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Appendix
4: Result of NGO Discussions on the Draft Socio-Economic Development Plan
Prepared by NGOs working in
Cambodia
20 August 2001
CONTENTS:
PROCESS FOR MAKING THESE COMMENTS
VISION AND STRATEGIES
COVERAGE OF THE SEDP II
CHAPTER 3 DEVELOPMENT PERFORMANCE AND STRUCTURAL REFORMS, 1996-2000
CHAPTER 4: THE DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGE - POPULATION AND POVERTY
4.2 Poverty
4.3 Specific Vulnerable Groups
4.4 Gender and Development
CHAPTER 5: THE GOVERNANCE ENVIRONMENT
CHAPTER 7: AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMEN
Part I: Developing Agriculture, the Key to Poverty Reduction and Improved Food Security
Goals of Agriculture
Import and Use of External Inputs
Cambodian Agriculture and Globalization
National Land Use Planning
Reform of MAFF
Priorities of Research and Extension
Irrigation
Sections dealing with Forestry
7.2.6 Forestry
General Comments
Sections dealing with Fisheries
Sections dealing with Rural Development
7.12 Environmental Management and Conservation
CHAPTER 8: NATURE BASED AND CULTURAL TOURISM
CHAPTER 10: TRADE AND FINANCIAL SECTOR DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 12: EDUCATION
OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
KEY ISSUES
Coordination and Collaboration
Recommendations
Allocation of Resources
Recommendations
The MoEYS 5-year ESP
Recommendations
CHAPTER 13: HEALTH
GENERAL COMMENT
SPECIFIC COMMENTS
Financial resources & Fiscal reform
The Health Status of Cambodians
CHAPTER 14: HIV/AIDS
WOMEN’S INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES, TRADE AND AGRICULTURAL POLICY
Process for Making these Comments
On 23 July 2001, the NGO Forum on Cambodia and some other NGOs received from the Ministry of Planning a copy of the second draft of the SEDP II, in both Khmer and English, together with a letter asking for NGOs’ suggestions on how to finalise the document. This was the first time that any draft had been fully translated into Khmer, and the first request for comments on the second draft. On 27 July, the NGO Forum wrote to the Ministry of Planning asking for information on the deadline for comments, and suggesting that the plan include more on disaster management and decentralised development plans.
The NGO Forum on Cambodia called a meeting of NGOs on 31 July in order to facilitate NGO comment on the draft. Invitations were sent to over 70 NGOs and NGO membership organisations. The Ministry of Planning was invited to send an observer. The meeting was attended by 32 NGO representatives from a variety of sectors.
At the meeting, various NGOs volunteered to review sections of the draft SEDP II document, related to their areas of expertise. A deadline of two weeks was set for submission of comments to the NGO Forum. Minutes of the meeting were sent to the Ministry of Planning.
Comments were subsequently received from 4 NGO membership organisations and 9 individual NGOs. The contributing organisations were the NGO Forum, Medicam, the NGO Education Partnership, the Disability Action Council (DAC), Cooperation International pour le Development et la Solidarite (CIDSE), Jesuit Service Cambodia, Oxfam Great Britain, Center for Social Development, Centre d’Etude et de Developpement Agricole Cambodgien (CEDAC), Oxfam America, World Vision International-Cambodia, Catholic Relief Services, and the Culture and Environment Preservation Association (CEPA).
The scope and content of this report have been limited by the available time for comment. How example, senior staff of the Disability Action Council were in the provinces at the time this report was prepared. Some chapters were not reviewed at all, while others, such as the sections on Fisheries and on Gender were examined only superficially, due to the relevant NGO resource people not being available.
All comments received, regardless of quality, have been incorporated in this report and sent to the Ministry of Planning for their perusal. The Ministry and their ADB-funded consultant have been invited to meet representatives of the NGOs mentioned above to discuss the comments.
We have been informed by the ADB that the Main Volume of the SEDP II will be a short section focussing on vision, objectives, strategies and policies. NGOs support this idea. However, it is unfortunate that the time available for discussing issues as critical as these is now very short. The Interim PRSP would be a good starting point for drafting of the Main Volume, as this document went through several months of consultation last year. However, we would hope that NGO concerns about this document would be taken fully into account in preparing the final draft of the Main Volume. Although, last year, NGO comments were submitted too late to be incorporated into the Interim PRSP, these comments are still available.
We also understand that structured discussions and workshops are being planned for mid-September. NGOs will be happy to participate in these meetings, assuming that adequate time will be given to discussion. The NGO Forum would be most interested to meet with the Ministry of Planning to discuss how to make these workshops satisfactory to all stakeholders.
Comments by NGO Forum staff, with additional input from World Vision
As in the NGO Statement to the 2001 Consultative Group Meeting, we would recommend that the SEDP II strategies to reach the poor more clearly address, throughout the SEDP II, the following issues:
· rural development and allocation of resources to rural poor areas
· social sector resourcing including improvements in disbursements and accountability at provincial and sub-provincial levels
· decentralisation
· land use planning and land titling
There are two subjects that we feel should be added as separate chapters in order to truly reflect the Royal Government’s current poverty reduction efforts. These two subjects relate to priorities identified at the NGO Workshop on the I-PRSP held in October 2000.
1. A chapter on Disaster Management should be included, due to the importance of alleviating poverty caused by floods and other natural disasters. H.E. Nhim Vanda, First Vice President of the National Centre for Disaster Management gave an excellent address on this subject at the Consultative Group meeting in Tokyo, and could presumably be requested to provide copies of their plans. From the NGO side, CARE International has recently circulated an excellent report on “Risk Mitigation and Disaster Management Among Rural Communities in Cambodia” which could also be used.
2. A chapter on Provincial and Commune Development Plans should be included to cover decentralised planning processes. This may help to address the concerns expressed by provincial governors at the SEDP II workshop last March that provincial plans had not been included. The SEILA Task Force could presumably be asked to provide appropriate text for this chapter, with assistance from the Partnership for Local Governance.
Chapter 3 Development Performance and Structural Reforms, 1996-2000
The following are comments by CIDSE Cambodia on Chapter 3, "Development Performance and Structural Reforms, 1996-2000", which reviews the First Five Year Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP-I).
