As part of the conference, participants were invited to discuss the six Farming First principles as an approach to sustainable agriculture in the future. The six principles are designed to be farmer-centric, knowledge-based and dynamic so that continual progress can be made in achieving food security in a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable manner.

The three-day conference addressed the four basic dimensions of food security: availability, physical access, economic access and utilisation. Topics discussed in sessions included sustainable growth in agricultural production, resilient food supply chains, the impacts of trade policies, and humanitarian food aid strategies.

With the IFAD reporting that 60.5 per cent of rural Asians living in poverty, hundreds of experts have stressed the importance of increasing food production in a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable manner in Asia, calling for a ‘doubly green revolution’.

And as rice yields in Asia are expected to fall between 17-20 per cent by 2050 due to rising temperatures, policymakers need to ensure that the world’s farmers have access to the appropriate mix of tools, knowledge and technologies they need to boost productivity and maintain viable rural livelihoods. Singapore has already announced funding of US$8.2 million for research into new rice varieties.

Siang Hee Tan, Farming First spokesperson  and Executive Director of CropLife Asia, said:

“Asia’s farmers are small-scale entrepreneurs in the making. If they are equipped and supported to adapt to meet the world’s food demands, they can boost their own livelihoods while driving broader economic development.”

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GAIN, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, supports public-private partnerships that are working to improve access to the missing nutrients in diets necessary for people to be stronger and healthier. Last month, GAIN launched a new major multi-sectoral partnership to provide vitamin A fortified vegetable oil to Indonesians that will reach over 80 percent of the population. GAIN will commit a US$ 3.5 million grant over the next 5 years to support oil refineries with the necessary equipment and training to produce fortified unbranded vegetable oil. In Indonesia, 40 percent of children under 5 years old are stunted (low height for age). One  in  five  pre-school  age  children  in  Indonesia  are  deficient  in  vitamin  A.

Set up in 2002 at a special session of the UN General Assembly on Children, GAIN has worked alongside more than 600 companies across 36 large-scale collaborations in more than 25 countries, reaching close to 400 million people with nutritionally enhanced food products. GAIN partners with business, governments, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, academia and other key players in the nutrition sector to deliver programs to vulnerable populations as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Targeted programmes deliver fortified food products including complementary foods and supplements to vulnerable population groups, including a premix; a commercially prepared blend of vitamins and minerals used to fortify staple foods.

GAIN is also part of international multi-sectoral initiatives that support countries in implementing policies for better nutrition such as the Flour Fortification Initiative, working to make flour fortification (involving iron, folic acid, zinc, vitamin B12 and vitamin A) a standard milling practice and also the Iodine Network, supporting universal salt iodization to eliminate iodine deficiency that is an easily preventable cause of mental retardation.

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The scheme, thought to be a worldwide first, has been launched by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) where scientists have spent 18 years refining a computerized system to advise farmers on optimal fertilizer use via their cell phones.  Farmers in the most remote areas can receive fertilizer advice via text message. Launched in the Philippines, where more than 90 percent of the population owns a mobile phone, the technology holds great potential.

The computer tool, called Nutrient Manager for Rice, is based on the site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) approach developed by the IRRI which offers principles for nutrient best management practices. Studies on the SSNM principles have shown them to increase rice yield and profit, increase the efficiency of fertilizer use and reduce the leakage of nutrients to the environment.

Nutrient Manager for Rice is tailored to the rice-growing conditions of a country or region and is user-friendly for extension workers, crop advisors and farmers without any need for soil and plant analyses.

The user dials a toll-free number on their mobile phone, answers a list of 10 to 15 multiple-choice questions about their fields, and then they will receive a text message indicating the amounts, sources and timings of fertilizer application for that specific rice field. The service is automated and delivered in 4 languages that are used in the Philippines, including English.  A demonstration of the service is available on the internet (www.irri.org/nmrice).

Ninety percent of the world’s rice is produced and consumed in Asia. Fertilizers are an important input for producing sufficient supplies of rice to meet increasing demands.

In an interview with Voice of America, IRRI Senior Scientist Roland Buresh said that if the technology is used correctly farmers could yield $100 more per hectare.

IRRI are now working to develop the technology to the needs of rice farmers in South India, Vietnam and West Africa; maize in Bangladesh; and the rice-wheat cropping system in North India.

For more information on this programme, click here to go the IFA’s website.

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Since 2006, the Thai Crop Protection Association (TCPA) has been actively reaching out to smallholders in Chantaburi, a key fruit production province in the east. The objective: to help fruit farmers grow bigger and better quality crops, thereby improving their income. Growers of mangosteen, rambutan and durian used to apply pesticides excessively – and ineffectively. In addition, they had little knowledge about efficient pesticide use, personal safety and environmental protection. The result: low yields, high costs and risks of pesticide exposure.

