1. The Twenty-fifth FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (Yokohama, 28 August - 1 September, 2000) focused on key issues relating to: (i) sustainable agricultural development and poverty alleviation in the new millennium, (ii) biotechnology, and (iii) follow-up to the World Food Summit (WFS). It made a number of recommendations to member countries and to FAO in regard to these issues. In doing so, the Conference called upon FAO to assess the impact of its responses to the recommendations at the next conference. It also reiterated the wish of earlier conferences that FAO’s reports on activities in Asia and in the Pacific island countries (PIC) are kept separate.

2. This document gives a summary of the actions that were taken as a result of the main recommendations made by the Twenty-fifth Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC). A thematic approach has been adopted so that a clear picture of FAO’s integrated programme of work in the region can be presented. Following this introduction, sections II and III deal with the Organization’s actions in Asia and PIC respectively. To provide a more complete report of FAO activities in the region, section IV highlights other significant FAO activities that are not directly related to the recommendations. Finally, in section V, the document evaluates the outcome of FAO activities.

3. In the interest of maintaining a succinct report, it has not been possible to cover all the recommendations made by the Twenty-fifth APRC. Only the major ones are included. It also did not prove practical to examine and gauge the impact of all FAO activities that occurred in the past biennium. Thus, this concise report highlights only the more notable achievements of FAO and discusses their impact in selected countries where information is available for such an assessment.

4. The Regional Conference urged FAO to strengthen support for: (i) integrated pest management (IPM), effective water and fertiliser use, integrated plant nutrition systems and pre- and post-harvest technologies; (ii) the establishment of clearly defined and enforceable property rights and broad-based decentralized development of economic activities; (iii) the development of effective micro-credit programmes and extension, education and marketing support for small-scale farmers; (iv) agricultural sector reviews and policy assessments; and (v) meeting the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements of food-importing countries (recommendations 9 to 13).

5. The Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS), operational in 15 countries in the region and under formulation in five others, incorporates a number of food security and production aspects. These include agricultural sector reviews, IPM, effective water and fertiliser-use, integrated plant nutrition systems, pre- and post-harvest technologies, diversification, support of micro-credit and promotion of extension, education and marketing programmes. FAO initiated the development of practical diagnostic tools for soil and plant nutrition management via the farmer field school approach, assisted 14 Asian countries in establishing a total of 80,000 farmer field schools and supported the training of 20,000 farmer trainers in five countries. The three projects trained more than two million farmers in IPM for rice, cotton and vegetables.

6. Furthermore, nutrition, health and gender components are systematically being incorporated in several countries. Homestead gardening in support of nutrition programmes has also been launched in Bangladesh, India and Vietnam. FAO also provided technical assistance in nutrition education in primary schools in China as part of a global initiative on strengthening health promotion strategies and practices.

7. FAO assisted Cambodia, Mongolia and Vietnam in the areas of administrative reforms and decentralization and in strengthening cooperatives and chambers of agriculture; China in field projects for land tenure; and the Philippines in agrarian reform and rural development. Other development activities included training programmes on participatory decentralization for poverty alleviation in Bangladesh, India, Mongolia and Nepal.

8. FAO organized training programmes on extension systems and methods for officials from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India and Pakistan. It produced, in collaboration with German Technical Cooperation, GTZ, micro-banking software and undertook technical support missions and training programmes on micro-banking.

9. FAO undertook studies, expert consultations and training activities aimed at building farm-agribusiness linkages, strengthening farm data systems and improving farm management advisory services in several regional member countries.

10. FAO provided technical support to the Association of Food and Agricultural Marketing Agencies in Asia and the Pacific (AFMA) in the training of policy-makers, trainers and senior officials of food and agricultural marketing agencies. In the biennium, the focus of the training was on support services and strengthening domestic marketing for trade liberalization.