As outlined on pages 12-13, the main elements of the SEDPI development program are comprehensive and appropriate to the Cambodian situation. These include not only economic growth but also the development of capacities, institutions, assets, natural resources, and social services. It is disappointing therefore that the report lapses into what is essentially a review of economic performance. While the broader livelihood systems framework of poverty reduction is acknowledged, it is quickly passed over in favour of a review of economic and financial achievements or the lack of them. It gives the appearance that the plan is written solely by bankers or economists, and this bias is pervasive throughout. Chapter 3 (pp.12-31) contains 20 pages, but only two and a half pages (15-16, 30) are devoted to social development performance.
While economic growth is a critical factor in poverty reduction it is certainly not the only one. The notion that overall increases in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will somehow 'trickle down' to the poor has been criticised for years by economists themselves. Without a clear anti-poverty strategy, which measures the effects of economic growth on poverty reduction, increases in GDP mean little - at least for the poor. This is a crucial flaw in the SEDPI. It sets targets but does not articulate a clear strategy for realising those targets. For instance, (as detailed on page 19) the first rolling three-year Public Investment Program (PIP) prepared with SEDPI had a target allocation for public investment expenditure of 65 percent to projects in rural areas and 35 percent to projects in urban areas. The performance was actually the opposite: 35 percent to rural and 65 percent to urban. How did this happen? How can such a situation be avoided in the SEDP II? If the SEDP II fails to devise and implement a strategy to achieve its targets, it will be of little value.
Comments by World Vision International-Cambodia
We welcome the SEDP draft’s use of participatory poverty assessment information in these sections, and also the mention of social exclusion and factors related to this. Whilst the content and discussions in this area are good, we would hope that in the final SEDP that these realities could be better reflected and addressed throughout the whole of the SEDP, particularly through:
· inclusion of social exclusion indicators and participatory assessments in Part 4, Chapter 15 (implementation and measuring) including through development of these in the SEDP II outcome matrix, currently limited to a headcount index.
· development of targets on poverty which better reflect the varied dimensions of poverty which could be added into the vision and strategies (Chapters 1 and 2) and into the SEDP II outcome matrix. Options for these could include social exclusion, food security, a vulnerability index, household resilience (to cope with crises), land/asset ownership and divestment etc.
Whilst much of the analysis of the dimensions of poverty in this chapter is very good, it does not currently recognise the serious impact of the cost of health care and education on household poverty. We would refer the SEDP II authors to page 10 of the NGO CG 2001 statement which states:
· “NGOs recommend there be wide recognition that the cost of health care is currently the main impoverishing factor in Cambodia.”
4.3 Specific Vulnerable Groups
Comments by Jesuit Service Cambodia, with additional input from DAC and NGO Forum staff
Some Observations:
1. Please check the numbers. Table 4.9 (page 68) shows MOSALVY Projects in Public Investment program. For PIP Numbers (column 1) 125 and 597, the amounts indicated for years 2001, 2002, and 2003 do not add up to the indicated total (column 6).
2. People with disabilities. At the opening of section 4.3.1, the draft implies that specific vulnerable groups include children, people with disabilities, elderly, and other vulnerable groups. It then presents analysis of the plight of poor children, sexually exploited women and children, and street children. The draft does also take note of the plight of other people with disabilities. The analysis of the conditions of handicapped (including a large portion who are victims of war and mines) leaves much more to be desired.
3. On Labour rehabilitation. It is praiseworthy that the Ministry strengthens existing rehabilitation centres, expands existing ones in some regions and strengthens social services to the vulnerable groups (page 67). Considering the magnitude of social services that the vulnerable groups need, and considering that the Ministry is faced with different constraints, the situation calls for a continued partnership with the over 35 NGO's (page 66) to help deliver the services which this Second Draft has not otherwise specifically noted in its priorities.
4. On Output and Impact Indicators. Unless otherwise edited, the output and impact indicators of this present draft (pages 67-69) show that the priorities for the coming term covers only capacity-building for MOSALVY staff and services for children. One wonders what the indicators of success will be for other vulnerable groups.
The Disability Action Council (DAC) has a lot of information to be included about disabilities, but is unsure how this information may fit into the format of the SEDP II. DAC would appreciate the chance to meet with senior staff of the Ministry of Planning and the ADB consultant to provide further information on disabilities.
The figures on disability given in the SEDP II should be checked. We would also suggest including more information on disabled children on page 63. On page 65, paragraph 3 on street children should be separated as another paragraph.
While the SEDP II recognises specific vulnerable groups, it does little to redirect investment and budget allocations to programs or Ministries assisting these groups.
Comments by Oxfam GB Project Staff, with input also from DAC
In addition to the measures suggested in this chapter, it is suggested that there is a need to:
1. Establish more health centres that can provide counselling on psychological, physical and mental health problems of women and girls.
2. Provide sufficient information about the causes of trafficking and the tricks used by traffickers to people in the rural and urban area.
The Disability Action Council would suggest that women with disabilities should also be included as a concern in this section.
Chapter 5: The Governance Environment
Comments by Center for Social Development
In reviewing Chapter 5 of the Royal Government of Cambodia's (RGC) Socio-Economic Development Plan 2001-2005 (SEDP II), "The Governance Environment", we could not help but express our approval and admiration for the Government efforts in this area. We are satisfied with the positive results of these undertakings in many areas and encourage the RGC to continue these efforts in other areas.
The RGC has particularly demonstrated a willingness to promote good governance. However, these efforts have fallen short of expected results -- particularly in the area of the rule of law. As a competent and independent judiciary is vital to development of the country and strengthening it is essential for the rule of law, we feel that progress has been quite slow in this area.
Overall, effective mechanisms and structures for the application and enforcement of the law must be created and strengthened. NGOs reiterate the importance of strengthening and depoliticising the Supreme Council of Magistracy. Restructuring the National Election Commission (NEC) will also make it a more effective institution capable of resolving conflicts, preventing violence and conducting its duties in a neutral and impartial way.
We applaud the recent elections of the Auditor-General and the Deputy Auditor-Generals to begin the very important function of the external audit of government expenditures. The National Audit Authority must now be provided with appropriate staffing and resources so it can properly fulfil its mandate.
The RGC must speed up the formulation and adoption of other important legislation, including a penal code and an effective anti-corruption law comprising a truly independent anti-corruption body with effective investigating powers. It must also put in place programs to increase transparency in the hiring and promotion of civil servants at all levels.
The need for government transparency is unquestionable, as the current system fosters uncertainty in the adoption of Prakas, promotes inconsistent incentives and decisions, provides no incentives for law enforcement and increases unexpected hidden costs. Establishing government transparency through the adoption of an anti-corruption law and the strengthening of accountability institutions such as the National Audit Office and the Judiciary is an essential first step in achieving a sound judicial system and fairness for all Cambodian citizens.
