Despite satisfactory agricultural growth and widespread government intervention in agricultural marketing systems over the past two decades, rural poverty and food insecurity have persisted in many countries of the Asia-Pacific region. This suggests a need to reconsider current agricultural marketing policies and systems and identify new ways to improve marketing performance. Moreover, as most of these countries have become signatories to the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) under the World Trade Organization (WTO) and have thus committed themselves to establishing liberalized agricultural economies, ensuring that poverty reduction and food security are major driving forces when formulating new internal marketing policies under the new trade regimes is of vital interest to them.
FAO’s medium term plan for 2002-07 contains several initiatives for reducing poverty and food insecurity, and there are several technical projects relating to agricultural marketing systems. Given these facts, and the background mentioned above, it was felt that it is important to seek assistance of member countries to define the priorities of FAO’s agricultural marketing related activities and initiatives with the aim of helping countries in the region improve their agricultural marketing systems. To achieve this, the Mini Roundtable Meeting was held during 1 to 2 November 2001. Participants were invited from China, Indonesia, India, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand and FAO headquarters in Rome. The Meeting consisted of presentations by invited resource persons and then plenary discussions.
A theme paper prepared by Dr Acharya, Director, Institute of Development Studies, Jaipur, India comprehensively addressed the subject of food security and its relation to agricultural marketing systems, offered a critical overview of existing marketing systems in the Asia-Pacific region, identified a range of agricultural marketing issues that needed to be addressed if food security was to be improved, and suggested priorities for government action. He also reviewed the current role of FAO in agricultural marketing development and suggested a number of new initiatives in this area. Other papers dealt with complementary themes and issues.
Our thanks are due also to those who assisted in the preparation of this Proceedings, particularly Iljas Baker for his editing and formatting work. Finally, we would like to express our thanks to the support staff who enabled the Meeting to progress smoothly and amicably.
In all respects the Meeting was a great success and the thirteen recommendations that were formulated by the participants have given FAO much food for thought. It is hoped that this Proceedings will be of use to all those with an interest in reducing poverty, achieving food security and improving agricultural marketing systems.
He
Changchui
Regional Representative
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the
Pacific
