Medium Term Cooperation Program with Farmer Organizations Phase II (MTCP II) Reflections and initiatives in South Asia Perspectives Bangkok Nov 23, 2013

South Asia: Diverse Structures – Highest Himalayas and deepest sea tranche – Hottest place (Pakistan) to cold snow deposits – Highest rainfall areas to dry deserts – Most fragile young ranges to oldest Paleozoic blocks and tectonic plates – Undulating series of ridges to vast expanse of alluvial river plains All contributing to countless ecological belts, equally facilitating diverse pattern of human livelihood

South Asia : Diversity and Challenges The oldest home for human habitation, civilization, religion and culture The home for world’s poorest of the poor The rural unorganised and unattended settlements Most vulnerable groups, indigenous communities and encroached minorities Unparalleled discriminations: Castes, gender and social hierarchies and power relations Delimited human activity resulting in small and marginal holdings – Challenge for survival

South Asia….. The home for small and marginal farmers, landless peasants, family herders, fisherfolks Limited access to resources leading to long history peasants struggles A parallel history of handful ruling class affluence and glamour at cost of majority peasants’ destitution—a legacy of mutually exclusive parallel economy Post modernism thrust for poverty eradication and 21 st century zero-hunger dream

MTCP –dissociated farmers refuse MTCP –a 21 st century novel approach of IFAD Recognition and respect of farmers and farmers organisations Farmers at the center of agriculture and food policy frameworks The capacity building and institutional strengthening of FOs- effective policy dialogue MTCP I , a success story to fill the felt- need of small and marginal farmers

MTCP II , a value add Capacity building, national platform for policy dialogue and participatory intervention in program design to implementation, major highlights of MTCP phase I (High Moral) MTCP II extends economic services to members and member organisations plus entrepreneurial inventory among small and marginal farmers and very many kinds of farm producers’ groups and organizations

The initiatives– S RIA South Asia Of the eight countries of South Asia, MTCP II covers Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka Aims to cover Bhutan, Pakistan and Afghanistan by mid-term review of 2015 National Farmers Forum in Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka already formed and near to finalise in India by second week of next month Sub-Regional program implementation through NIAs before 2013 ends

MTCP II—a farmers’ pride Activise small and marginal farmers Secure and sustainable agriculture—small farmer cools the earth obeying ecological prescriptions Food security and nutrition insured—small farmers promote local productions Rural poverty reduced, poor farmers access widened through policy intervention MTCP II upholds freedom for farmers—freedom from hunger, freedom from deprivation!

Thanks for Patience