11. FAO conducted agricultural sector reviews and assessments on policies for food security and poverty alleviation in eight countries. It assisted Thailand in reviewing the organizational structure of its agricultural establishments and their role in agriculture and natural resource governance. It supported, in collaboration with the Asia and Pacific Seed Organization, seed sector policies and programmes in various countries.

12. FAO organized an international email conference on irrigation management transfer, modalities for cost recovery and pricing of irrigation services. It provided technical assistance to Cambodia and Thailand on participatory irrigation management. FAO is currently reviewing water-pricing aspects for different uses in agriculture.

13. It organized technical consultations on the establishment of a data exchange system for food and agriculture statistics in Asia and the Pacific, and followed up with six training seminars on systems and methods of data collection and improvements of fisheries and agribusiness statistics. FAO also assisted member states in collecting, analysing and sharing information on selected issues in sustainable agriculture, poverty alleviation and food security. It supported the Philippines in measuring inter-commodity and household level impact of alternative policy options and programme changes in major commodities such as rice, maize, meat and fish. Assistance was given to several countries to develop crop information for less known medicinal plants.

14. Initiatives to establish Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping Systems (FIVIMS) in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India and Thailand have been concretised. The Regional Asia FIVIMS project supported national FIVIMS initiatives by helping to develop the Asia Key Indicators Data System (ASIAKIDS).

15. FAO, through the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) Secretariat and the Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (ICPM), provided technical assistance for meeting phytosanitary obligations. It provided technical backstopping to ten Asian countries for developing national phytosanitary strategies and plant quarantine capacities in line with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and IPPC recommendations. A regional phytosanitary standards committee has been established and regional standards procedure guidelines have been developed under IPPC. The first Asian regional workshop on inventories of obsolete, unwanted and banned pesticide stocks was organized in June 2001.

16. In the livestock sector, FAO’s thrust was on poverty reduction through environment-friendly farming systems and safe livestock products. Policy assistance to encourage mixed farming and specialized crop-livestock production systems was given to countries experiencing seemingly unsustainable intensification of livestock production. A number of projects including the Pro-poor Livestock Facility Project and several others dealing with safety of milk and meat products were developed for regional member countries.

17. The Regional Conference requested FAO to identify factors that undermine sustainable fisheries and promote the comprehensive and sustainable management of marine resources, based on the ecosystem approach (recommendations 15 and 16).

18. FAO collaborated with the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre (SEAFDEC) in organizing a regional workshop on the management of fishing capacity in Malaysia. It held regional consultations on indicators for sustainable fisheries management in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region in Vietnam in May 2001. It organized an ASEAN-SEAFDEC millennium conference in Thailand to help develop a plan of action for managing fisheries in the ASEAN region. FAO also convened several major international meetings on topics such as cold water fisheries of the trans-Himalayan region; fisheries in the irrigation systems of Asia’s arid regions; and management of large rivers for fisheries to sustain livelihoods and biodiversity in the new millennium.

19. The Reykjavik Conference on Responsible Fisheries in the Marine Ecosystem, held in Iceland in October 2001, examined the implications of the global trend towards ecosystem-based fisheries management for capture fisheries. The Reykjavik Declaration adopted by the Conference encouraged FAO to develop technical guidelines for best practices regarding the incorporation of ecosystem considerations in fisheries management.

20. The Regional Conference urged FAO to actively contribute towards international discussions on the relationship between forest products trade and sustainable forest management, and to provide strong support for the implementation of a code of practice for forest harvesting in Asia and the Pacific (recommendations 5, 17 and 53).

21. FAO conducted several meetings and workshops that focused on the linkages between trade and the environment in the forestry sector. It continues to monitor international developments that relate to the criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management and forest certification, and their implications on trade of forest products. FAO organized two regional workshops and supported a series of training workshops on the Uruguay Round and future trade negotiations in agriculture. It is implementing a project on "Impact Assessment of Forest Products Trade in the Promotion of Sustainable Forest Management".