Furthermore, the RGC should make an additional effort to allow civil society groups enough opportunity to present their views and provide feedback in the various steps of the legislative process. A law on the legislative process would be a constructive step towards ensuring effective participation of civil society.
Of even more importance, participatory processes should as well include members and staff of concerned institutions at all levels as these individuals are often completely left out. The participatory phases should apply to the National Assembly and Senate as well. This is important as participation provides both a sense of ownership and a better understanding of programs being planned.
Finally, we feel that the GAP should explicitly seek to incorporate the mainstreaming of people with handicaps into existing programs and services so that their natural place as an integral part of society is recognized. Their needs should be considered throughout all Government planning and not seen as a separate issue.
Additional Comments by Oxfam GB Project Staff:
The Table 5.3 would be clearer if it indicated which level of government is to be reformed. It should state as provincial, district, or commune level.
As we are in the process of preparing for the first commune council elections, we should consider how the commune councils are going to be set up. An in-depth look at the needs of the elected commune councils should be a government priority.
The capacity of the elected commune councils may not be sufficient. In order to have good commune councils it is necessary that the government and donors pay attention to capacity building of the elected commune councils. These should include planning, implementation, management of natural resources, and fiscal revenues so that the administrative reform should be more social/technical rather than political.
Chapter 7: Agriculture and Rural Development
Part I: Developing Agriculture, the Key to Poverty Reduction and Improved Food Security
Comments prepared by CEDAC, with input from project staff of Oxfam America and Oxfam GB
Generally, the report contains many good points. Herewith, I just want to put emphasis on some points which are weak or not explicit in the document. Generally, we would like to see that the second SEDP should focus on ensuring household food security, especially among small farmers in the rainfed lowland, by investing in research and development in resource regenerating and cost reducing production technology and supporting professional farmer organizations, including also community forestry and fisheries. The survival of small farmers in the world of free trade and globalisation is also issue of concern.
From our point of view we see the goals of agriculture not only in term of socio-economic aspects (food security, export earning and employment opportunity), but also in environmental and health aspects (please compare page 113). Agriculture can have both negative and positive effects on the sustainability of life supporting system, especially in term of soil fertility, water pollution and bio-diversity. Also, agriculture can have negative effect on health of farmer and consumers, especially with regard to pesticides.
With regard to economic goals, agriculture should focus on ensuring household food security, reducing production cost, reducing import dependency on agricultural inputs, rather than economic growth based on export. Policies and programs of public services should aim at improving the livelihood of the millions of subsistence farmers.
Ensuring secure and safe food for everyone should be the main task of agriculture
Import and Use of External Inputs
The analysis has been done on the export value of agriculture, forestry and fisheries (please compare with page 117). It indicates the decreasing trend of agricultural exports, it notes an increase in rice exports, but the value of inputs imported in used for agricultural intensification is not available. According to our estimation the cost of pesticides used in Cambodia is around US$ 20 million per year (CEDAC 2001, the Situation of Pesticide Use in the Tonle Sap Catchment), and the cost of fertiliser is around $ 40 million per year. The total cost is estimated to be $ 60 million per year. This it does not include fuel which farmers use to irrigate rice, especially in the dry season (flood receding rice). If we take this data into consideration, Cambodian agriculture is increasingly dependent on external inputs which have to be imported. We need to do something to substitute for these imports, not only the agricultural products, but also other inputs.
If this trend continues, especially the use of dangerous pesticides, it could have a negative effect on the livelihood of the small farmers and on the national economy as well. For example, results from a field survey conducted by CEDAC and the national IPM program indicate that the problem of misuse of dangerous pesticides is widespread. In addition, many pesticides used in Cambodia are very dangerous to fish, which implies an important threat to fishery resources and the health of consumers. These issues deserve to be addressed in the SEDP II. Also, it implies that public investment should go to research and extension of resource regenerating and cost reducing production technology.
Cambodian Agriculture and Globalisation
The Cambodian Government is keen to join the WTO and other free trade agreements in the region. We are concerned about the possible negative impact of globalisation on Cambodian Agriculture. It could impose an important threat to Cambodian Agriculture, especially the survival of the peasant economy. How can Cambodian farmers compete with their neighbours and farmers from other regions, when the intervention from the Government in research and extension is still very weak? According to an estimate quoted by the Phnom Penh Post (issue of 5-18 January 2001), Cambodia spends on average in the year 2001:
- $0.75 per inhabitant for agriculture;
- $3.03 per inhabitant for public health;
and only $600,000 (six hundred thousand USD) were allocated for rural development in 2000!
In comparison, Thailand spends an estimated average of:
- $30 per inhabitant per year for the agriculture;
- $30 per inhabitant per year for the public health.
We strongly urge that land use plans are created and put into practice. For example, certain zones of potential arable land, which are mentioned in the SEDP II, should be protected so that small farmers can access them.
In the new context of the market economy, decentralisation, and globalisation, MAFF (the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) should consider reviewing its role and mandate to adapt to the new situation.
We strongly recommend that SEDP II should focus on the effective development of pluralistic agricultural service provision and regulation systems (agricultural inputs supply, education and training, research, extension, veterinary services, rural credit and agricultural produce marketing) whereby the goals and mandates of the public sector should be reviewed and clarified. Sector-based decentralisation should be promoted, especially on initiating the set up of research and development centres in Cambodia which can respond to the needs of specific agro-ecosystems.
Priorities of Research and Extension
Research and Development should adopt an agro-ecosystem approach (The main agro-ecosystems in Cambodia are: Rainfed lowland, annual flooded agro-ecosystem, rainfed upland agro-ecosystem).
Rainfed lowland agro-ecosystem should be prioritised in the research and extension, because it comprises around 80% of the current cultivated area. Soil of around 50% of the cultivated area in this farming system is perceived as having poor productivity (sandy) because of hundreds or even thousands of years of rice cultivation or over exploitation (e.g. parts of Kandal, Kampot Thom, Takeo, Kampong Chhnang, Siem Reap, Thom and Kampong Speu). The livelihood of around 6 to 7 million people, mainly rice farmers, depends on this agro-ecosystem. The majority of rice farmers in the rainfed lowland are subsistence rice farmers with an average farm size of 1 ha. Rice deficit is a common phenomenon. Local practices pose limitations to increased rice yield. Few modern rice varieties are adaptable to rainfed ecosystem.
