in the context of the rationalisation of regional meetings.54. Ministers considered the frequency of FEMM and agreed that FEMM should be convened annually.55. Ministers endorsed the restructuring of the 2015 FEMM to focus on two or three key issues and promote deeper technical discussion on economic and fiscal issues and supported the theme for 2015 FEMM to be based on the development of and engagement with the Private Sector.56. Ministers thanked the Government and the People of Solomon Islands for the excellent arrangements for the 2014 FEMM.57. Ministers noted that the next FEMM will be held in Cook Islands in 2015, at a date to be determined. The 2016 FEMM will be held in Tuvalu.58. Ministers acknowledged with gratitude the contribution and support of the Secretary General, Tuiloma Neroni Slade, to the FEMM during his tenure. They wished him well in his future endeavours.Pacific Islands Forum SecretariatHoniara, Solomon Islands10 July 2014If you have been forwarded this message. You can subscribe to receive updates on our website www.forumsec.org .If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here. Home | Sitemap | Contact Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Copyright & Disclaimer -------------- next part --------------An HTML attachment was scrubbed...URL:

From: CSM Secretariat [mailto:cso4cfs at gmail.com] Sent: Saturday, 12 July 2014 12:48 AMTo: undisclosed-recipients:Subject: A kind reminder: CALL FOR ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS / LLAMAMIENTO A MIEMBROS ACTIVOS / APPEL POUR UNE PARTICIPATION ACTIVE "CALL FOR ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN CSM WORKING GROUPS ON FISHERIES AND FOOD LOSSES AND WASTE" Dear CSM'ers, Preparations are underway for the 41st session of the Committee on World Food Security (13-18 October, 2014), and the CSM needs your expertise! One of the principal activities of CFS plenary sessions are the Policy Roundtables, which aim to support the promotion of greater policy convergence and coordination. The main objective of these roundtables are to arrive at concrete policy recommendations for consideration by the Committee. This year, the two policy roundtables will be on: 1.Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for food security and nutrition2.Food losses and waste in the context of sustainable food systems In 2012, the CFS mandated the High Level Panel of Experts to conduct research on these two important topics, the recommendations of which will be one of the main inputs into the policy roundtable discussions and drafting of decisions. Please see below links for the summaries and recommendations for both HLPE reports, and the full report (EN only) for the Fisheries report. Another important aspect of preparations for the roundtables are the formation of CFS Decision Box Task Teams. These task teams are made up of interested CFS members, including civil society in order to draft the "decision box" to be presented and negotiated during the CFS roundtable sessions. The timeline for these meetings are as follows: (1) Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture for Food Security and NutritionHLPE report launch: Friday 13 June 9:30-12:30 (Green Room)Task Team meeting #1: Wednesday 25 June 14:30-17:30 (FAO HQs, Lebanon Room)Task Team meeting #2: Wednesday 16 July 14:30-17:30 (FAO HQs, Lebanon Room)(2) Food Losses and Waste in the context of Sustainable Food SystemsHLPE report launch: Thursday 3 July 14:30-17:30 (Red Room)Task Team meeting #1: Tuesday 15 July 9:30-12:30 (FAO HQs, Lebanon Room)Task Team meeting #2: Tuesday 22 July 14:30-17:30 (FAO HQs, Philippines Room) In order to fully engage in these CFS processes and discussions, the CSM is establishing two policy worki