22. FAO is assisting Mongolia in preparing its national forest programme (NFP). Two regional strategies, one for implementing the code of practice and the other for regional training in support of this code, were formulated and published. Several training workshops were organized to build capacity and enhance awareness of its implementation. National codes of practice for forest harvesting have been developed in ten Asia-Pacific countries and are being developed in three more.

23. The Regional Conference urged the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture to finalize expeditiously the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources (recommendation 21).

24. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture was adopted by the FAO Conference in November 2001.

25. The Regional Conference urged FAO to: (i) strengthen its programme of policy advice, information exchange and technical assistance, (ii) organize consultations and workshops on the application of biotechnology, and (iii) provide capacity building support to developing countries in establishing mechanisms for assessing and managing the potential environmental risks associated with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and harmonize biosafety regulatory mechanisms (recommendations 24 to 31).

26. The FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAO/RAP) selected biotechnology, including biodiversity and biosecurity as one of the four priority areas of inter-disciplinary action (PAIA). It disseminated information relating to biotechnology and its potential impacts, and provided a forum for agricultural biotechnology.

27. The Organization conducted a study on "Potential Impacts of Genetic Use Restriction Technologies (GURTs) on Agrobiodiversity and Agricultural Production Systems" to promote sound policy development. A symposium on the impact of biotechnology developments on markets for basic foods was convened in July 2001 to strengthen information exchange, monitor and analyse developments and make available timely and appropriate information.

28. In cooperation with relevant regional organizations, FAO aims to establish a biotechnology network to identify priorities for action. Technical consultations were held to define strategies and activities for addressing regional and national concerns and needs.

29. FAO is implementing a ten-country project on capacity building in the biosafety of GM crops which, inter alia seeks to harmonize biosafety regulatory standards. It organized regional consultations on farmers rights from legislation to action, and prepared guidelines for the realization of these rights. ICPM, in close cooperation with the Inter-governmental Committee for the Cartagena Protocol (ICCP) Bureau and the CBD Secretariat, has initiated a process of developing a standard for pest risk analysis for LMOs. FAO, together with UNEP and GEF, is developing and implementing biosafety capacity building programmes within the context of the Cartagena Protocol.

30. FAO secured the contributions of regional member countries to the first FAO Report of the State of the Worlds Animal Genetic Resources. In this regard, FAO also trained technical officers of 21 countries in data collection, analysis and dissemination.

31. Other actions taken by FAO included: launching of a website on biotechnology; compilation of an inventory of biotechnologies in use or in the pipeline in developing countries; establishment of an electronic forum; and revision of the glossary of biotechnology and genetic engineering.

32. The Regional Conference recommended that FAO continue to strengthen three of its WFS follow-up programmes, namely, the SPFS, Telefood, and the strategies for agricultural development and food security (recommendation 46).

33. The emphasis of SPFS is to replicate successful pilot projects nation-wide and increase the number of participating countries. Telefood is meant to build awareness of food insecurity, mobilize funds and place resources in the hands of poor households, especially their womenfolk for income generation. The strategies for agricultural development and food security are geared towards the provision of technical assistance to improve national policies and programmes.

34. SPFS participating countries increased from 13 to 15. They represent the majority of the low-income food deficit countries (LIFDCs). Programmes in five countries are under formulation. Also, the number of countries participating in the South-South cooperation programme increased from four to five; regional projects supporting SPFS rose from four to nine; and pilot activities in most of the participating countries expanded significantly. The number of Telefood projects increased to 216.

35. FAO assisted in organizing national workshops to update and finalize the project on "Strategies for National Agricultural Development – Horizon 2010" in twelve member countries. It assisted four countries in updating their national strategies and provided technical support to projects in another four. Fourteen national thematic groups affiliated to the ACC network on rural development and food security in the Asia and Pacific region strengthened their coordinating mechanisms for the WFS follow-up.

36. The Regional Conference recommended that FAO increase technical assistance in disaster management to the most affected countries (recommendation 46).

