FAO-VREDESEILANDEN Southeast Asia Sub-Regional Seminar on Enhancing Capacities of NGOs and Farmer Groups to Link Farmers to Market

9-12 May 2006, Bali, Indonesia

FAO, Vredeseilanden and its country offices in Southeast Asia (VECO Indonesia, VECO Vietnam and VECO Laos) organized a four-day seminar in Bali, Indonesia to provide a venue for discussion for NGOs to articulate pressing issues and concerns on agricultural marketing, and for NGOs and farmer groups to identify how best they can enhance their roles in assisting small producers to obtain greater returns from their produce.

Specifically the objectives were to:

1. Provide on overview on the state of agricultural marketing in Southeast Asia and the experiences to date in linking farmers to markets across the region;

2. Share and learn from the marketing initiatives and experiences of various NGOs operating in the region;

3. Identify priority areas that will lead to small producers being linked to dynamic and vibrant markets where they get better returns for their produce; and

4. Identify capacity building needs for NGOs to enable them to carry out better their chosen roles in the development of agricultural marketing in the region in the service and to the benefit of small producers.

Full report available here [1].