In partnership with the Department of Agriculture, TCPA trained fruit farmers on Good Agricultural Practices, including environmentally friendly methods to deal with pest infestations and the responsible use of pesticides. To help more farmers export their fruit, the partners also provided training on food safety, including ways to minimize pesticide residue on crops.

Besides fruit farmers, TCPA also worked with the Royal Project Foundation in the country’s rural north to promote more effective crop protection practices in over 275 villages. In addition, TCPA’s Train the Trainer initiative has motivated farmer leaders to educate others, creating a cascade effect and expanding outreach in the country.

Wuttichai Prakosub, 24, grows mangosteen and durian on a six-hectare family farm in Chantaburi, Thailand. He plans to produce mangosteen to meet global standards for Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and export the fruit to countries in the European Union (EU).

Currently, I am selling mangosteen just to local cooperatives. What I’d like to do is make more money by working with major exporters and sell my fruit at higher prices to markets in the EU. Training by the TCPA on the responsible use of pesticides has helped me grow higher quality fruit. I have cut pesticide costs by 30 percent and am contributing to food safety. For instance, I refrain from spraying crop protection products 14 days before harvest. The training has also helped me to understand global GAP better. I’m confident we will eventually produce mangosteen that are fit for export.

Visit www.croplifeasia.org to learn more about work towards sustainable agriculture across the Asia Pacific region.

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To transfer skills and technology to Vietnam’s farmers, CropLife Vietnam is working closely with the Plant Protection Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on farmer training programs. In 2008, 1,505 growers of vegetables, fruit and tea in nine provinces benefited from training provided by the private-public partnership.

In the same period, 44 farmer field schools were established nationwide. Another 40,000 have learnt Good Agricultural Practices, including crop selection, fertilizer usage as well as the responsible use of pesticides, through mass media campaigns and TV contests for farmers.

These campaigns are highly effective in reaching farmers in remote areas, while being entertaining and educational.

CropLife Vietnam is concerned about the problems faced by rice farmers, many of whom are struggling to combat infestation of their crops by brown plant hoppers. This year, training has been expanded to include rice farmers in key growing areas. Vietnam is the world’s second-largest exporter of rice after Thailand.

Ngo Thi Nhieu, a 35-year-old farmer from Vietnam’s Dong Mai village in Bac Ninh province, used to struggle to produce enough from her 1-acre land to feed her family. Today, her family has enough to eat because she produces enough to sell what she grows and makes a comfortable living.

For the first time in 2005, Ngo learnt how to combat pest infestations on her rice and vegetable fields in a session conducted by the CropLife-MARD partnership. In the past, she used traditional farming methods her parents taught her.

Today, we are very much aware of food safety standards at home and around the world. We take great care in everything we do – from choosing the seed, to using fertilizer, water and pesticides properly. We are fully aware of the importance of food safety.

Training has made a big difference in Ngo’s life. She added, “Not only my family – but also my neighbors – we all have a better life.”

Visit www.croplifeasia.org to learn more about work towards sustainable agriculture across the Asia Pacific region.

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The content of iodine in food depends on the iodine content of the soils in which crops are grown. In the Western diet, the most common source of iodine is iodized salt however, in certain countries, iodization of salt is inefficient due to infrastructure or cultural problems. Moreover, iodized salt does not reach the root cause of iodine deficiency. People at risk from iodine deficiency are often the poorest populations living on subsistence agriculture and in an environment that is unable to provide the correct mineral balance.

In Xinjiang Province, in the North West of China, the soil is particularly poor in iodine with an associated high infant-mortality rate. In 1997, the Xinjiang Uiger Autonomous Region Health Bureau, with the support of the Thrasher Foundation, the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr Foundation, Kiwanis International and UNICEF, launched the Iodine Dripping Project (XIDP). This project aimed at supplying the water irrigation system with iodine using an iodine fertilizer dripping technique, called fertigation. With this technique, the iodine from the treated water is absorbed by the soil and progresses through plants and animals that eat the iodine-rich plants. At the top of the food chain, people eat these iodine–rich foods therefore increasing their iodine levels.

The iodine fertilizer dripping project has revealed unprecedented results. Not only did the iodine levels in women and children rose, halving the rates of infant mortality and improving children’s intelligence quotient, but also local livestock production increased by 40% in the first year. The livestock production increase contributed to raise the average family income by 5% annually.

The iodine dripping project in Xinjiang has also revealed that a single dripping can provide enough iodine for at least six years.