37. FAO/RAP selected disaster management as one of the four PAIAs. The policy and programme in this area is to build national capacity for early warning, prevention, preparedness and management of disasters in food and agriculture within the framework of TCDC. This prompted crop and food supply assessment missions to nine disaster affected countries and the organization of a regional conference on early warning, prevention, preparedness and management of disasters in Asia and the Pacific in Thailand in June 2001. FAO also organized an expert consultation on drought-prone agriculture to develop guidelines for national drought prevention and mitigation action plans. FAO is currently formulating a regional framework for early warning, prevention, preparedness and management of disasters.

38. The Regional Conference recommended that FAO should assist countries in strengthening policies, reinforce infrastructure and build capacity for trade in agricultural commodities (recommendation 48).

39. FAO/RAP identified agricultural trade promotion as another PAIA. Its thrust is on human resource development through training programmes following the Uruguay Round. It carried out two subregional workshops in Nepal and the Philippines within the framework of the Umbrella Training Programme on Uruguay Round follow-up. Furthermore, it assisted in the establishment of the International Tropical Fruits Network (TFNET) based in Kuala Lumpur and provided technical assistance to TFNET in the areas of programme and project formulation. Three conferences on citrus, cotton and tea and two workshops on WTO accession issues were organized to facilitate the exchange of information and enhance capacities for trade in agricultural commodities. FAO also helped to organize the Second Asia-Pacific School Milk Conference in Shanghai, China.

40. FAO prepared the regional programme for food security (RPFS) strategies for 2000 to 2010 in collaboration with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

41. It established a programme for propagating resistance of the taro cultivar to leaf blight disease and another for improving fruit fly management in the sub-region in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Association (JICA) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) respectively.

42. Several activities are being implemented in the sub-region for small farmer participation in export-oriented production. An assessment of the extension and education needs of four countries was carried out. FAO has undertaken a review of the role of farm management in agricultural extension supporting commercial farmers.

43. The Organization provided assistance in sector and subsector reviews for policy and programme formulation towards sustainable food security and poverty alleviation in the subregion. In this regard, FAO provided support in data collection and analysis and formulation of strategies, policies and programmes to the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Niue, Palau, Samoa and Tonga.

44. It also undertook a review of farm and community water resource management and utilization in Tonga.

45. The fourth FAO round table on WTO agreement provisions was held in Wellington in April 2001 to discuss and advise member countries on how to meet their obligations under the SPS and TBT agreements. Technical assistance was provided to member countries on compliance with importing countries’ SPS requirements, and to Samoa on organically grown bananas for export to New Zealand. FAO compiled data on the status and trend of pesticides imported and used in eight countries of the subregion. It provided technical assistance on plant protection and agricultural pesticide inventory to Niue; and on the invasive weed, Balloon Vine, in the Cook Islands.

46. FAO undertook studies on the development of milkfish farming in Palau. It promoted the development of seaweed culture in Tonga and the Marshall Islands, and implemented a project on the enhancement of customary marine fishery tenure in Fiji. It carried out a subregional study on seaweed culture in Palau, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu and on fisheries legislation in Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru and Palau.

47. FAO assisted Tonga in drafting fisheries legislation and conducted a national workshop on this topic. It assisted the Marshall Islands in formulating a national fisheries management plan for sharks and sea birds in long line fisheries. FAO further conducted the Pacific Islands Regional Workshop on Fisheries Statistics in Noumea in cooperation with SPC under the project on Support for Improvement of Statistics on Coastal and Subsistence Fisheries and Aquaculture.

48. FAO continues to network with other regional and international organizations to facilitate dialogue and cooperation in implementing the recommendations of the Inter-governmental Panel of Forests and the Inter-governmental Forum on Forests. At the Workshop on Uruguay Round follow-up in Tonga in July 2001, a special session was held on the effect of the Uruguay Round negotiations on forest products trade. It assisted Vanuatu in developing and adopting new forestry legislation, and coordinated a study on the harvesting of natural tropical rainforests in Papua New Guinea.

