AFA holds 4th General Assembly
After a two-day strategic planning workshop held in Ping Tung, Taiwan, AFA farmer leaders and staff crafted the broad framework for their Strategic Plan for 2011-2015. Highlights of the workshop included an analysis of AFA’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT), a review of its progress vis-a-vis its strategic objectives over the last five years (2006-2010), as well as its mission, vision, goals, and 8-point peasant agenda (now 9-point peasant agenda).
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FNN Representatives Attend Investment Forum for Food Security in Asia and Pacific
July 04-10, 2010,
From July 7-9, 2010, FNN President Mr. Uon Sophal, FNN Managing Director Mr. Pan Sopheap, and Mr. Lim Sokun Darun, CEDAC staff member, attended the Investment Forum for Food Security in Asia and Pacific, which was held at the headquarters of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila, Philippines. Hundreds of policymakers, development experts, and public and private sector representatives participated in this forum.
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FNN provincial network meeting to strengthen the district structure
June 29, 2010,
FNN and CEDAC, under the support of the Civil Society and Pro-Poor Market (CSPPM) project, organized a district network meeting at Dantung district, Kampot province. There were 30 farmer representatives (9 women) and 6 FNN field assistants from 7 districts who participated in this meeting. Dr. Yang Saing Koma, president of CEDAC, and Mr. Ourn Sophal, the president of FNN, facilitated the meeting. The meeting agenda focused on a review of the activities of farmer organizations in all 7 districts and how to strengthen the district structure. The meeting discussed also the activities to promote the System of Rice Intensification in the wet season 2010, including experimentation with raised beds and zero-tillage techniques.
The current structure of the FNN in Kampot province consists of 132 village-based farmer associations and 8800 individual farmer members. The associations are able to mobilize around 1600 million riel of saving capital for lending to their members.
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AFA holds 4th General Assembly
April 25, 2010
The Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA), has been holding its Fourth General Assembly, with the theme “Sustaining our Gains, Nourishing our Work” from April 20-23 at the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) in Taiwan. There were around 30 participants from 8 countries in Asia as members and observers of AFA (Taiwan, Indonesia, Korea, Philippine, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan). 3 FNN participants took part in the great event, whom included FNN president, Mr. Uon Sophal, Mrs. Khuon Sey, Treasurer, and Executive Director, Pan Sopheap. The event has been hosted by the Taiwan Wax Apple Development Association (TWADA) in cooperation with NPUST.
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La Via Campesina press conference
April 21, 2010
(Cochabamba, April 21 2010) The international peasant movement La Via Campesina held a press conference on April 21 at the Peoples’ World Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth. The Peoples’ Conference is being held from April 19 thru 22, and was organized by the Bolivian government in order to build an agenda to combat climate change.
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Orientation Workshop on Preparation to Restructure FNN
February 23-26, 2010
With organizing assistances and funding support from CEDAC, the Farmer and Nature Net (FNN) and rural young agro-entrepreneurs (YAE) successfully conducted four introductory workshops on the preparation to restructure FNN in 2010 from February 23–26, 2010. The four workshops were done in Bati and Samrong districts (Takeo province) and in Kong Pisey and Boseth districts (Kampong Speu province), where 91 participants (whom 18 were females) attended. Among them were included farmer leaders of associations/clusters, young farmer community leaders, CEDAC staff and FNN representatives. Mr. Pan Sopheap, FNN Director, and Mr. Uon Sophal, FNN president, were co-facilitators and resource persons of the workshops. Main objective of the workshops aimed to introduce a long term strategic plan of FNN in preparation to establish its district networks.
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FNN Representative Participate in Forum on Promoting Gender Equality in Livelihood
February 24, 2010
FNN representative, Ms. Khuon Sey, accompanied by Mr. Meas Somica, CEDAC staff, participated in women forum on promoting gender equality in livelihood in Bangkok, Thailand, which organized by Oxfam GB.
There were 31 participants (included 21 women) from seven different countries attended the forum. The spirit of the forum is to promote culture of discussion and learning from each other, and start building contacts and networks to promote women's economic empowerment and leadership together, we are not able to this big job alone.
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Women's Leadership Day and Farmer's Forum
February 17, 2010
Farmer and Nature Net (FNN) is one of the members of Asian Farmers' Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) was invited to join in the Women 's Leadership Day, and Farmers' Forum in Rome, Italy, from February 11-20, 2010, which supported by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Total of participants is around 70 people from around the globe.
All participants, each session, were divided into thematic groups by continent such as Asian, South Africa, and Central Africa etc. to share about the issues confronted by women farmers in agriculture and to find out special programs, concrete activities and recommendations.
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La Via Campesina welcomes UN preliminary recognition of peasant's rights
February 12, 2010
The international peasant's movement La Via Campesina welcomes the preliminary UN recognition of the role and rights of peasants and small farmers in the world. The Fourth Session of the Advisory Committee of the UN Human Rights Council, who met in Geneva on 25-29 January 2010, adopted the report of the Advisory Committee titled “Discrimination in the Context of Right to Food” (A/HRC/AC/4/2). This report describes the marginalisation of peasants, rural women and traditional fishing, hunting, and herding communities. It also explains the work of La Via Campesina in establishing the rights of peasants and fully adopts La Via Campesina’s Declaration of Rights of Peasants, including it in the report's annexes.