This experience demonstrates that micronutrient fertilizers can provide an efficient and cost-effective solution to malnutrition while improving the social and economical conditions of people in developing countries.

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The general idea is that a critical leaf colour has to be maintained for optimal growth, and the LCC provides guidance when to apply nitrogen fertilizer to avoid nitrogen deficiency. The critical leaf colour depends on the varietal group (inbred, hybrid, new plant type) and crop establishment method. The LCC is used at critical growth stages to decide whether the recommended standard nitrogen rate needs to be adjusted up or down based on the leaf colour.

The LCCs must be specific to the crops in the region: LCCs developed at the University of California, using Californian rice varieties, produced a spectrum of colours that did not match the rice leaves found in Asia. The Asian LCC can be used for all modern, high yielding rice varieties in Asia, but guidelines on the use of the chart have to be adjusted to local conditions.  Local guidelines on the LCC use have now been developed for the major irrigated rice domains in Asia.

The results of research show that for many farmers in Asia, sub-optimal nitrogen management is a key constraint to increasing yield. Consequently, improving nitrogen management can help produce greater yields. It was also found that yield responses to phosphorus and potassium fertilizers often occurred only after nitrogen management was improved.

Improved nitrogen and fertilizer management are key components of the site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) approach developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Field studies using the LCC method in major irrigated rice areas have shown significant yield and profit increases with SSNM over farmers’ typical use of fertilizers.

Since 2003, more than 250,000 LCCs have been distributed to Asian rice farmers in Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Burma, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Efforts are now underway to promote the technology at wider scale among Asian rice farmers.

The full case study, provided by the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) can be found here.

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Recognizing that farmers may not have expertise in protecting their crops, CropLife Taiwan has been reaching out to farmers nationwide on responsible pesticide use. Through farmers’ meetings, booklets and the dissemination of personal protection equipment, the Association aims to step up its efforts to educate farmers on product stewardship, including enhancing food safety.

CropLife Taiwan has partnered with the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) and crop protection associations to strengthen its farmer outreach initiatives. In Taoyuan county, the EPA and CropLife Taiwan have been training farmers on proper treatment of used pesticide containers, including triple rinsing and recycling. The objective is for farmers to be responsible stewards of the land and add value to the agricultural food chain.

Lin Ah Qin, a vegetable farmer from Taiwan’s Changhua county, struggled to support her family of three children after her husband passed away four years ago. With little knowledge about farming, yields were low.

Lin’s life turned around after she attended a farmers’ meeting in 2007. At the event, she learnt about protecting her harvests, including selecting crop protection products, frequency of use and dosage. In addition, Lin picked up tips on enhancing food safety by following product label instructions.

After using pesticides on her garlic crops to combat pests and disease, Lin saw a dramatic improvement. When the harvest came three months later, yields had jumped 14 percent. Encouraged, Lin followed the same guidelines with her winter crops. Again yields increased, this time by 15 percent.

Training on the responsible use of pesticides has resulted in greater efficiency and lower input costs for Lin. In addition, she learnt environmentally friendly ways of disposing of empty pesticide containers. Lin looks forward to the future with confidence, knowing her yields and income will continue to improve, sufficiently providing for her and her three children.

Visit www.croplifeasia.org to learn more about work towards sustainable agriculture across the Asia Pacific region.

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To improve safety for spray applicators, CropLife Philippines partnered with the Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority between 2006 and 2008 to develop an innovative crop protection product applicator. The extendable pole, made from either bamboo or aluminum alloy, enables spray applicators to spray mango trees from the ground. The partners have documented the methodology in a training handbook to benefit the industry, applicators and growers.

In addition to creating the extendable pole for spray applicators, the partners also launched training initiatives on Good Agricultural Practices, including Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM is an effective and environmentally friendly method of controlling pests. Farmers have learnt how to identify plant diseases and insect infestation levels and make decisions on the type and amount of pesticide to use by following the exact instructions on the product labels.

Visit www.croplifeasia.org to learn more about work towards sustainable agriculture across the Asia Pacific region.

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In 2008, 1,050 farmer field schools were set up across the region, offering training programs to 31,500 participants on reading and understanding instructions on product labels, correct transportation and secure storage of pesticides, safe handling and personal hygiene after spraying.

The partners’ program on responsible pesticide use was included in the Department’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) project for farmers in 2008. In addition, local doctors were taught how to identify and react to suspected cases of pesticide-related incidents, such as recognizing initial symptoms. The program has been such a success that 78 percent of participants encouraged other farmers to sign up for training.

Visit www.croplifeasia.org to learn more about work towards sustainable agriculture across the Asia Pacific region.

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