However, our field experiences have shown that the productivity of this agro-ecosystem can be increased by improving cultural practices, such as land and water management at farm level, improved planting techniques, ecological soil and pest management, improving landscape diversity by growing non-rice crops in the fallow period, especially leguminous crop and reintegration of trees and bush into the rural landscape. Systems that are promoted by CEDAC and several development organisations are integrated farming in the home stead areas, a system of rice intensification or SRI (which promotes more efficient use of soil nutrient and water and could double or triple rice yield even with minimum input), and system of converting rice field into a diversified, integrated and productive field (multipurpose rice field). SRI is seen as solution to increase rice yield and to achieve same level of production even with smaller plots.
There are already good examples on how to sustain and effectively use the potential of the rainfed agro-ecosystems with minimal use of external inputs. What is lacking is the investment in farmer based research and extension and improving access to appropriate credit schemes (credit that can be used to convert the rice field into a multi-purpose rice field).
It is strongly recommended that the public sector invest in the development of the subsistence/semi-subsistence farmer. At this stage of development, Cambodian farmers need strong direct support so that Cambodia can reach a certain level of development. Economic growth can not be achieved if subsistence farmers, who make up the majority of Cambodians, do not have purchasing power.
Another important aspect is the investment in professional training for young farmers, who are important human resources in developing agriculture.
Supplementary or additional irrigation is good for cultivating rice under rainfed conditions or in the flood receding rice, but rice double cropping with full irrigation in the dry season is a waste of resources due to the high cost of irrigation and high incidence of pests. Crop diversification or growing non-rice crops would be more appropriate.
We also think that physical irrigation facilities alone can not solve the problem, or it could turn to be the problem, if there is no farmer organisation who maintain and manage this structure.
For the development of irrigation systems, emphasis should put on building up capacity of farmers or water user associations to manage irrigation system.
Additional comments from Oxfam America project staff:
1) There needs to be reflection on the what proportion of the national budget should be devoted to the rural sector: 15% ? 10 % ? 5% only ? etc. in order to have a "critical mass" effect on leveraging the agricultural production and commercialisation.
2) Also there needs to be reflection on how to mitigate the impact of importation, often illegal, of very competitive agricultural products from Thailand and Vietnam, and how to protect and strengthen step by step the present fragile production capacity of Cambodian farmers facing this invading competition.
3) Regarding research priorities, we should include also any research topic on the mechanisms (political, economical, cultural, etc.) that contribute to the impoverishment of many farmer families, making them poorer and poorer, and on how to block or cut off these terrible mechanisms.
We note also the recent historical examples of South Korea and Taiwan whose economies took off only after all the agricultural issues (land reform, organisation of agricultural production and commercialisation, public health in the rural areas, coherent socio-economic development plan integrating the rural sector, etc.) had been correctly and realistically solved.
Sections dealing with Forestry
- Land Use Table (pg. 112). Estimates that forest cover has declined from 10.86 million ha in 1992/93 (59.83% of Cambodia) to 10.64 million ha in 1996/97 (58.62% of Cambodia).
Questions:
- What is the specific source of these estimates? What MAFF publication/data source?
- The MRC has more recent estimates. Why not use up-to-date data?
Comments:
- Estimates that forest covers 58 percent of Cambodia’s surface area are dubious. FAO estimates from the 1960s were in the range of 60 to 70 percent and significant forest cover has been lost over the past four decades.
- Estimates of sustainable wood production (pg. 121). The report estimates sustainable wood product yield at around 1 million cubic meters per year.
Comments:
- The ADB Forest Concession Review Report estimated sustainable yield in the range of 500 000 cubic meters and 1 million cubic meters per year. These estimates, made in 1999, are in themselves relatively optimistic. It is likely that sustainable yield is at the low end of this range, and perhaps even lower than 500 000 cubic meters per year.
- Valuable non-wood forest products (pg. 121). Recent research indicates that the most valuable non-wood forest product is probably resin.
- Present rates of extraction from concession areas is places at about 1.5 million cubic meters, illegal loggers outside concession areas extract about the same amount, and the total rate of extraction is estimates at about seven times the sustainable level – implied to be in the order of 7 million cubic meters according to the assumptions of the report (pg. 121).
Questions:
- What is the source of these estimates?
- Lack of ability to trace sources of data. For example tables 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.6 and 7.9 simply cite the source as the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries without providing any information as to the actual publication. The figures cited are therefore impossible to verify. Likewise table 7.5 sources its statistics as Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Agricultural Statistics, 1995 to 1999. This can be assumed to be an actual publication but no publication details are actually cited. Table 7.7 sources: “Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 1990 to 2000”. It is unclear what this means. Table 7.8 cites simply NBC. What National Bank of Cambodia document is the source of the data in this table?
Sections dealing with Fisheries
Comments from Oxfam America project staff
I have only three comments on the SEDP II, especially on the Fisheries sector of Chapter 7:
· Fish feeding/raising in the lower rice field is a very good plan, but there needs to be some support on pond digging and food for fish in the pond.
· Fish raising in cages around the Tonle Sap Lake is damaging natural resources in the lake, i.e. the fishers need to catch the small fish/small species to be the food for the fish in the cage. That threatens the natural resources. Likewise, to raise crocodiles, they also need to catch the small species/small fish to be fed to the crocodiles.
· To improve fish raising management in and around the Tonle Sap Lake, there needs to be installation of a mincer for support to the people who are raising fish/crocodiles.
Sections dealing with Rural Development
Comments by World Vision International-Cambodia
In reference to section 7.8 ‘Rural Development Strategy’ we commend and support MRD’s strategy and priorities. As an NGO working with nearly 600 of the 7,500 VDCs mentioned our experience leads us to recommend:
· Added emphasis on, and clear plans for, the continued human resource development and capacity building of VDCs beyond their initial formation stage is vital. In this respect the MRD and partners (including NGOs) recent establishment of a working group on monitoring VDC capacity is an encouraging step.
In reference to section 7.9 ‘Targeting the Rural Poor’ (page 145-147), given it’s importance it was disappointing that this is a relatively weak section of the SEDP draft with relatively few clear strategies to achieve this. Therefore we would recommend that in finalising SEDP II that the relevant stakeholders give further consideration to strategies and options for targeting the rural poor, which could for example include:
· use of vulnerability/poverty mapping to more directly influence resource allocation decisions, such as: projects of the Social Fund, financing arrangements of future Commune Councils, as well as influencing donor and NGO strategies and plans.
