Agricultural and Rural Development for Reducing Poverty and Hunger in Asia:
In Pursuit of Inclusive and Sustainable Growth
Policy Forum
Organized by
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
and
Asian Development Bank
9-10 August 2007: ADB Headquarters, Manila, Philippines
Thursday, 9 August 2007
|
A. Welcome
9:00 – 9:15 am |
C. Lawrence Greenwood, Jr., Vice President, Operations 2, Asian Development Bank, Philippines
 Audio [.mp3]  Video [.wmv | 8:09 mins. | 14.2 MB]
Ross Garnaut, Chair of the IFPRI Board of Trustees, and Professor of Economics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, The Australian National University, Australia
Audio [.mp3] Video [.wmv | 7:54 mins. | 13.7 MB]
|
B. Opening Panel
9:15 – 10: 45 am |
- This panel will set the scene and in the light of past experiences examine opportunities and challenges for the role of agriculture and rural development in contributing to inclusive growth and poverty reduction in Asia.
Chair: Ross Garnaut, IFPRI Board Chair and Professor of Economics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University, Australia
Peter Timmer, Senior Fellow, Center for Global Development, USA
Audio [.mp3] Video [.wmv | 20:40 mins. | 28.9 MB]
H. Satish Rao, Director General, East Asia Department, Asian Development Bank, Philippines
Audio [.mp3] Video [.wmv | 12:14 mins. | 21.3 MB]
Joachim von Braun, Director General, IFPRI, USA
Audio [.mp3] Video [.wmv | 19:31 mins. | 33.9 MB]
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|
| 10:45 – 11: 00 am |
COFFEE AND TEA BREAK |
C. Poverty and Hunger in Rural Asia
11:00 – 1:00 pm |
Modality: Presentations (and briefs prepared), followed by discussion.
Chair: Sartaj Aziz, Vice-Chancellor of Beaconhouse National University, Former Minister of Finance, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Former Minister of Agriculture, Pakistan
- Who are the poorest and hungry today and to what extent is poverty and hunger a rural problem?
Presenter:Akhter Ahmed, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
Audio [.mp3] Video [.wmv | 16:00 mins. | 27.6 MB]
- The social exclusion-inequality-poverty nexus in Asia: to what extent does discrimination and social exclusion limit the opportunities faced by the poorest?
Presenter:Sukhadeo Thorat, Director, Indian Institute of Dalit Studies, and Chairman, University Grant Commission, India
- Agriculture and women’s status in Asia: what is the relationship between changes in Asian agriculture, women’s empowerment and poverty and hunger? What are the implications for investment and social action?
Presenter: Agnes Quisumbing, Senior Research Fellow, IFPRI
Audio [.mp3] Video [.wmv | 11:58 mins. | 20.8 MB]
- Discussion opener: Arsenio Balisacan, Director, Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) and Professor of Economics, University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines
- Discussion opener: Shiladitya Chatterjee, Head of the Poverty Unit, Regional and Sustainable Development Department (RSDD-PU), Asian Development Bank (ADB), Philippines
|
|
| 1:00 – 2:00 pm |
LUNCH |
D. Growth and Structural Changes in Asian Agriculture
2:00 – 4:00 pm |
Modality: Presentations (and briefs prepared) followed by discussion
Chair: Fatimah Arshad, Director, Institute of Agricultural & Food Policy Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia
- What are the current and future challenges and opportunities confronting Asian agriculture and what are their implications for poverty, hunger and the corresponding policy and investment decisions?
Presenter: Mark Rosegrant, Director, Environment and Production Technology Division, IFPRI
- How are Asian food markets changing and what are the opportunities and challenges facing small farmers? What are the implications for policy and investment?
Presenter: Ashok Gulati, Director in Asia, IFPRI and Thomas Reardon, Professor, Michigan State University, USA
- What are the key interventions that improve market access for the poor: learning from ADB and other donors’ experiences
Presenter: Marzia Mongiorgi, Rural Development Economist, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Social Services Division, South Asia Department, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Philippines
- Discussion opener: Vijay Vyas, Professor Emeritus, Institute of Development Studies, India
- Discussion opener: Parakrama Samaratunga, Head, Agriculture Policy Unit, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka
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| 4:00 – 4:15 pm |
COFFEE AND TEA BREAK |
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E. Growth and Structural Changes in Asian Rural Non-Farm Activities
4:15 – 5:30 pm |
Modality: Presentations (and briefs prepared) followed by discussion
Chair: Vo-Tong Xuan, Rector, Angiang University, Vietnam
- What is changing in the rural non-farm economy in Asia and how will it respond to current and future challenges and opportunities? How do these changes affect the livelihoods of the poorest and hungry and prospects for inclusive growth?
Presenter: Keijiro Otsuka, Director, Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development (FASID) Graduate Program and Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Japan
- How infrastructural investments encourage inclusive growth: learning from ADB’s experience
Presenter: Hemamala Hettige, Principal Evaluation Specialist, Asian Development Bank, Philippines
- Discussion opener: Sohail Malik, Chairman, Innovative Development Strategy (IDS) and Advisor, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund, Pakistan
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| EVENING RECEPTION |
Speaker: Romulo Neri, Secretary, Socio-Economic Planning, and Director General, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Philippines |
Friday, 10 August 2007
|
F. Strategies for Rural Growth: Macroeconomic Context, Trade Policies and Foreign Direct Investment
9:00 – 10:00 am |
Modality: Presentation (and brief prepared) and discussed
Chair: Isher Ahluwalia, Vice Chairperson, Planning Board, Punjab; Chairwomen of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER); and member of the ADB eminent persons group
- What economy wide and trade policies and market institutional reforms are needed to encourage inclusive rural growth that enhances the livelihoods of the poor? What policies encourage FDI that brings about improved livelihood opportunities for the rural poor?