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7th General Assembly of the Farmer and Nature Net
December 22, 2009
With funding support from Agriterra and the Friedrich-Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF), the Farmer and Nature Net (FNN) organized its 7th General Assembly at Trapeung Chuk village, Po Angkrang commune, Borset district in Kampong Speu Province. There were 136 people who attended this assembly, including key farmers from 11 provinces throughout Cambodia; the Chief of the Department of Agriculture Extension of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF); Provincial Department of Agriculture officers; the District Governor; commune councilors; journalists; and FNN and CEDAC staff members. The objectives of this assembly were to present and reflect on the progress and activities of FNN and to reveal the three-year strategic plan (2010-2012) of FNN.
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Workshop on Gender Dimensions in Food Security and Climate Change
October 02, 2009
The Farmer and Nature Net (FNN) organized a workshop on Gender Dimensions in Food Security and Climate Change with technical support from the Asian Farmers' Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) and a small grant from Ifad. Thirty-eight people, including 16 women, attended the workshop at the Royal Palace Hotel, Phnom Penh. Participants included members of the Security Department of the Rural Development Council of Cambodia; representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF); the Ministry of Environment; Oxfarm GB; CARITAS; researchers; representatives from AFA; and the community representatives of FNN from 11 provinces in Cambodia.
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Sharing SRI Experiences Workshop
October 03, 2009
CEDAC organized a workshop to discuss the experiences and benefits of SRI practices at the Chormpul Farmer Resource Center in the Popel commune, Tramkak district of Takeo Province. There were 41 participants from 12 districts in Takeo, Kampong Speu, Kampot and Kampong Chhnang Provinces who attended the workshop facilitated by Dr. Yang Saing Koma, CEDAC president, and Professor Norman Upoff, the guest speaker from Cornell University.
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Training the Trainers: Workshop for the Lead Farmers of Saving for Self Reliance Groups
The Farmer and Nature Net (FNN) with technical assistance from CEDAC and with the financial support from Agriterra, organized a workshop for the Lead Farmers of the Saving for Self Reliance Gruops project. The workshop was held at the CEDAC Institute for Local Development (CILD) in Phnom Penh.
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National Organic Rice Producer Meeting
With funding support from Agriterra and technical support from CEDAC, the Farmer and Nature Net (FNN) held meetings with the representatives of the National Organic Rice Producers Federation at the office of the CEDAC Institute for Local Development (CILD) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The objectives of the meeting were to reflect on the current activities of the National Organic Rice Producer groups, to strengthen the cooperation among the various communities, and to prepare strategic plans fro the upcoming harvest season.
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FNN Organizes a Local Governance Workshop to Promote Better Communication and Cooperation
September 08-09, 2009: Farmer and Nature Net (FNN), with funding support from the Friedrich-Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF) and World Bank, organized a local governance workshop on decentralizing communication between local communities and commune councils with the District Council of Dong Tung district, Kampot Province.
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CEDAC Welcomes Lower Rates from Microfinance Lenders
The Cambodian Center for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC) and the Farmer and Nature Net (FNN) are pleased to support the recent rate slashing by Microfinance Lenders in Cambodia. According to a recently published news article in the local newspaper, the Microfinance Institutions (MFI’s) have decided to reduce interest rates by up to 0.5 percent per month.
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Farmer and Natural Net Meeting
From 15-16 July 2009, Farmer and Nature Net (FNN) has organized a two-day meeting at CEDAC office with 24 national FNN management committee members, including 9 women. The participants come from 11 provinces throughout Cambodia. The main purpose of the meeting was to develop the five-year strategic plan of FNN (2009-2013).
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Study tour of Indigenous farmers to Kampot province
From May 20-22, 2009, a group of approximately 20 Indigenous Farmers (Phnong) from Agriculture Livelihood Project (ALP) in Mondulkiri province conducted a study tour to KampThe farmers visited and discussed current issues with experienced leaders of existing VFAs in Kampot province. They clearly understood the advantages of VFAs as well as the processes and methodologies required to form Village-based Farmer Associations.
It is important to note, that they also visited and held discussions with Mr. Oun Sophal, the president of Farmer and Nature Net (FNN). It was a good time for them to learn from authentic VFA key persons, whilst the role of VFAs was elaborated and actively discussed. The technical practices and applications of System of Rice Intensification (SRI) were also presented by the host farmers. CEDAC believes that there will be additional indigenous farmers applying SRI methodologies in the forthcoming rainy season.
As a result, the indigenous farmers would like to establish this kind of VFA model in the villages of Sok San commune, Koh Ngiek district, Mondulkiri province. Hopefully, Village-based Indigenous Farmer Associations will be formed after this a successful study tour.
From April 27-30, 2009, Farmer and Nature Net (FNN) hosted a visit for La Via Compesina (LVC) in Phnom Penh. Three women delegates form South Korea and Indonesia participated in this visit. The purpose of the visit was to:
- Build closer relationships and gain a better understanding between FN N and LVC
- Build the capacity of FNN's Board of Directors on global trade and farmers' issues in fighting for their interest
