Asia-Pacific experts and policymakers met this week (15-17 November 2016) in Bogor, Indonesia at a three-day workshop on ways to transition the region towards sustainable agriculture.
The transition to sustainable agriculture is critical for the Asia-Pacific region in order to reduce poverty and help achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Goal 2—End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture—calls for an urgent and concerted effort to end hunger and poverty and change to more sustainable approaches in food production and consumption.
According to organizers of the event, reorienting policy throughout the region towards sustainable agriculture can achieve increased food production, ensure environmental and social sustainability, and enhance the resilience of food systems to climate change and natural disasters.
The three-day workshop—organized by the Centre for Alleviation of Poverty through Sustainable Agriculture (CAPSA) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)—brought in experts, policymakers, analysts and practitioners from Asia-Pacific countries to discuss a variety of innovative policy options for accelerating transitions to sustainable agriculture. The discussions focused how potential polices impact people, the environment, social and political institutions, as well as ways to measure policy effectiveness and progress.
“In addition to enhancing the capacity for formulating, implementing and monitoring the progress in sustainable agriculture policies, the workshop also strengthens regional networking for knowledge and experience sharing among policymakers, senior officials and experts in Asia Pacific working for promoting sustainable agriculture” noted Mr. Masakazu Ichimura, Director of CAPSA.
Co-organized with the Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP) and with financial support from the Asia-Pacific Regional Action Plan of the Global Strategy to Improve Agricultural and Rural Statistics, the workshop showcased emerging practices, successful actions and lessons learned, as well as perspectives for future regional cooperation from representative leaders, practitioners and experts from ESCAP member States.