In the morning of February 07, 2022, the Executive Director of the NGO Forum on Cambodia and his colleagues attended the Annual Meeting of the Technical Working Group on Agriculture and Water, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology and FAO, co-chairing the working group and members of the technical working group from relevant ministries, development partners, civil society organizations, and NGOs.
The objectives of the Annual Meeting are 1) to review the progress of the Working Group on Agriculture and Water 2) to discuss and approve the Working Plan 2022 of the Working Group 3) to present the Cambodian Agricultural Diversification Project, a presentation on the Action Plan for Combat And declining soil quality and the final draft of the Agricultural Development Policy 2021-2030 and 4) others. Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Tek Vannara, Executive Director of the NGO Forum on Cambodia, thanked the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries and development partners for including the input from civil society organizations into the draft of Agricultural Development Policy 2021-2030 to meet the needs of smallholder farmers. At the same time, Mr. Vannara also requested for the meeting to include some points which benefit for the farmers and the communities that depend on forest resources and natural resources, such as:
1) the sustainability of natural rubber and the development of rubber. Towards families into the first strategic goal: to enhance the competitive agricultural product chain; On forest resources and natural resources into point ក-7
2)on increasing products and value-added in the value chain of forest and wildlife production 3) Incorporate the promotion of smallholder agricultural production through digital agricultural markets into point € -10
4) Incorporate the increase of resources and techniques for community forestry and fisheries management into points -1 and -2 on improving management. Forests and wildlife and fisheries resources
5) Incorporate ecotourism development National and ecotourism is a joint mechanism to support the management and development of community forests, and fishing communities to increase people’s income and career choices in points -1 and -2 as well.
6) Include the promotion of research and resource development of Marine fisheries for the sustainable management of marine fisheries resources and coastal areas in ensuring the sustainability of marine biodiversity and the livelihoods of communities into point -2 on improving fisheries resources management
7) Incorporate forest law amendments The Law on Fisheries into the monitoring indicators in the fourth goal to strengthen governance and human resource development in the agricultural sector and sustainable zoos model in Cambodia; and
8) Request the Sub-Working Group on Gender, Climate Change, and Indigenous Peoples to provide additional support for the Joint Technical Working Group on Agriculture and Water. In response, H.E the Co-Chair of the meeting agreed and requested the Director of the Secretariat of the Technical Working Group to review and consider the submission as appropriate.