In reference to section 7.10 ‘Mine Removal’, the inclusion of this section is welcome, we note that:
· It would be good to mention that other organisations have contributed considerably to mine clearance since 1992. e.g. Add after sentence 2 "Other mine clearance NGOs including MAG and Halo Trust have also removed and destroyed considerable numbers of landmines and unexploded ordnance." If the ADB consultant was request from MAG and Halo Trust, we would expect they could get figures from them comparable to the CMAC figures quoted for inclusion also.
· It is our understanding that the CMAA was created as a regulator and coordinator of all mine clearance operations, not just CMAC, and this could be changed to reflect that.
· The penultimate sentence could also add "and development NGOs" to this list as development NGOs such as World Vision, CARE, LWS, CWS, HI etc continue to be important funders and implementors of demining related development activities.
7.12 Environmental Management and Conservation
Comments by Culture and Environment Preservation Association
In the Policy Framework and in the first of four principles it is stated: "Natural resource degradation is in part due to exploitation by the rural poor." This is a problem in certain areas where illegal logging and land and fishery concessions hinder the rural people from their customary access to natural resources. A bigger threat to the natural resources is the illegal logging, land and fishery concessions and the emphasis on resource extraction for export - these should have been mentioned in the draft. As these are a much bigger concern, they should be taken care of first.
It is good that EIAs and compliance procedures will be incorporated into new projects. What is equally important is that the EIAs are carried out by an independent body and that the results of the EIAs are respected and implemented in the projects.
The liquid and solid waste problems must not only be solved; they must be solved in a sustainable way, with sewage works for biological treatment and recycling. Heavy rain together with a poor drainage system makes the streets of Phnom Penh turn into widespread contamination canals. Sewage works and drainage systems should be prioritised to improve people's health.
People's habit of throwing litter everywhere causes a lot of problems. One problem is that fish are dying in the Tonle Sap Lake because of the plastic bags that are thrown from the boats.
The high levels of fertilizer and pesticides used in Cambodia is indeed contributing to water quality degradation and affecting the inland fishery productivity. What is really important to realize is that it is not only obsolete fertilizers and pesticides that are dangerous to nature and humans. The new and more concentrated ones could be an even bigger threat.
As in many cases the written words are thoughtful and wise. The problem is, as in many countries but especially in Cambodia, to enforce law and orders.
Corruption and low salaries are big problems in Cambodia, and indeed a threat to sustainable development. "The Government recognizes the need for effective environmental protection and natural resource management…" which is of course promising, but what we need is an overall respect for the laws that are made to protect the environment and the natural resources.
According to NEAP, seized illegal logs are auctioned by the Government to domestic and/or foreign companies. So how can we seriously expect the Government to be willing in stopping the illegal logging?
Chapter 8: Nature based and Cultural Tourism
Comments by World Vision International-Cambodia
The chapter pays little attention to monitoring and planning for negative socio-economic outcomes of tourism. It is accorded only the priority of a heading or mentioned in connection with human resource development; no reference to is made until Section 8.3.4. Begging is noted as a problem to customer satisfaction and handcrafts are suggested as one way of ensuring rural people can benefit from tourists. We would recommend other types of income generation activities generated by tourism be listed as a way of profiling human resource opportunities for development initiatives.
Section 8.2: The paper states that tourism is the 2nd highest exchange earner. It should suggest that these funds assist the struggling civil service in areas of law enforcement, health and education. These are all linked to service industry provision that is fundamental to human resource development in the tourist sector.
Section 8.3: The reference to the National Tourism Development plan needs more explanation, especially with regard to which other government Ministries it is linking with on which issues. As it is expressed, the plan appears to be developed in isolation.
Section 8.3.4: While it is acknowledged that a need exists for improved administration of labour services with respect to sexual exploitation, the link is only made with MoSALVY labour inspectors.
· There is no mention is made of the role of Ministry of Interior, which would prosecute criminal offences where tourism is linked to sexual exploitation of children or trafficking.
It is stated that great emphasis will be placed on minimizing the negative socio-cultural and environmental impacts of tourism. The points that follow are more about preserving the physical resources of Cambodia’s heritage and environmental audit.
· There is no mention of reviewing the impact on the communities at or near tourism sites.
· No mention of a social audit to monitor the economic benefit to a cross section of the population.
· No mention of economic benefit being accompanied by broad development gains such as increased access of children to education or child health indicators.
Section 8.3.5: Marketing presents a very positive image of promotion. Strategic alliances to exploit tourist opportunities.
· No mention of any strategy to counter the Cambodia’s image as a suitable destination for sex tourists although research shows that this is a problem.
· No mention of any information to be included in promotion material for child wise tourism or that child sexual exploitation is against Cambodia's stated aim of cultural and natural tourism.
· No mention of linking marketing messages to campaigns such as the global movement for children, which seek to promote awareness of children. Some airlines support campaigns to fund improvement for children. If the marketing strategy wants to exploit tourist opportunities this is certainly one where every dollar properly directed will count.
Conclusion: More detail and greater attention to negative or risks which accompany tourism growth is needed to ensure that it is managed and does not undermine the cultural assets (people, especially children) of the areas which will receive greatest concentration of tourists.
· Further the chapter does not pay enough attention to domestic tourism or cross boarder links with Thailand and Vietnam. These have particular impact on Cambodia with regard to human trafficking, drug trafficking and gambling.
Chapter 10: Trade and Financial Sector Development
Comments by Catholic Relief Services
The chapter could benefit from more attention to the importance of developing domestic markets. Economies of SE Asia benefited from export-lead growth in the 1980s and 1990s. However, the Asian financial crisis as well as the recent economic slowdown in the U.S. have demonstrated the limits to this kind of outward focused development model. Development of domestic markets implies a strategy that is more focused on equitable income distribution and poverty reduction which could support domestic production of goods and services. Countries like Thailand are moving more in this direction now. Cambodia needs to be thinking similarly. Otherwise, it will be forever dependent on low wage manufacturing jobs, profit-hungry foreign investors who are searching for countries with low wages and few labor regulations, and fickle export markets (i.e. the garment sector has been badly affected by the U.S. economic slowdown.)
Specific comments:
Section 10.1.5 on capacity building should also include training on quality standards for farmer groups. Some consideration should also be given to contract farming which can reduce risk for both farmers and agri-business. The final paragraph of this section on p. 187 mentions "partnership with all stakeholders" but does not clearly define them other than the business community. Farmers for example should also be integrally involved.
