Asia-Pacific workshop on pro-poor policies on food, agriculture opens in Cambodia
September 1, 2010 10:30 am
PHNOM PENH, Aug. 31 — An Asia-Pacific workshop held in Cambodia calls for strengthening capacity for policy analysis over pro-poor policy in food and agriculture, according to a statement released Tuesday.
The statement released by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said the one-week workshop which started on Monday is providing theoretical and practical grounding in pro-poor policy concepts and related tools.
The workshop is held in the northern province of Siem Reap, and the meeting was opened by Kith Seng, undersecretary of state of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the FAO representative in Cambodia, Ajay Markanday.
At the opening, Kith Seng expressed his support to endeavors for "creative exchange of experiences and debate toward fostering agricultural and rural development in the region."
In addition to the workshop's capacity strengthening focus, Ajay Markanday urged participants to "learn from other participant countries' experiences, challenges and solutions and gain insights from their lessons learned and best practices."
According to Sumiter Singh Broca, policy officer based at FAO's regional office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, "the workshop presents an exciting opportunity to address general economic concepts and analytical tools required for sound policy making, in the context of rapidly changing preferences, technologies, and institutions in food and agricultural markets."
Twenty-four officials from nine Asia-Pacific region countries are attending the workshop which will end on September 5.
The workshop is organized by an FAO Pro-Poor Policy regional project funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme in Bangladesh supported by USAID and the European Union. (PNA/Xinhua) vcs/utb
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