GIZ and partners implement a range of projects dealing with agriculture. To further strengthen the regional rice sector and reduce poverty, BRIA (Better Rice Initiative) will work closer together with its two sister projects:
ASEAN SAS (Sustainable Agrifood Systems) and RIICE (Remote sensing-based Information and Insurance for Crops in Emerging economies)
ASEAN SAS (Sustainable Agrifood Systems) ensures long-term food security in ASEAN and improves the livelihoods of farmers.
It focuses on three areas:
- Develop a policy framework for a sustainable agrifood sector.
- Promote the use of sustainable inputs and crop management practices.
- Promote sustainable value chains in collaboration with the private sector.
Dr. Yotsawin, ASEAN SAS Component Leader for Market Linkages, offers advisory support on value chains and market linkages to BRIA. He believes bringing in more private partners should benefit smallholder farmers. Last year, BRIA signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Olam International and Deutsche Bank (DB). Olam International is a global leader in supply chain management of agricultural products and food ingredients and should considerably contribute to a more competitive rice sector, enhanced market linkages and an improved rice value chain. John Deere, the world’s largest agricultural machinery company, should help raise rice production and productivity while BRIA can tap into the financial expertise of DB for Agricultural Value Chain Financing (AVCF). The Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) standard, which BRIA and Olam support, will set sustainable environmentally-friendly standards for rice production with traceability.
The livelihood of smallholder farmers living in rural areas depends heavily on agriculture and natural resources and farmers face different types of risk in each day. Agricultural risk management is therefore also important. Dr. Yotsawin explains that farmers may reduce agricultural risks through various measures such as diversification, crop insurance, contract farming, adopting new technologies, forming farmer groups or cooperatives or compliance with international standards.
Crop insurance not only protects against losses but also offers the opportunity for more consistent gains. In this regard, BRIA will work with RIICE (Remote sensing-based Information and Insurance for Crops in Emerging economies) to enhance farmers’ understanding of crop insurance and particularly to encourage their participation in the “area yield index insurance pilot,” which RIICE will implement in Suphanburi and Ubon Ratchathani Provinces, two BRIA project sites in Thailand to better manage production risks.