Page 188 on financial sector development needs to mention explicitly continuing a commitment to avoid imposing interest rate caps which can distort financial markets. This is critical for the proper development of the microfinance sector. Also, all operators need to be held to the same standards of sustainability. Presently, a situation is developing where subsidized and unsustainable NGO credit operators may be competing with MFIs which have made a decision to operate sustainably while still serving the poor.
Section 10.2.1 mentions the importance of enforcing collateral, but neglects to put in place safeguards that protect the poor against becoming landless for example, due to indebtedness. Also, banks need to extend lending outside of Phnom Penh to the provinces where the banking system is woefully underdeveloped. While banks are not necessarily interested in microfinance, there are other small and medium enterprises which could benefit from larger loans.
Under section 10.2.3, on bank supervision and regulation, mention should be made of the importance of doing away with the "influential shareholder" clause in the microfinance legislation. This clause makes it difficult for socially minded investors to take a stake in an emerging MFI due to the potential liabilities it imposes on them. Mention is made of creating formal deposit insurance which would be a very positive step that would allow the government to do away with the influential shareholder clause. This should be encouraged and expedited if possible as a priority.
Under section 10.2.5 on microfinance institutions, no mention is made of capacity building for emerging MFIs. This is an issue that MFIs have brought up previously with the ADB which remains focused almost exclusively on the NBC and RDB. While it is important to build capacity there too, it must be done at all levels, including non-government actors like MFIs. Also, no mention is made in this section of the low legal lending limit of the RDB (maximum of $1 million per MFI) which constrains growth of MFIs that serve the poor and are not necessarily able to raise large amounts of capital on a purely commercial basis.
Under capital markets, there is no mention made of de-dollarization. What is the government's policy in this area? This has implications for Cambodia's competitiveness in export markets as other countries in the region whose currencies have been devalued are more competitive.
Under section 10.2.9, no mention is made of micro-insurance. As health problems and lack of adequate health care are a critical issue for the poor, micro-insurance could help to establish a safety net for the poor. It is a documented fact in Cambodia that health problems often lead to indebtedness and landlessness. Micro-insurance could help to mitigate this trend.
Additional comments from Oxfam GB:
There is such a strong received wisdom about what's good for pro-poor trade that it's hard for any countervailing view to stand up to the orthodoxy that globalisation is good. Very few people or organisations within Cambodia are making any clear arguments for an alternative as far as I'm aware.
Therefore, while it is possible to agree with and applaud several statements made in the chapter, it is hard to see how the central strategy of the chapter - greater regional and global co-operation and integration - will necessarily be pro-poor. I think the consistent challenge to the Government and its advisers should be: "prove to us that your policy is pro-poor".
So, starting at 10.1, Trade Policy, none of the four rationales given for integration will necessarily lead to poverty reduction. Of the three concepts of the pro-poor trade strategy; the first - shifting the balance away from market access and macro-reforms to micro-level supply capacity - is highly laudable. The second - focusing on capacity-building for the export sector - will only bring benefits to the poor if the sector is well regulated and if other measures are put in place to empower the employees in this sector. The third - decentralising the location of export sector business - might or might not bring benefits, depending again on the ability of small-scale producers or employees to engage on favourable terms.
Under 10.1.1, Integrated Framework for Trade, it is stated that "the country's trade sector strategy must be fully supportive of and coherent with national objectives of poverty reduction." This is entirely praiseworthy, but we need to challenge whether the strategy being proposed fits this description.
In the last paragraph of section 10.1.2, Contribution of Trade to Poverty Reduction, it is stated that "export development must incorporate sustainable management practices in order to avoid environmental degradation that ultimately undermines the natural resource base." This is also an excellent proposition.
I also completely concur with the statement in section 10.1.3, Constraints on Export Development that talks of "rural areas, where the needs for job creation, income growth and poverty reduction are the greatest." This is true, but the Government's strategy must be to chose carefully what industries are encouraged and to take steps to ensure that the benefits accrue to the producers and labourers, not just the retailers in Northern markets.
The same section and the subsequent one: 10.1.4, Concepts for a Pro-Poor Trade Strategy, talk of the need to follow market access policies and also support supply capacity within Cambodia. The problem with this argument is that it's hard to see how the two can be compatible. How can Cambodia protect and build up domestic capacity to engage with foreign markets while at the same time reducing tariffs to almost zero by 2008? Opening up Cambodia's markets any further will lead to uncompetitive domestic industries being swamped by the import of cheaper products.
Mention is also made in 10.1.4 of Cambodia's "positive record" in offering a "protective environment for labour"; of the "need for productivity to rise if Cambodian exporters are to remain cost competitive" and of the "benefits of globalisation". It is hard to imagine finding many young women working in garment factories who would extol the benefits of globalisation. Factory conditions are comparatively good, but women are still disempowered and exploited and living in often appalling conditions outside the factories. If productivity rises, who will keep the profits?
Most of the sub-sections under 10.2, Banking Sector, describe logical improvements to the banking and financial services sector if you accept the hypothesis that participation in globalised trade is necessarily pro-poor. The trouble is, it isn't!
The provisions under section 10.2.5, Micro-Finance Institutions, are likely to be beneficial to the poor and those under 10.2.10, Capacity Building Mechanisms, will raise standards of education in Cambodia, which should eventually prove of general benefit (though this will be hard to prove).
The brief section 10.3, Public Enterprise Reform, states that: "appropriately handled, transfer of ownership and management to the private sector will reduce the drain on public resources, increase productivity and thus savings, and lead to the provision of lower-price, higher-quality services." This is not always the case and this section needs a lot more elaboration in terms of how this is to be achieved. Experience elsewhere suggests that there is often an unacceptable trade-off between the pursuit of profit and health and safety standards.
Comments from the NGO Education Partnership (NEP)
The Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) education community welcomes the chance to contribute to the second draft of the SEDP II chapter on Education.
Overall we feel it is a well constructed strategy which places due emphasis on the importance of quality and accessible education and takes into account the key issues facing education in Cambodia today within the context of the government's Education Strategic Plan (ESP). It also specifically highlights some of the key areas addressed by NGOs that were lacking in the ESP, such as Youth Aids Awareness and puts in place some strategies to tackle these.