49. FAO/RAP activities in this area also extended to the subregion. An action plan for the utilization, conservation and management of forest and tree genetic resources was developed in collaboration with other regional and international organizations.

50. The SPFS is operational in three countries, namely Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu; and it has been formulated for Samoa. Several other countries have indicated interest and are working towards participation in the SPFS. The National Thematic Group affiliated to the ACC network was established in Samoa. FAO undertook an initial reconnaissance mission to Vanuatu in 2001 to explain SPFS’ objectives and modus operandi.

51. FAO is implementing a project to strengthen national capacity for emergency disaster preparedness and mitigation in Fiji. It sponsored Fijian participation in the Regional Conference on Disaster Management in Thailand. The SPC Regional Nutritionists Meeting in Samoa, cosponsored by FAO and UNICEF, included a special session on nutrition in emergencies.

52. The fourth round table meetings for PIC on WTO also discussed agricultural trade issues. FAO organized two workshops on the "Uruguay Round Follow-up and Multilateral Trade Negotiations on Agriculture" in Tonga in August 2000 and July 2001.

53. FAO, in cooperation with the Japan Wildlife Research Center (JWRC), organized the first international conference on domesticated elephants in Thailand in February 2001, and recommended a networking mechanism for sustainable elephant care and management. It helped establish a Pacific soil net in the subregion. For Samoa, a report on organic agriculture was prepared, the booklet on soils was updated and a report on the GIS commissioned. FAO also assisted Tonga to produce an educational videotape on the management and conservation of natural resources.

54. Information was collected on ten less known medicinal plants and data for an additional ten is being collected in Thailand for the FAO EcoPort database. Projects have been developed on the coconut leaf chewing beetle, coffee quality and rubber in Vietnam, and coffee and oil palm breeding in Thailand. Support was given to the Regional Round Table on Sustainable, Organic and Speciality Coffee Production, Processing and Marketing in Thailand in February 2001.

55. The first crops grown under a project on the development of sweet sorghum for grain, feed, fibre, and value-added by-products in the arid and saline-alkaline regions of China have been harvested. Technicians and farmers have been trained in crop production, alcohol production, and animal feeding and waste utilization.

56. With respect to rice, the main thrust of FAO activities in Asia for 2000-2001 included strengthening national capacity for hybrid rice development in Indonesia and in the Philippines. In cooperation with IRRI, it organized a workshop on adoption of hybrid rice for large-scale production in Asia.

57. FAO supported case studies in yield gap and productivity decline in rice production in India and the Philippines. It implemented a twelve-country regional project on the mutational enhancement of genetic diversity in rice, including the use of biotechnology tools such as double haploid and molecular markers. A regional seminar was also organized on mutation techniques and molecular genetics for tropical and subtropical plant improvement with the active participation of IRRI, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center and ICRISAT.

58. In vegetable production, the Organization helped Nepal introduce improved varieties and stimulate private sector production of improved seeds. This contributed to a sizeable increase in domestic vegetable production. Field programme activities assisted in fruit and vegetable marketing.

59. Under the project on capacity building in forage seed production in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China, the first crop of alfalfa seeds was harvested and the 65-hectare seed farm was planted in July/August 2001. FAO is developing a pastoral risk management strategy in Mongolia including a component that deals with haymaking.

60. FAO completed the project on smallholder forage-based dairy production in Tonga. It implemented another dairy project in the Southwest Pacific, the experiences of which were widely distributed in a CD-ROM. FAO further prepared country pasture profiles for 12 countries. It organized meetings of the Temperate Asia Pasture and Fodder Working Group on technology transfer in Himalayan pastures, fodder production systems in Pakistan, and Southeast Asian grazing and feed resources. FAO also prepared publications on grassland resource assessment. It carried out several projects on fodder introduction in Pakistan.

