Philippines: Asean leaders urged to put welfare of poor farmers in agenda

Advocates for environmental protection and safe agricultural practices have called leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to come up with concrete policies that are protective of the interest of and welfare of the small farmers in the Asian region.

Neth Dano, associate of the international advocacy group Third World Network (TWN), said that the region lacks policies and programs that give marginalized farmers the most needed protection amidst the adverse impacts caused by transnational companies involved in monoculture plantations such as pineapples, bananas, oil palms and commercial crops that have replaced indigenous varieties and food crops traditionally grown by local communities.

Asean member countries are now gathering in Singapore for their annual Summit and a host of other summits such as the East Asian Economic Summit and the Asean Business and Investment Summit. A parallel conference among civil society groups from the region was also conducted first week of Nov. where at least nine national farmers’ organizations from eight countries tackled the issues confronting them, particularly the intensive and oppressive operations of transnational corporations.

Dano’s TWN, along with the Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) and the Interface Development Interventions, Inc. (Idis), among others, attended the civil society gathering.

“The current trends in agricultural development in the Philippines are reflective of the situation in neighboring countries like Malaysia and Indonesia where poor small farmers lose access to land because of intensive and rapid developments in agribusiness being pushed by transnational companies,” Dano said.

Because of this, the more that the small farmers, with no equal opportunities and access to resources and technology, are put aside in a depressing situation while transnational companies enjoy the benefits of being the major player.

Muhammad Nuruddin, executive committee member of the Asian Farmers Association and secretary general of the Aliansi Petani Indonesia , also said that the growing trend of monoculture and corporate-led farming in the region is only making farmers poorer, apart from the destruction that it leaves to the rural heritage and culture of agricultural communities.

“Even if agriculture remains to be a vital sector in most ASEAN economies, we, small men and women farmers and producers, who form the majority of the people dependent on agriculture, are still poor,” said Nuruddin.

“Our poverty is mainly caused not by poor or weak trading, but by unequal distribution of resources, small subsistence farmers’ lack of access to economic opportunities and our poor participation in decision-making processes,” Nuruddin added.

Nuruddin said that poverty is noted to be highest and most widespread in the rural areas of country members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, evidently shown by women farmers who do 50 percent or more of the agricultural works in almost all crops.

“With less income in their pockets, there is less money for food, health, and education of the whole family,” he said.
The current integration of agriculture in Asean-member countries, he said, has not benefited small men and women farmers. Only big agricultural business and transnational companies are reaping the agricultural benefits.

Agriculture continues to be a significant and sensitive sector in the economy of most Asean countries. Excluding Singapore and Brunei , the contribution of the sector to total domestic output ranged from 7.9 percent, in the case of Malaysia to as much as 50 percent in the case of Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Agriculture’ s contribution to total employment ranged from 16 percent to 78 percent. Agriculture is still a vital source of livelihood and income for the population, especially in the rural areas, Nuruddin.

“Asean agriculture policies should contribute to poverty alleviation efforts, considering that agriculture is the main employer of most of its poor people. They should not lead to displacement and should not heighten existing vulnerability within the sector. Also, the policies should consider that agriculture plays a crucial role in meeting the food security needs of a country,” Nuruddin said.

Agriculture integration, he added, must be pursued in a manner that promotes “the well-being of all, with preferential option for the poor and marginalized. It should be equitable, inclusive, sustainable, rights-based, and eventually leads to empowerment of the poor.”

Nuruddin also said that they are now consolidating and strengthening their forces for them to be heard in the local, national and regional levels as, he said, this is one way for them to keep up with the influence and power of their enemies.

“We may not be able to match the money of the big agribusiness corporations, but we can have the numbers. We can match, maybe even surpass their passion and dedication, but for us, dedication towards making trade fair and just, dedication to make agriculture still a viable and important livelihood,” he said.

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