The belief in education as a fundamental human right for all forms the core of the Dakar Framework for Action, developed from the Education for All (EFA) 2000 assessment. The NGO community involved in the education sector in Cambodia both congratulates and wholeheartedly supports the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) and Ministry of Education (MoEYS) commitment to this belief, indicated through the on going process to make this a reality in the Cambodian context.
The NGO community involved in education recognises and applauds the progress that has been made over the past year. The RGC and MoEYS emphasis on a pro-poor policy-driven education reform programme carried out in collaboration with stakeholders provides a promising base to address the constraints to achieving education for all. Whilst appreciating the challenge involved in a collaborative education reform process, the NGO community also recognises that there continue to be key issues that need to be addressed.
The statement presents the views of NGOs collected through the recently developed NGO Education Partnership Interim Board and builds on the 2001 NGO CG statement. The intention of the statement is to contribute to the development of the reform programme through the provision of constructive comments on the progress made over the past year and recommendations on key areas of concern.
The key priorities and strategies outlined in the SEDP II are broadly consistent with those identified by NGOs as part of the recent planning process. Comments below are therefore much more general to the whole education system, and said in the spirit of supporting the SEDP II and encouraging development donors to work with government and NGOs in partnership to implement these ambitious reforms.
Coordination and Collaboration
Over the last year, the increasing contribution of education stakeholders to the education reform programme through developing channels of communication, has opened up the opportunity for constructive debate and input into the provision of an equitable and quality education system in Cambodia. The inclusive and participatory approach adopted by the MoEYS to prepare and plan for its 5-year sectoral plan, the Education Sector Support Programme (ESSP) has increased collaboration between stakeholders and promotes coordination both of donor aid and among education departments of the MoEYS.
A key area of concern on the process is the limited input from civil society representatives and school level representatives. The NGO community does not see its role as one to represent these groups but rather to promote them to provide input into the development of the education system. Increased coordination and collaboration of civil society calls for a greater degree of local management that is both open and responsive. Currently, there is an over-concentration on central, provincial and the Budget Management Centre (BMC) level accountability when NGO experience shows that the best way to promote community-school relations is through open management at the school level. Communities have a history of strong support to education in Cambodia and can continue to do so if productive local management is promoted and supported by the MoEYS at higher levels.
· The NGO community urges the RGC and the MoEYS to continue to implement a participatory and inclusive approach that will move forward at a rate that is influenced by the needs of all its stakeholders.
· The NGO community urges the MoEYS to encourage community participation in the education system through the promotion of open management at the school level.
· The NGO community urges the MoEYS to promote transparency, accountability and credibility at all levels whilst implementing education policy reform in Cambodia.
Allocation of scarce resources has continued to challenge the RGC and the MoEYS. Despite promises to increase government spending on education, the highest costs continue to be met by parental/community contributions as well as donor/NGO financing.
The NGO community feels strongly that a top priority issue that demands immediate and urgent attention is the impact that the slow government progress on the National Public Administration reform has on Education reform. The NGO education community continues to identify low teacher's salaries as a major constraint. They believe that a salary increase that provides teachers with a living wage is a mandatory precondition to any significant quality education reform. Whilst the draft ESP recognises the fundamental importance of improved living conditions for teachers, the NGO community urges the MoEYS to take the next step and make improved living conditions of teachers a reality by reassessing their proposed targets and strategies for salary reform.
The RGC and MoEYS Priority Action Programme (PAP) piloted in July 2000 was developed to expand primary enrolment and minimise access barriers for poor children. The NGO community recognises that promotion rates increased as a result of the remedial programme, addressing a major concern of the MoEYS by lowering the high repetition and drop out rates in the lower grades. Allocation of funds directly to schools through the provision of school operational budgets aimed to complement the abolition of school fees and address the cost burden on parents. Unfortunately, problems of disbursement, carrying through guarantees and low management capacity meant that little impact was made on reducing the cost. Reports on the impact of PAP indicated that approximately 40% of the PAP in 2000 was funded. The NGO community appreciates the financial implications of the heavy floods last year on the education system but at the same time urges the RGC and the MoEYS to work together to ensure that funds allocated for education through the PAP are disbursed and well spent. For greater impact to be made on resource allocation, there is a need for a more in depth and critical analysis of the lessons learnt from the PAP, especially in light of its national expansion from the 10 pilot provinces last year.
· The NGO community urges the MoEYS to reconsider and seriously review the ESP Teachers Salaries projection up to an acceptable level, making it really adequate to meet today's ever increasing cost of living in Cambodia.
· The NGO community urges the MoEYS to develop a more effective and sophisticated implementation plan for PAP, which draws critically on lessons learnt from the PAP pilot and the experiences of other projects and programmes to promote transparency and ensure credibility.
Whilst acknowledging that there are some important lessons to be learnt from the PAP, the NGO community questions a programme that is presented as a set of activities which are defined centrally, thus limiting local choices and emphasising quantitative impacts over qualitative ones. A major concern is that the presentation of the PAP in the ESP has been at the expense of other policies and strategies that the Government has been committed to and been working on for some years, such as the Cluster School system. The effectiveness of the Cluster School system as a structural basis for local level planning and professional development has not been recognised in the MoEYS recent plans. Although it may not have been intended, there is the danger of sending out a message that these policies and strategies are no longer seen as a priority or are no longer endorsed, despite their success over the years. This will lead to the development of parallel systems, which will lead to, as experience has shown in the past, confusion and lack of credibility amongst school officials.
The following areas of concerns are based on specific areas that the NGO community feel have not received sufficient attention in the ESP and which they recognise as priority areas within the Cambodian context.
In a country where it is estimated that over 55% of the total population has limited or no access to public pre-school education, the lack of coverage of pre-school education in the MoEYS plans is worrying.
In a country where the proportion of enrolled girls in the later grades of the primary system drops from 47% in grade 1 to 32% in grade 6, a figure that steadily decreases the higher the level of education (currently placed at 16% in tertiary education), and where high gender disparities exist in the education service, the gender dimension in the MoEYS plans is considered to be limited and inadequate if such disparities are to be addressed.
The NGO community feels that the MoEYS focus on increasing access can be strengthened by emphasising specific strategies to address the education disparities that exist for children with special needs related to physical, socio-economic, political and cultural factors.
With an adult HIV prevalence rate of 3.5% and with young adults (15-29) identified as the group with the highest infection rates, it will not be long before the loss of persons in their most economically productive years will have drastic effects on the Cambodian economy. The MoEYS needs to start investigating the impact of HIV/AIDS on the education service.
