19th Annual Meeting of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Working Group on Agriculture (WGA)

Members of the Working Group on Agriculture (WGA) from the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), met in-person in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, and via videoconference on 21-23 June 2022, for the 19th Annual Meeting of the WGA (WGA AM-19). The meeting deliberated on the theme “Adaptation of GMS Agriculture in the context of Climate Change and the Water-Food-Energy (WFE) Nexus”.

Outcomes of the meeting are as follows:

1. The WGA noted that the GMS potential to produce safe, nutritious, and environment friendly agri-food products can be achieved by advancing subregional cooperation in adaptation to climate change and operationalizing water-food-energy (WFE) nexus approach.
2. The WGA agreed on the need for improved WFE nexus assessments to inform investment decisions and enhanced monitoring of nexus trade-offs using innovative information technologies. The WGA called for improving cross-sector collaboration and coordination, and for mobilizing investments in nature-based solutions to manage WFE trade-offs.
3. The WGA agreed that improved soil health and water productivity are critical to enhance climate resilience in agri-food systems. The WGA called for enhanced investments in climate-smart irrigation and water management, and integrated nutrient management and other Good Agriculture Practices to improve soil health based on principles of agroecology and regenerative agriculture. The WGA called for including soil care and health in the global climate change agenda and supported the objectives of increasing organic matter in all agricultural soils through new business models for extension and adopting digital agriculture innovations.
4. The WGA expressed concern about the growing adverse impacts of supply chain disruptions due to 3Cs: (i) conflicts, (ii) coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, and (iii) climate change, on food security of vulnerable populations in the GMS. The WGA agreed that enabling policies to adapt GMS agriculture to these issues are needed and must be further discussed.
5. The WGA stressed the need for meaningful engagement of the youth in GMS agriculture and rural vitalization, and appreciated the efforts of young agripreneurs to apply innovative technologies to addressing challenges facing agriculture and making farming more attractive and profitable.
6. The WGA confirmed five priorities for action to be pursued and sustained beyond the implementation period of technical assistance on GMS Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security, namely;
   
   • build institutional and technical capacities for assessing, monitoring, and managing the WFE trade-offs and for mobilizing investments in nature-based solutions to address water, food and energy insecurities in a changing climate;
   • enhance investments on climate smart agriculture to improve soil health and water productivity in cropping systems ;
   • contribute to 3Cs recovery efforts by supporting measures to develop and adapt supply chains to improve the access of agribusinesses and farmers to higher value markets, and alternative options to lower the cost of inputs and to improve resource use efficiency;
   • enhance the participation of youth in GMS agriculture; and
   • engage with other development partners and the private sector on transboundary adaptation of agriculture and water resources.

To support the implementation of the Strategy for Promoting Safe and Environment-Friendly Agro-Based Value Chains in the GMS, ADB approved a Knowledge and Support Technical Assistance (TA) entitled Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security Program (SAFSP) to be implemented from April 2020 to March 2025. The outcome of the TA is: ‘GMS investments in and capacity for climate-friendly, safe, and sustainable agri-food value chains increased’. The TA has three outputs: (i) Climate-friendly, inclusive, and gender-responsive agri-food value chains and agribusinesses strengthened; (ii) Harmonized crop and livestock safety and quality systems adopted; and (iii) Climate-adaptive agriculture in the context of the water-energy-food security nexus enhanced.

Presentations to be provided upon request. Please send email to gmswga-secretariat@greatermekong.org.