61. FAO developed the Asian technical guidelines on health management for the responsible movement of live aquatic animals, and the associated Beijing consensus and implementation strategy (BCIS). It also held a regional workshop on "Aquaculture Nutrition and Environmental Health Management for the Sustainable Intensification of Freshwater Food Fish Production in South Asia" in October 2001 in India.

62. The Organization initiated a regional project on "Support to Regional Aquatic Resources Management: the STREAM initiative," to improve the livelihoods of poor aquatic resource users. It is also working towards another regional project on the use of remote sensing for inventory and monitoring of coastal and inland aquaculture.

63. FAO facilitated and sponsored national rural youth seminars in Sri Lanka and Thailand, and started two projects, namely, an email newsletter, and developing best practices for educating and training rural youth in the Asia-Pacific region. It sponsored a project on "Enhancement of Farm Youth Network for Agricultural Careers" for Thailand’s 4-H clubs. This included collaboration with Korea’s 4-H clubs and support for training in agriculture, horticulture and other subjects for rural youth from Laos. A report on "Youth Groups in Fiji: Current Situation and Future Potential" was completed in November 2000.

64. FAO organized expert consultations on distance learning resources for rural women in November 2000 and October 2001, and on agro-biodiversity conservation and the role of rural women in September 2001. It commissioned a study on secondary farmers and secondary crops that explores the role of women in crop diversity management in the Philippines. It is implementing a project to assist Cambodian women in improving household food security and family economy. It also undertook several activities on gender based information and communication technology and gender responsive database development. The Organization also organized programmes on gender responsive local planning and participatory research on gender responsive technology development in some countries.

65. FAO provided technical assistance to Vietnam under a TCP project on "Policy Support for Competitive Agriculture in ASEAN," to assess the implications of the country joining this association. It also gave technical assistance to Laos to prepare an environmental action plan for sustainable agriculture and rural development.

66. The Organization continued to assist countries in improving national statistical systems focussing on the transition economies. In this regard, the regional project on improvement of agricultural statistics as well as FAO’s training programme on improving food and agricultural statistics helped most regional member countries in the biennium.

67. FAO can, at best, play only a catalytic role in promoting its objectives and in assisting countries to achieve their desired goals. Annex 1 gives an indication of the size and scope of its Regular Programme activities in biennium 1998-99 and in the biennium 2000-01. A great deal of credit for some of the positive outcomes indicated below can be attributed to the participating countries themselves. It is however, difficult to elaborate on the impacts of all the activities undertaken. Hence only some notable achievements are highlighted.

68. The impact of SPFS, Telefood and the strategies’ programme in Asia and the Pacific region has been to raise the profile of sustainable agriculture and rural development on national and international level. This has led to the channelling of greater assistance to the SPFS, with Japan playing a leading role as a donor and more developing countries joining the South-South Cooperation programme.

69. An increasing number of agricultural communities within countries have been encouraged to take part in SPFS activities. For example, Pakistan’s Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, in collaboration with FAO, developed a participatory comprehensive agricultural production strategy and piloted it at four locations during the 1998 to 2001 period. The results obtained were so encouraging that the Government decided to extend this programme to 100 villages.

70. The national thematic groups attached to the ACC Network on Rural Development and Food Security have been noticeably effective in securing inter-ministerial and inter-agency cooperation and collaboration. For example, the thematic group in Cambodia has developed an innovative participatory agricultural extension approach and integrated farmer field schools (IFFS). This programme has helped to achieve an estimated 30 percent increase in rice yields, through the introduction of advanced production and post-harvest technologies.

71. In nutrition, FAO has implemented a project for household food security for nutritional improvement in some provinces in Vietnam. It helped to reduce Vitamin A deficiency and severe malnutrition among children.

72. In the area of food quality and food safety, the Codex Alimentarius Commission has established an ad hoc inter-governmental task force on foods derived from biotechnologies. It has also embarked upon the labelling of foods derived from biotechnology to allow the consumer to make an informed choice. The Commission has issued guidelines for the production, processing, labelling and marketing of organically produced foods. In order to promote food safety, the Codex Coordinating Committee for Asia recommended the formulation of standards for several foodstuffs. In this regard, TCP projects for strengthening national food control capacities were implemented in seven Regional member countries. Also, initiatives to improve street food establishments were launched and conferences to promote food safety, nutritional labelling and health were organized.