Finally, whilst supporting the soundness of a pro-poor philosophy, the NGO community feels that the focus of the plan on the health and efficiency of institutions and the system rather than on the quality of the learning experiences of the individual, create an unbalanced approach to education. This does not do justice to the commitment and participatory process adopted by the MoEYS to achieve quality education for all.
· The NGO community urges the MoEYS to include the Cluster School System in the ESP document. Many organisations have successfully developed the model and provide important lessons learnt on increasing equitable access, decentralisation and institutional capacity building and management, all particularly relevant in the Cambodian education context.
· The NGO community urges the MoEYS to incorporate pre-school education into the 5-year ESP and to build on lessons learnt from current projects and programmes that are focusing on this area.
· The NGO community urges the MoEYS to build on existing policies and strategies that have proved successful and/or provided effective lessons learnt to address gender disparities in the education system whilst ensuring that a gender dimension is incorporated in all future aspects of the ESSP.
· The NGO community urges the MoEYS to develop, in the framework of its commitment to EFA, a national policy on access to education for children with special educational needs and suggests to achieve it within the principle of inclusive schooling.
· The NGO community urges the MoEYS to make a clear commitment to addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic by making specific requests to donors to support a research study on the impact of HIV/AIDS on the teacher service.
· The NGO community recommends that the ESP focus is broadened to encompass the quality of impact on the learners as the object of policy reform, in the framework of human centred thinking, rather than the current narrow focus on the health and efficiency of the institution.
Additional Comments by the Disability Action Council:
DAC would suggest to include the principal of education for all and inclusive education into this chapter. Cooperation between the MOEYS and the DAC on inclusive education for children with disabilities has been well developed. A Special Bureau for Education of the Disabled and Minorities has been established under the Department of Primary education. DAC would strongly suggest that the principle of inclusive education for children with disabilities should be added.
Most of Chapter 13 of the SEDP II is devoted to describing Cambodia's health situation. It represents a good picture of the health sector but it does not really constitute a plan to ensure improvements. It lists a number of strategies, but does not plan how to implement them. While SEDP1 had specific health sector targets for the year 2000, SEDP II does not have any. Basically, it is expecting the Ministry of Health (MoH) Health Master Plan to detail implementation steps (reportedly for the years 2003-2007, not 2001-2005 as first planned). A number of studies, such as the crucial “cost analysis of essential health services in Cambodia”, are currently being implemented, which will provide the MoH with more accurate data to build-up its five-year Master Plan and Health Sector Expenditure Projections. The MoH will hopefully be able to issue a first draft of this Health Master Plan by mid next year. In that context, the relevance of the SEDP II is questionable at this time, as far as the health sector is concerned.
Financial resources & Fiscal reform
The Health Status of Cambodians
Micro-nutrients deficiencies
Considering the level of micronutrient deficiencies and their considerable consequences on Cambodia’s future socio-economic development, it is highly recommended that the SEDP II adds in its list of health strategies the needed reduction of micronutrient deficiencies at the same level as the needed reduction of communicable diseases such as malaria/dengue, TB and STDs. Recent studies carried out by the MoH and the co-operation of International Partners have revealed that as much as two million of Cambodians are already affected by Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) and more than five million are at risk of IDD. Also, 52% of children aged from 4 to 5 years old, and 79% of children under 1year old are anaemic. Aware of the consequences of IDD and anaemia, the SEDP II should emphasise that the future intellectual and productive capacity of the Cambodian people, which directly results in economic growth and poverty reduction, depends on the battle against IDD and anaemia.
Comments by World Vision International-Cambodia
Women’s Income Generating Activities, Trade and Agricultural Policy
Comments by NGO Forum staff
There is a lack of conceptual clarity and cohesiveness in the draft SEDP II’s strategies for reduction of rural poverty. Conflicting statements and proposals illustrate the lack of a clear framework and plan that takes into consideration the situation and opportunities of rural farmers -- particularly rural women farmers. The example of conflicting statements related to pig and poultry production provide a clear example of confused policy making.
The SEDP II acknowledges the need to increase productivity for small farmers and also to increase access to micro-finance to enable rural poor to invest in enterprises that can help to lift them out of poverty. In the analysis of the dimensions of poverty (Section 4.2.2), the documents notes that “Raising livestock is important for most rural households. While they are unlikely to own draught animals, the poor -- especially women -- try to raise pigs and poultry, livestock acting as a savings mechanism for times of need” (p.50). In the chapter on agriculture, the document goes further to note that the gender division of labour in livestock care is rigid -- with men caring for large animals and women caring for small livestock raised near to the house (Section 7.3.5). Women’s predominant role in backyard small livestock production is already very familiar to almost anyone familiar with the agricultural sector.
SEDP II seems to support special mechanisms to protect small producers and encourage them to develop their enterprises. Section 7.9 maintains that “Special safety nets that enhance the competitiveness of small farmers and fisherfolk, especially those who produce commodities included in the country’s sensitive list under the AFTA scheme, will also be provided. Special programmes and projects will be formulated and implemented to make the commodities on the sensitive list (eg some vegetables, legumes, fish and livestock) more competitive with those of the other ASEAN member countries within the 13 year grace period during which tariff rates are left untouched. Tariffs collected during this period can be earmarked for the funding of safety nets” (p.146).
Anecdotal evidence from NGO Forum members indicate that in the case of pigs at least, the local markets are inundated with cheap imports making it difficult for local women raising pigs to compete. But enforcement of tariffs and active provision of extension services could once again make pig raising a viable alternative for women farmers. But what are they to make of the plan’s statements in Section 7.3.8 that “Contract growing of pigs and poultry will be encouraged where agribusiness corporations provide the capital, technology and management know-how and small farmers and rural folk provide the land and labour ”? How will women farmers, many of whom are illiterate, be able to negotiate contracts with a multinational agribusiness corporation? How will they settle disputes? Will large corporations be willing to deal with small women farmers at all or will they want to set up larger scale production? What will that mean for women who have invested in pig and poultry production?
The plan for agriculture does not give any indication of how these issues will be dealt with and what steps would be taken to ensure that multinational investment does not destroy the livelihoods of thousands of women farmers or turn them and their families into tenant farmers on their own land. There is a huge difference in power, status and resources available to multinational corporations and to rural women who raise pigs and poultry in their backyard or cooperatively in their village. Failure to acknowledge these differences and set up measures to protect and promote female farmers will open the door to poverty and exploitation rather than to opportunity.