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Agriculture

Agriculture is the backbone of the Greater Mekong Subregion’s economies. With over 60% of the subregion’s 340 million inhabitants engaged in small-scale agriculture, it directly supports the livelihoods of nearly 200 million people.

The Working Group on Agriculture (WGA) has been working toward the implementation of priority projects under the Core Agriculture Support Program.

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While agriculture is the cornerstone of many families’ livelihoods, it is also exacting a toll on the environment, contributing to forest and biodiversity loss, water pollution and shortages, soil degradation, and greenhouse gas emissions.

People and governments in the Greater Mekong Subregion are working to develop agricultural practices that simultaneously conserve land and water resources, while at the same time increasing the productivity and profitability of agriculture, particularly for small-scale farmers.

Countries are pooling resources and expertise to increase the competitiveness of their agricultural products and encourage investment in agribusiness, while at the same time conserving the environment and natural resources. This involves research and technology that emphasizes climate-friendly agricultural development, including participation by the private sector with a focus on food security. This work is being guided by the Core Agriculture Support Program Phase II (CASP II) 2011-2020, supported by the Government of Sweden (Sida), Nordic Development Fund, Water Financing Partnership Facility, and Asian Development Bank.

At the 2nd GMS Agriculture Ministers' Meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia on 6-8 September 2017, the ministers endorsed a strategy to promote safe and environment-friendly agriculture products, and a plan to strengthen value chain integration, involving smallholder farmers, rural women, as well as small and medium-sized agro-enterprises.

Related

• Strategy for Promoting Safe and Environment-Friendly Agro-Based Value Chains and Siem Reap Action Plan, 2018-2022
• Core Agriculture Support Program Phase II (2011-2015)
• Core Agriculture Support Program Phase I (2006-2010)
• Working Group on Agriculture (WGA)

Contact Persons

Focal Persons at the Asian Development Bank

  • Srinivasan Ancha
    Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Division,
    Southeast Asia Department
  • Pavit Ramachandran
    Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Division,
    East Asia Department

Other Concerned Staff & Consultants

  • Rhodora Concepcion
    Thailand Resident Mission,
    Southeast Asia Department
  • Flordeliza Melendez
    Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination Division,
    Southeast Asia Department/GMS Secretariat

Send inquiries to GMS Secretariat.

Ninth Meeting of GMS Working Group on Agriculture (WGA-9): Summary of Proceedings

The Ninth Meeting of the GMS Working Group on Agriculture (WGA-9) was held in Nanning, Guangxi, People's Republic of China, on 4-6 July 2012, with the theme "Innovative Financing through Public Private Partnership (PPP) for Regional Investment in Low Carbon Agriculture in the GMS". The Meeting was organized and sponsored by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) with the cooperation of the Ministry of Agriculture, PRC, and attended by participants from the six GMS countries (Cambodia, People's Republic of China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam), and ADB.


Conference Proceedings

Core Agriculture Support Program Phase II 2011-2015

A more integrated, harmonious, prosperous, and equitable Greater Mekong Subregion requires agriculture to be the lead contributing sector. Regional cooperation in the agriculture sector is guided by the Core Agriculture Support Program (CASP), which is implemented by the Working Group on Agriculture.

Under CASP Phase I (2006-2010), GMS member countries expanded agriculture trading, resulting in sizable gains in the global market.


Reports

Regional Trade Opportunities for Asian Agriculture

Trade in food and other agricultural products is increasingly important across East and Southeast Asia, where high-income Asian economies have driven significant agricultural expansion, and the momentous growth of the People's Republic of China (PRC) promises more stimulus to agrofood activity in the region. The PRC is expected to become a net importer of agrofood in the coming decades, which will have significant implications within the region.


Papers and Briefs