73. FAO, through its Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS), has successfully alerted member countries of impending food shortages and emerging needs. Its Special Relief Operations Service (TCOR) continues to respond to requests for emergency assistance in the agricultural, livestock and fisheries sectors that are affected by exceptional natural or man-made calamities. It also helped to mobilize emergency relief for Afghanistan as part of the "Afghanistan Donor Alert" programme that was aimed at supporting an inter-agency emergency humanitarian assistance plan.

74. The Organization has identified rice-based agriculture as one of the PAIAs. It promoted integrated management practices for sustainable intensification of rice-based ecosystems in Asia. There have been notable successes in these efforts, as in the case of Bangladesh’s cereal technology transfer and identification project. This project contributed significantly to the increase in rice production during 1996-2001. The achievement prompted the government to extend the project to 80 additional subdistricts, and strengthen ongoing activities in 64 others.

75. The promotion of hybrid rice has met with mixed success in Asia. The Organization, with the help of specialists from China and IRRI has assisted national hybrid rice programmes in several member countries. This is aimed at raising rice yields by at least 15 percent, with the adoption of greater efficiency in the use of water, nutrients, and solar irradiance.

76. In agricultural marketing, FAO’s initiatives in strengthening support services, especially market information, post-harvest research and development and agribusiness training, strengthened marketing systems in several countries. In this connection, 120 policy makers, senior officials and trainers were trained. Also, linking marketing with urban food security, FAO organized a regional seminar on "Feeding Asian Cities" in collaboration with AFMA and the Regional Network of Local Authorities for the Management of Human Settlements. The thrust was on information, infrastructure and training. This activity has generated requests for further assistance.

77. Most countries in the region recognize the importance of phyto-sanitary measures in trade policy and the urgent need to meet the obligations for science-based pest and pathogen risk assessment under the WTO-SPS Agreement. Several countries are amending their current national plant quarantine Acts to adjust to the standards that are being developed by FAO-IPPC in cooperation with concerned international organizations. FAO is actively involved in helping countries establish and strengthen their plant protection capabilities, advising on organization and management, and providing operational guidelines and training scientific and technical personnel. It has actively worked on the maximum residue levels for individual pesticides in different foods and feed items, and provided advice on the acceptable levels of pesticide residues in food. The following cites a few positive outcomes:

1. The Twenty-sixth meeting of ASEAN ministers of food and agriculture (AMAF) held in October 2000 agreed to endorse an additional 122 maximum residue limits (MRL) for pesticides found in vegetables that are widely traded between ASEAN member countries.
2. AMAF signed Protocol 8 on SPS measures to implement the ASEAN Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Goods in Transit, so that the cross-border movement of agricultural products within the ASEAN region can be enhanced.
3. FAO has also strengthened the biological control of the giant African snail via the distribution of the flatworm predator Platydemus manakwari, and this has helped reduce damage to horticultural produce in Samoa. The support for IPM on red spider mites in backyard vegetable gardens in the Marshall Islands, on rats in coconut plantations and the application of biopesticides in vegetable gardens for the control of Lepidoptera pests in Kiribati have raised yields in the respective countries.
4. The activities on pesticides management, including the documentation of imported pesticides into member island countries, reviews of pesticide boards, and documentation of obsolete pesticide stock piles provided to Cook Islands, Kiribati, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, and Vanuatu have improved pesticides practices in these countries.

78. The Organization has developed several tools for combating animal disease outbreaks, including the release of a new multimedia programme to assist countries in establishing effective procedures for coping with such emergencies. The good emergency management practices programme (GEMP) was produced as part of the FAO emergency prevention system (EMPRES) for trans-boundary animal and plant pests and diseases. A code of practice has been drawn up for good animal feeds in response to the health and food related problems of humans that are caused by the contamination of such feeds. The development of emergency preparedness contingency plans and adherence to this code by countries has contributed towards improving both human and animal health.

