Promoting Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains in ASEAN (ASEAN AgriTrade)

CONTEXT

The free movement of goods and services is a key aspiration of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and a cornerstone of the common market of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). Among other things, ASEAN is working towards strengthening its agricultural production and trade in accordance with regional and international standards on quality and sustainability. However, implementation of quality standards in ASEAN remains limited and reduces opportunities to tap into global value chains and expand into markets within and outside of the region.

OBJECTIVE

To improve the framework conditions for the implementation of sustainability standards in agricultural value chains within the ASEAN region

APPROACHES

The project supports the promotion of sustainable agricultural value chains in ASEAN in the following areas:

• Enhancing cooperation between relevant ASEAN bodies and the private sector;
• Gender mainstreaming in relevant ASEAN strategy documents;
• Improving conditions for private sector engagement in three of the four countries– Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV);
• Conducting awareness-raising campaigns on the health and ecological benefits of sustainable agricultural products in the CLMV countries;
• Compiling lessons learned on the implementation of public and private partnership and cooperation on standards on quality and sustainability into toolkits for decision-makers in the CLMV countries and ASEAN

RESULTS SO FAR

• Project Steering Committee approved the Implementation Structure and Regional Activities at the 1st Project Steering Committee Meeting, held on 11 February 2020 in Jakarta. The project was officially launched and started implementation.

COUNTRY

Regional (10 ASEAN Member States (AMS), and National (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam)

PROJECT PARTNERS

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) through the ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Crops (ASWGC), other relevant line agencies, the private sector and civil society organizations

PROJECT DURATION

08/2019 – 12/2022

MORE INFORMATION

www.asean-agrifood.org