Promoting climate-sensitive agricultural value chains in ASEAN (ASEAN AgriTrade)

Promotion of Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains in ASEAN (ASEAN AgriTrade)

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  • Commissioning Party

    German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)

  • Country

    ASEAN Member States, with pilot activities in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Viet Nam

  • Lead executing agency

    More

  • Overall term

    2020 to 2023

  • Other Stakeholders

    The ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Crops (ASWGC)

  • Products and expertise

    Economic Development and Employment

A group of people in front of a screen.Photo: GIZ

Context

The free movement of goods and services is one of the main goals of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Agriculture is a major source of income for many of its Member States and is important for regional integration. ASEAN aims to improve the quality of agricultural production and cooperation in the region to boost its internal and external trade. It also strives to improve its production of ‘organic foods’ in line with international standards on quality and environmental protection.

These goals require the harmonisation of standards and the implementation of accreditation and certification schemes. Although many ASEAN Member States have already improved their standards, this does not guarantee them access to global markets. Furthermore, the private sector is lagging behind in its application of standards already in place. To counteract this, the project provides assistance in overcoming barriers to cross-border agricultural trade within ASEAN and beyond. It also helps partners to implement quality, safety and environmental standards more effectively in order to improve integration into regional and global value chains.

Women are working to dry fruit. Photo: GIZ/Vu Chau Ngoc.

Objective

The framework conditions for the implementation of environmental standards in agricultural value chains with a focus on climate-relevant aspects are improving in the ASEAN region.

Approach

The project promotes environmentally friendly agricultural value chains in ASEAN by:

  • enhancing cooperation between relevant ASEAN bodies and the private sector,
  • gender mainstreaming in relevant ASEAN strategy documents,
  • improving the prerequisites for private sector engagement, including climate-smart agriculture practices,
  • organising awareness campaigns on the health and ecological benefits, including climate benefits of the climate-sensitive cultivation of agricultural products and
  • by compiling lessons learned from implementing quality and environmental standards to be used by decision-makers in the CLMV countries.

Last update: May 2023

A group of people in front of a screen.Photo: GIZ/Pipat Noithai

Additional information