ADB and Agriculture:

The Relevance of Safeguard Policies for Food Security

Case Study:

Tonle Sap Lowlands Rural Development Project, Cambodia

Jessica Rosien, Oxfam

46th ADB Annual Meeting

3 May 2013, Delhi, India

"The views expressed in this paper/presentation are the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), or its Board of Directors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the source, originality, accuracy, completeness or reliability of any statement, information, data, finding, interpretation, advice, opinion, or view presented, nor does it make any representation concerning the same."

ADB’s approach to food security and agriculture:

*2008: commitment to food security through multi-sector approach

•Not one of ADB’s core areas under Strategy 2020

•Direct agriculture projects

•Indirect projects: infrastructure for transport; water management and microfinance

•Project benefits for indirect often described in terms of overall contribution to poverty reduction

• Both direct and indirect: little assessment of outcomes in relation to food security

• Risk assessments in terms of achievement of project outputs

Report:

ADB and Agriculture: The Importance of Safeguarding Food Security

Case Study: Tonle Sap Lowlands Rural Development Project Cambodia

• Rationale

• Methodology

• Purpose

Tonle Sap Lowlands Rural Development Project, Cambodia

Overall Project Description

•Focus: improvement of rural infrastructure and increased rural income opportunities

•Set-up: communes and provincial level governments determine and implement subprojects according to needs and priorities

Subproject: Prasat village, Sangkor Commune, Kampong Svay

•Social infrastructure

• Water management and irrigation

• Rural road improvement

• Livelihoods improvement and employment enhancement

Overall assessment

• Overall TSLRDP project design and set-up: integrated community development

• Subproject welcome by commune members

• Subproject encountering challenges in implementation that are likely to undermine intended outcomes

• Safeguard policy implementation is mixed; generally considered, but some gaps (particularly in regard to environment) • Project outcomes focus on increased economic activity – not necessarily the same as food security

• Project is increasing food security for some households

• Difficult to get exact assessment in terms of increased food security

• In terms of food security and poverty reduction, project not able to reach the poorest of the poor

Safeguard Policy Implementation – Overall Project

Note: Project approval: 2007: old Safeguard Policies apply

• Environment Policy

•Policy on Indigenous Peoples

•Involuntary Resettlement Policy

•Gender

•Public Participation

•Information Disclosure

Subproject: Prasat Village, Sangkor Commune, Kampong Svay

•(Social infrastructure)

• Water management and irrigation

• Rural road improvement

• Livelihoods improvement and employment enhancement

Water Management Infrastructure/Irrigation Component

•Construction of spillway and head regulator on main canal in Prasat village

• Rehabilitation of 5.2 km Prasat secondary irrigation canal

•Construction of structures (regulators) along secondary canal

• Project set up: Farmer Water User Group

Credit: Carl Middleton

Credit: Carl Middleton

Credit: Carl Middleton

Water Management Infrastructure – Irrigation Component:

Safeguard Policy Implementation

• Resettlement

• Environment

• Participation

• Gender

• (Indigenous Peoples)

Rural Road Improvement Component

6. 5 km road rehabilitation between Krasang Ka and Prasat village

Credit: Carl Middleton

Rural Road Improvement Component

Safeguard Policy implementation

• Resettlement

• Environment

• Participation

Rural Livelihoods Improvement and Employment Enhancement Component

• Livelihoods improvement groups

• Integrated farming demonstration

• e.g. greenhouses for vegetable production, chicken raising projects, fish raising projects

• Value chain pilots and farmer field schools

Credit: Carl Middleton

Rural Livelihoods Improvement and Employment Enhancement Component

Safeguard Policy implementation

• Participation

• Environment

Broader Implications: Safeguard Policy Issues

• Supervision and implementation at community level

• Accurate environmental categorisation

• Environmental considerations should be core to project design

•Resettlement: community agreement does not mean that shortcuts can be taken

• Indigenous Peoples

• Meaningful public participation with resources provided to implementing agencies

• ADB staff should be enabled and rewarded for safeguard policy implementation

•

Recommendations for ADB: Food Security and Safeguard Policies

Commit to making food security an objective itself for its agriculture projects, and to ensure that its overall portfolio contributes to food security Commit to developing monitoring system that assesses pre- and post-project impacts of its agriculture projects and overall investment on food security and livelihoods at the community and household level.

Develop monitoring system in consultation with relevant stakeholders, including small-scale farmers

Implement and improve safeguard policies with specific attention to promoting and safeguarding food security.

Thank you!

Contact: Jessica Rosien, Oxfam

jessicarosien@oxfam.org.au