ALiSEA 1st Annual General Meeting in Myanmar, Yangon, 22-23 February 2018

The 1^st Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Agroecology Learning alliance in South East Asia (ALiSEA) in Myanmar was organized in Yangon on the 22 and 23 February 2018. The support to the emergence of ALiSEA is part of a regional program, Towards an Agroecological Transition (ACTAE), funded by the French Agency for Development (AFD) and implemented by GRET.

The AGM was attended by 46 participants from a broad diversity of organizations (Local & International NGO, Farmer Federations, Research Centers, Academia, Private Sector and Government Agency).

This event was organized around a two-days meeting alternating presentations, insightful talks and field visits. The field visits, on the 22 February 2018, brought the participants to 2 organic farms: Myanmar Organic Farm Co. Ltd located in Pan Tapwint Taung village, near Hmawbi Township and part of the Myanmar Organic Farm Movement (AMFM) and Kokkoya Organics, an urban farm located in North Dagon Township and operating through a Community Supported Agriculture model. It enabled participants to witness first hand organic initiatives and exchange with experienced farmers.

The AGM provided a space for:

Reinforcing and envisioning a broad coalition of stakeholders involved in the promotion of agroecology in Myanmar
Presenting and sharing ALiSEA progress activities and updates on granted organizations of the 1^st and 2^nd calls for proposals from ALiSEA and CANSEA Grant Facility
Identifying collective actions and events to be organized in 2018
Facilitating multi-stakeholders’ discussions about agroecology vision & practices as well as ways to develop incentive for AE production upscaling in Myanmar

An ALiSEA members’ fair was organized and visited at each coffee break, highlighting participants products, printed pictures of their work, posters, IEC materials, leaflets, name cards and any other relevant supports in order to enhance their visibility and foster networking and knowledge sharing.

All presentations that have supported the discussions over the second day are available for download hereafter:

Introduction session

ALiSEA Small Grant Facility:

Presentation of on going Small Grants in Myanmar:

MOGPA: Improvement of Organic – PGS Certification Awareness
MIID, Upland Value Chains and Climate Change Adaptation in Taungyoe Ethnic Communities
Chalmers University of Technology, Agro-ecology for resilient and sustainable livelihoods of natural disaster affected groups: Co-evaluation and research in development with smallholders of Tonzang, Tedim and Kale townships in north-western Myanmar
Terres des Hommes (TdH): Ecosystem approach for drought resistant home gardening in Central Dry Zone
ECHO Asia – Asia Regional Impact Center: Saving seeds, securing biodiversity, and sustaining rural livelihoods in the Irrawaddy Delta

CANSEA Small Grant:

Department of Land Use Planning: Farmer Participatory Approach on Soil and Water Conservation Practices Leading to Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture, Case Study: Inlay Lake Watershed Area (FCA-INLE)

ALiSEA Network: Members’ participation, Charter and Collective actions

The ToR and mandate for ALiSEA National Secretariat in Myanmar was presented in order to introduce the new focal point, Daw Kyain Kyain:

A presentation from Alin Ein which is hosting the national secretariat was also done:

In order to increase engagement of ALiSEA members, a presentation of all the communication tools has been done:

The ALiSEA charter (draft of March 2017) hasn’t been presented during the AGM due to lack of time. It will be shared shortly via email and followed up by an online consultation for feedback and approval.

2 short films addressing Youth and Agroecology were screened:

Mr Ken, about Laos

The Spirit of Young enterpreneurs in Cambodia

Agroecology vision and practices in Myanmar, building a common understanding and supporting AE upscaling

In order to further clarify the concept of agroecology, a game, the River of Doubt, was conducted, fostering dialogue and exchange among the participants and leading to a common understanding.

Lastly, the AGM was concluded by a session dedicated to participants who wanted to share their experiences, outside of the framework of ALiSEA;