Description:
"The project introduced PGS to the participating countries, provided PGS-specific
training at national level, formed the trained farmers into PGS groups, linked
them to potential markets, buyers and consumers, organized media campaigns
and developed promotional materials to raise awareness on PGS and organic
agriculture, and created, in collaboration with IFOAM-Organics International,
the Global PGS map and registered the PGS groups on it. In order to do this,
13 participants (46 percent women) from Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic
Republic and Myanmar were trained as master trainers through a regional training
of trainers event on PGS. These, in their turn, trained 255 farmers (44 percent
women) in Cambodia and 262 (56 percent women) in Lao People’s Democratic
Republic in PGS. At the end of the project, 96 farmers (58 percent women) in
Cambodia and 194 farmers (50 percent women) in Lao People’s Democratic
Republic were members of formed and operational PGS groups. The number of
regular consumers is estimated at 8 200 for Cambodia and 8 300 for Lao People’s
Democratic Republic. This translates into improved livelihoods for smallholder
farmers, and safe and fresh products for consumers. The project also made a
comprehensive assessment of the legal and regulatory environment in each
country.
Smallholder farmers in PGS groups have improved their selling conditions,
increased their income and improved their livelihoods. The volume of PGS
production in both countries is estimated to be more than 1 000 tonnes per year,
mainly of vegetables and fruit, representing a gross value of more than
USD 900 000 per year. Farmers now have the capacities and incentives to
continue to produce PGS-organic products and to market them through different
channels. Many farmers also reported more confidence in explaining to
consumers and buyers the benefit of PGS, and some farmers are now trainers
in their rural communities. Knowledge-sharing and empowerment are among
the benefits of working with PGS; for instance, facilitating organizations are
empowered and continue to support PGS in rural communities on their own
initiative. At national level, the participating governments are now developing
national documents that envisage the role of PGS as a verification system for
organic agriculture, especially for local and national markets..."
Source/publisher:
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Date of Publication:
2017-12-01
Date of entry:
2019-06-18
Grouping:
- Individual Documents
Category:
Countries:
Myanmar
Language:
English
Local URL:
Format:
pdf
Size:
681.81 KB
Resource Type:
text
Text quality:
- Good