Presenter: Peter Warr, Professor of Agricultural Economics and Director of Poverty Research Centre, Division of Economics, Australian National University
- Discussion opener: Mohamad Ikhsan, Special Advisor to the Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs, The Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs and Senior Researcher and Professor, Institute for Economic and Social Affair, University of Indonesia, Indonesia
- Discussion opener: Raul Montemayor, National Business Manager, Federation of Free Farmers Cooperatives, Inc (FFFCI), Philippines
|
G. Production Technology and Natural Resources Management
10:00 – 11:00 am |
Modality: Presentations (and briefs prepared) and discussed
Chair: Jikun Huang, Director, Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy, Chinese Academy of Sciences
- What interventions improve irrigation and access to water for the poor?
Presenters: Plamen Bozakov, Water Resources Management Specialist, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Social Services Division, South Asia Department and Thomas Panella, Senior Water Resources Management Specialist, Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Division, Central and West Asia Department; Asian Development Bank (ADB), Philippines
- What strategies encourage development and adoption of new technologies for the poor?
Presenter: Robert Zeigler, Director General, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines
Audio [.mp3] Video [.wmv | 14:30 mins. | 24.9 MB]
- Promoting Pro-Poor Agriculture Policy Initiatives.
Presenter:Purushottam Mudbhary, Chief, Policy Assistance Branch for Asia and the Pacific; FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Thailand
- Discussion opener: Tahlim Sudaryanto, Indonesian Center for Agriculture Socio-Economic and Policy Studies, Indonesia
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| 11:00 – 11.15 am |
COFFEE AND TEA BREAK |
H. Climate Change and Agricultural and Rural Development in Asia: Impact, Mitigation, and Risk Management
11:15 - 12:45 pm |
Modality: Panel of presentations
Chair: Champak Pokharel, Former Member of the Planning Commission, Nepal
- What are the risks posed to agriculture and human development in Asia as a result of climate change? What instruments can be used to mitigate and manage it? What is the role of changing energy demands and the provision of energy through bio-fuels? What institutions should be developed for responding to climate change?
Presenter: Mark Rosegrant, Division Director, IFPRI
Audio [.mp3] Video [.wmv | 15:50 mins. | 27.5 MB]
- What are the main risks faced by rural households? What private sector instruments have been used to manage and insure against the risks faced by the rural poor?
Presenter: D. Sattaiah, Vice President, BASIX, India
Audio [.mp3] Video [.wmv | 16:14 mins. | 21.7 MB]
- Discussion opener: Morgan Wairiu, Deputy Director, Environmental Concerns Action Network of Solomon Islands (ECANSI)
- Discussion opener: Alok Adholeya, Director, Biotechnology and Management of Bioresources Division, The Energy Resources Institute (TERI), India
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| 12:45 - 1:45 pm |
LUNCH |
I. Developing Effective Agricultural and Rural Institutions
1:45 - 3:15 |
Modality: Presentations (and briefs prepared) followed by panel discussion
Chair: Urooj Malik, Director, Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Division, Southeast Asian Department, Asian Development Bank (ADB), Philippines
- How can local governments be enabled to deliver services (i.e. research and extension, infrastructure, health and education) to the rural poor?
Presenter: Kamiljon Akramov, Research Fellow, IFPRI
- Improving efficiency and effectiveness of poverty reduction program through institutional change: Lessons from the PRC
Presenter: Li Xiaoyun, College of Humanities and Development, China Agricultural University, China
Audio [.mp3] Video [.wmv | 15:34 mins. | 25.9 MB]
- What strategies can be used to develop rural institutions that strengthen the voice of the rural poor?
Presenter: Eduardo Gonzalez, Former President, Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), Philippines
- Impact of institutional improvements on agricultural growth and poverty reduction
Presenter: Ganesh Thapa, Regional Economist, Asia and the Pacific Division, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Italy |
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3:15 - 3:30 pm |
COFFEE AND TEA BREAK |
J. Investment Priorities
3.30 - 4.30 pm |
Chair: M Syeduzzaman, Former Minister of Finance, Bangladesh
- How much, where and in what sectors should investments take place to promote rural inclusive growth? To what extent and where should investments in lagging regions take place?
Presenter: Shenggen Fan, Division Director, IFPRI
- What can we learn from experiences in donor harmonization with investment in agricultural and rural development?
Presenter: Gerd Fleischer, Senior Policy Advisor, Division 45 - Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH
- Discussion opener: Lutz Goedde, Senior Program Officer, Agriculture Development, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
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Moving Forward
4:30 - 5:30 pm |
Modality: Panel Discussion
Co-Chair: Lawrence Greenwood, Vice President, Operations 2, Asian Development Bank, Philippines
Co-Chair: Ross Garnaut, IFPRI Board Chair and Professor of Economics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University, Australia
Discussion Openers:
Jafar Ahmed Chowdhury, Secretary of Planning, Ministry of Planning, Bangladesh
Vo-Tong Xuan, Rector, Angiang University, Vietnam
Sartaj Aziz, Vice-Chancellor of Beaconhouse National University, Former Minister of Finance, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Former Minister of Agriculture, Pakistan
Ashok Gulati, Director in Asia, IFPRI |
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