1. Policy Instruments Addressing Existing Farms
Regional Facilitation Office (RFO), FAO

2. Question
What approaches and policy instruments can be implemented to effectively and efficiently reduce environmental impacts on existing farms?

3. Path 1: Environmental legislation does exist
Review of the policies in light of international standards and conventions
Partners / institutions involved
Compliance
Non compliance

4. Review of the policies Adjustments and updating
Regulatory approaches: command and control on the emissions into the air, water and soil
Economic instruments: subsidies, levies, taxes
Technology support
Capacity building
Awareness raising
Institution development / privatization
Infrastructure development

5. Review of the policies Level of compliance and enforcement
Monitoring, enforcement, institution capacity
Financial / economic incentives
Social incentives
Awareness of farmers and consumers

6. Partners / institutions involved
Government agencies
Academic agencies
Farmers
Consumers

7. Compliance What are the reasons for non-compliance?
lack of enforcement:
lack of technical capacity (staff, equipment, expertise)
lack of technical knowledge on the side of producers
regulations not communicated

8. Non compliance Review of magnitude of the problem
Review of the responsible agencies and their possibility of intervention
Strengthen agencies – issue of privatization/licensing
Provide grace and bridging period for farmers to reach compliance
Evaluate public sector support and subsidies

9. Non compliance Review of magnitude of the problems Financial problems
Institutional problems
Social problems
Other problems (i.e., political problems)

10. Non compliance
Review of the responsible agencies and their possibility of intervention
Review capacity of the government agencies
Center for assisting the farmers to comply to the environmental policy (PCD, Thailand)
Capacity of academic agencies in knowledge management in distribution
Problems of the farmers to comply with laws
Environmental awareness of the consumers

11. Non compliance
Strengthen agencies – issue of privatization / licensing
Capacity building (training of the trainers)
Financial support
Social incentives

12. Non compliance
Provide grace and bridging period for farmers to reach compliance
Small, medium, large farms
Backyard, peri-urban, industrialized farming

13. Non compliance Evaluate public sector support and subsidies
Information provided
Cooperation among the officials
Financial support
Subsidies (negative or positive effects)

14. Path 2: No environmental legislation
Assess magnitude of the problems
Identify institutions and partners public and private sector
Develop legislation and standards
Time frame of implementation
Check on alternatives i.e. spatial planning
Target time of compliance
Control and enforcement public and private
Public support to meet standards

15. Path 2: No environmental legislation
all three countries have legislation but certain regulations may be missing
participatory approach in devicing/updating regulations
consider training requirements
consider phasing and scaling of new regulations
consider costs and required enforcement capacity

16. Questions for the working groups
Are there specific instruments addressing new/existing farms in the countries? [note: if not then all instruments apply to all farms]
What is the estimated turnover of farms in the countries, i.e. what is the estimated share of the production that comes from farms that have been built over the last 2 years? Is this trend going to change in the near future?
Are current regulations enforceable on existing farms? [note: For example, Thai discharge standards are unenforceable on many farms as they would just put them out of business]
If yes: what can be done to ease enforcement?
targeting farms in most sensitive areas
phasing enforcement, e.g. enforce standards gradually
training and awareness raising
financial incentives for early adopters
If no: what are the options to be considered?
progressively close farms that can’t comply and provide exit strategies
limit intervention to training and awareness raising
adapt regulation