79. FAO has recommended banning the use of all meat and bone meal (MBM) for ruminant feeding as part of these plans. Globally, the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease situation had deteriorated further in 2000. More than 30 countries, including those from Asia have improved their surveillance of this disease and prohibited the import of MBM and live cattle from countries where the presence of BSE has been confirmed.

80. The surveillance of rinderpest indicates that it is still prevalent in six countries world-wide, including one Asian country. Failure to eradicate it could result in its widespread resurgence. FAO is working with the affected countries to wipe out this menace.

81. In the overall efforts made to improve the SPS status and the competitiveness of ASEAN in the livestock and livestock products trade, AMAF decided that the association should increase its role in the regional control of the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), with Thailand taking the lead. The ministers endorsed the ‘Office Internationale des Epizooties’ (OIE) campaign to control and eradicate FMD in Southeast Asia between 2001 and 2004. In this connection, FAO/RAP is coordinating the network for the transfer and use of monoclonal antibody-based tests to diagnose FMD, and separate vaccinated from naturally infected animals.

82. In the area of forestry, the FAO TEAKNET Asia Pacific Network has provided opportunities for research and the exchange of technical information, genetic material and expertise in several countries. FAO activities on forest products and sustainable forest management have generated greater awareness among policy- makers on the costs and benefits of pursuing forest certification. In this connection, it is notable that the AMAF, at the Twenty-sixth ASEAN, meeting decided to endorse the Framework for ASEAN Regional Criteria and Indicators (C&I) for the sustainable management of natural tropical forests.

83. FAO, in promoting its Code of Practice for Forest Harvesting in Asia and Pacific, has generated greater awareness, and steadily improved the implementation capacities of more than ten countries. It has, for example, assisted Cambodia in creating a programme to monitor forestry crimes. It conducted a critical analysis of evolving decentralization experiences in the forestry sector that led to improved policies of forest management, including practical support for community-based programmes and the enhanced involvement of stakeholders in decision-making. All these activities have led to a greater proactive response on the part of countries to enhance their forest cover. FAO monitored the world’s forests through the Forest Resources Assessment 2000 and produced country specific data. Regional member countries considered the information generated very useful.

ACC Administrative Coordinating Committee (UN)

AMAF ASEAN Ministers of Food and Agriculture

APRC Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific

ASIAKIDS Asia Key Indicators Data System

ASEAN Association of South East Asian Nations

BCIS Beijing Consensus and Implementation Strategy

CBD Convention on Biodiversity

EMPRES Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases

FIVIMS Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping System

GEF Global Environmental Facility

GEMP Good Emergency Management Practices

GIEWS Global Information and Early Warning System

GURT Genetic Use Restriction Technology

ICCP Inter-governmental Committee for the Cartagena Protocol

ICPM Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures

ICRISAT International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics

IFFS Integrated Farmer Field Schools

IPM Integrated Pest Management

IPPC International Plant Protection Convention

IRRI International Rice Research Institute

JICA Japan International Cooperation Association

JWRC Japan Wildlife Research Centre

LIFDC Low-Income Food-Deficit Country

LMO Living Modified Organism

OIE Office Internationale des Epizooties

PAIA Priority Area for Interdisciplinary Action

PIC Pacific Island Countries

RPFS Regional Programme for Food Security

SEAFDEC South East Asia Fisheries Development Centre

SPC Secretariat of the Pacific Community

SPFS Special Programme on Food Security

SPS Sanitary and Phytosanitary (Agreement)

STREAM Support to Regional Aquatic Resources Management

TBT Technical Barriers to Trade

TCOR Special Relief Operations Service (FAO)

TCP Technical Cooperation Programme (FAO)

TFNET (International) Tropical Fruits Network

WFS World Food Summit