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.
Agriculture is the cornerstone of many families’ livelihoods, however 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 (GMS) 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.
The GMS Economic Cooperation Program Strategic Framework 2030 (GMS-2030), endorsed and adopted at the 7th GMS Summit of Leaders in September 2021 to provide a new setting for the development of this subregion for the next decade, notes that in the agriculture sector, GMS-2030 will promote higher food safety and quality standards for expanding exports, for which an alignment of policies and standards will be required in the subregion. GMS-2030 will encourage climate- and environment-friendly production practices along the value chain, as well as sustain natural assets with a focus on small-scale farmers and micro, small, and medium-sized agro-enterprises. Given that COVID-19 has adversely impacted agricultural supply chains, GMS-2030 will support food security response and recovery efforts in the medium and long terms.
The GMS Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security Program (GMS SAFSP), implemented in 2019,has been designed to assist the GMS countries to tackle key climate change challenges to their agricultural sectors.Its three themes are: (i) climate-friendly, inclusive, and gender responsive agri-food value chains and agribusiness; (ii) climate-adaptive agriculture in the context of water-energy food nexus; and (iii) harmonized crop and livestock safety and quality systems.
The SAFSP was prepared in response to the recommendations of GMS agriculture ministers in 2017. They expressed a joint vision of promoting the GMS as a leading supplier of safe, quality and climate-friendly agri-food products. Achieving this vision depends on overcoming multiple barriers along the agrifood value chains. The ministers endorsed the Strategy for Promoting Safe and Environment Friendly Agro-Based Value Chains in the GMS at the 2nd GMS Agriculture Ministers' Meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia on 6-8 September 2017. The Strategy aims 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.
The GMS SAFSP builds on the achievements of the GMS Core Agriculture Support Program (CASP) phase I (2006-2012) and phase II (2011-2020).
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)
• GMS Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security Program Newsletter
• Working Group on Agriculture (WGA)
Focal Persons at the Asian Development Bank
Srinivasan Ancha
Climate Change, Resilience, and Environment Cluster
Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department
Renalyn Asuncion Padilla
Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office
Sectors Group
Other Concerned Staff & Consultants
Asadullah Sumbal
Regional Cooperation and Integration Unit
Southeast Asia Department
Rafaelita Jamon
Regional Cooperation and Integration Unit
Southeast Asia Department/GMS Secretariat
Send inquiries to GMS CCESP Secretariat and GMS Secretariat.
Over 500 kilometers of roads in six provinces in Western Cambodia are being rebuilt and repaired under a flood damage emergency reconstruction project. The region is crucial to the country's agrarian-based economy.
A long stretch of road linking several provinces of Myanmar, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Thailand and Viet Nam is home to many impoverished farmers. But things are slowly changing. Thanks to an improved road system, farmers now have an opportunity to distribute their agricultural products over long distances, reaching large, rich markets across the region. Farmers are also adding value to agricultural
This is the summary of proceedings from the 11th Meeting of the Greater Mekong Subregion Working Group on Agriculture held on 26 March 2014 in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.
NAY PYI TAW, MYANMAR (25 March 2014) – Member countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion face losing recent development gains unless they invest more to secure natural resource stocks, senior officials from the six countries heard at a meeting in Myanmar today.
This document summarizes the outcome of the Tenth Meeting of the Greater Mekong Subregion Working Group on Agriculture (WGA-10), held in Xiengkhouang, Lao People‟s Democratic Republic on 3 April 2013.
This document summarizes the outcome of the knowledge event, Facilitating Green Pro-Poor Value Chains in the Greater Mekong Subregion, held in Xiengkhouang, Lao People's Democratic Republic on 2 April 2013.
The is the summary of proceedings from the 9th Meeting of the Working Group on Agriculture of the Greater Mekong Subregion held in Nanning, Guangxi, People’s Republic of China on 4-6 July 2012.
MANILA, PHILIPPINES (7 November 2012) - The Asian Development Bank and Australian Agency for International Development will provide an $87.39 million package of loans and grants to help Lao People's Democratic Republic and Viet Nam pair infrastructure upgrades with community-based disaster risk management and enhanced regional forecasting to improve flood and drought preparedness in the Greater Mekong Subregion.
Trade facilitation of agri-food products can potentially reduce trade barriers, lower transaction costs, foster efficiency along the supply chains, and reduce poverty in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).
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.
Greater Mekong Subregion Secretariat
Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination Division,
Southeast Asia Department, Asian Development Bank
Address: 6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City 1550, Metro Manila, Philippines
Telephone: +63 2 8632 4444 Fax: +63 2 8636 2226