Panel 1: Regoverning Markets: Sharing Innovative Practices and Policy Lessons
Rapid changes are taking place in the structure and governance of national and regional agri-food markets in developing countries, affecting the ability of agriculture to contribute to economic growth, poverty reduction and sustainable rural development. Small-scale agriculture, which supports the livelihoods of the majority of rural poor, is poorly prepared for these changes.
The Tenth SDC will examine empirical case studies of innovative practices in connecting small-scale producers with dynamic markets where farmers are included in the supply chain. Inclusion is defined as the capacity of small-scale producers and rural small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to sustain their participation in a given supply chain and restructured market as it evolves.
Submissions are invited identifying good practices, policy lessons for public and private sector actors and innovative local or regional level case studies in supporting greater participation by small-scale farmers in dynamic markets.
Contact:
Sajid Kazmi, Consultant, SDPI
Email: sajid@sdpi.org
Shakeel Ahmad Ramay, Research Assistant
Email: shakeel@sdpi.org
Panel 2: ABS: Addressing the livelihood concerns of the farming communities?
The right to access and benefit sharing (ABS) of genetic resource and exploitation of the communities for commercial utilization lies under the sovereign authority of the national governments and their legislation. The importance of fair and equitable benefit sharing of the commercial utilization of genetic resources depends upon the rights of indigenous people over the natural resources and also for the protection of the traditional practices and knowledge of the local people. The benefits that arise from the bilateral trade of genetic resources for the various stakeholders and the problems that emerge can be better solved if the government develops policies that are pro poor.
South Asia is rich in plant genetic resources and many countries in the region have important medicinal value. Economic importance of cultivating medicinal herbs and the profits that are received by wholesalers are the factors that can affect the livelihood of the poor farming communities and reduce their outreach if not given prior importance in the policy formulation. It is imperative for resource rich countries to grasp the opportunities that are fast emerging in the international trade of these medicinal herbs in order to gain foreign exchange for the country.
In developing countries like Pakistan, majority of the population is involved in farming from centuries. Food security of these farming communities depends upon the natural resources and indigenous knowledge related to crop/plant genetic resources. Plant genetic resources is the result of collective action over many generations of crop and farming communities e.g. growing, production, exchange and sale of seeds, shared knowledge and the storage, conservation and protection of wild as well as valuable traits of genetic resources. Small farmers in Pakistan are not organized in a formal way, and all efforts pertaining to genetic resources are informal and decentralized. Laws are generally inappropriate and inadequate for defending the rights and resources of indigenous communities of the developing countries. There are thus a number of models that are emerging internationally to help these farmers in developing the basis for a future legal system to protect and conserve their knowledge and resources.
Policy or legislation in drafting national ABS law cannot be effective without the participation of the stakeholders, especially the communities/farmers, who are the real custodians of the genetic resources and traditional knowledge. Beside farmers, government, research departments, pharmaceutical companies and the scientists’ views are also important in drafting the law, as they are involved in the collection and use of the genetic resources and indigenous knowledge. The policy makers are playing the main role in the game of decision making, as they are the implementing body, so without the consensus, participation and support of stakeholders, they are unable to ensure the feasibility of law and its proper implementation.
With a focus on South Asia, the panel will look at good practices and policies/laws pertaining to ABS and livelihood concerns of the farming communities.
Contact:
Mehnaz Ajmal Paracha, Project Associate, SDPI
Email: mehnaz@sdpi.org
Panel 3: Domestic Preparedness: The Challenges of Trade Liberalization and Globalization
Pakistan, along with other like-minded partners, has been an important player in the WTO arena since the inception of WTO in 1995. However, at the domestic front there was a lack of policy consistency until recently. It was in 1999 that Pakistan began tuning up its trade policy framework to face the challenges posed by various WTO agreements and to capture the opportunities offered by a much liberalized world of trade, mainly following an export led growth strategy. Since the 2001 WTO Doha Ministerial Conference there has been a fundamental shift on services. This more recent negotiating stand on services is attributable to the growing importance of the services sector in the economies of developing countries and their trade and investment flow. Access to a growing external market, liberalization of domestic economy and technological advances are the main factors playing an important role in the services sector.
South Asia, with its large population, has a huge interest in export of services. Liberalization of trade has also given rise to the creation of institutional regionalism. This resulted in the signing of the South Asian Preferential Trade Agreement (SAPTA) and South Asian Free Trade Agreements (SAFTA). To have a common position is not trouble-free because South Asian countries lack interest given various impediments. The region needs to focus on developmental elements while negotiating on services. In this respect, a detailed analysis of generating export surpluses, domestic policy and regulatory frameworks are the fundamental requirements. Domestic regulation protects national policy objectives and is therefore vital for developing countries while undertaking liberalization of their services sectors.
It is important to pursue full and effective implementation of the modalities for the special treatment for developing countries in trade in services. This means developing methods for effective implementation of the developing countries modalities in trade in services, including assisting them to identify sectors and modes of supply that represent development priorities.
This panel will examine the following:
- present state of domestic preparedness in terms of regulatory framework export enhancement and safeguards
- features and extent of service sector liberalization
- experiences and growth in the commitments
- potential areas where further commitments can be made.
Panelists will share country specific findings leading towards a common South Asian position and suggest ways to improve domestic preparedness and safeguards to be followed to have better negotiating position in South Asia.
Contact:
Mehnaz Ajmal Paracha, Project Associate, SDPI
Email: mehnaz@sdpi.org
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