Theme 1: Food Reserves, Trade, and Investment

• Define and understand the importance of keeping food stocks and reserves, and the rationale behind countries' decision to stockpile
• Identify the commodities that countries stockpile and the modalities and mechanisms of food stockpiling that have been adopted, including physical, virtual, trade, national, and regional mechanisms
• Examine the implications of a changing regional trade regime on a country's food stocks, as well as the impact of individual countries' food reserves on a regional stockpiling mechanism such as APTERR
• Explore the feasibility of establishing other types of regional stockpiles beyond reserves

• Explication of the techniques, processes and responsible agencies for managing food stocks and reserves in all SE Asian countriesExplication of the techniques, processes and responsible agencies for managing food stocks and reserves in all SE Asian countries
• Collation of all relevant policies on food stocks, reserves and stockpiles in SE Asia
• Identification of regional or non-government food stocks and reserves
• One regional workshop
• One publication of findings

Completed

• Completed and packaged Final Project Report; posted on the project page in the SEARCA website

• Phase 1: Luzon
• Phase 2: Visayas and Mindanao

• Phase 1: January 2015 to June 2017
• Phase 2: May 2016 to May 2017

• Analyze the value chains of carabao and carabao-based products in selected regions in the Philippines, and recommend specific measures for improvement
• Examine the process through which these products pass through the different segments in the value chain, together with the resulting variety of products
  
  • Provide an overview of the carabao and carabao-based products situation in the global setting and in the national level (selected regions in the Philippines)
  • Analyze the nature and structure of the industry, focusing on the description of the players by segment in the value chain, the value chain maps of carabao and select carabao-based products, economic analysis, and inter-firm relationships
  • Identify and analyze the market trends and opportunities in the value chains of carabao and carabao-based products
  • Determine the existing support services (financial and non-financial) in the value chain, and their adequacy
  • Analyze the business enabling environment affecting the value chains of carabao and carabao-based products
  • Analyze the constraints and opportunities in each segment of the value chain and provide specific policy directions and strategies to improve the carabao industry, in general, and the specific value chains of selected carabao-based products, in particular.

• Overview of the carabao and carabao-based products situation in the Philippines (Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao) with emphasis on global, national, and regional production and product forms
• Nature and structure of the industry which focuses on the description and number of players in the value chain, value chain maps showing the key players and their functions, participation of women in the different activities and processes in the value chain, product and information flows, economic analysis, and nature of inter-firm relationships (horizontal and vertical integration)
• Analysis of markets and market opportunities of carabao products (market trends and product standards and requirements, including current and potential markets)
• Support services (financial and non-financial) and business enabling environment
• Constraints and opportunities
• Policy directions and upgrading strategies
• Publication on buffalo meat and meat products value chain and on dairy buffalo value chain (Luzon)

• Phase 1: Completed
• Phase 2: Completed

• Document best practices in farm-market linkage and develop policy recommendations leading to reforms that will improve farm-to-market linkage in Philippine agriculture
  
  • Establish the typology of farmers in the countryside
  • Establish the state-of-the-art in farm-market linkage in the domestic scene
  • Determine the key constraints to direct farm-market linkage
  • Identify best practices in farm-market linkage domestically
  • Benchmark best practices in domestic farm-market linkage
  • Draw policy implication towards replicating best practices in market linkages and promoting farm-market linkage to transform subsistence agriculture into viable commercial farms

• Increase understanding about the state-of-the-art in farm-to-market linkage and its key constraints, and to provide evidence-based information as bases for policy formulation towards transforming subsistence to commercial farms

Completed

• Submitted the inception report and two progress reports to DA-BAR
• Conducted reconnaissance survey and participatory rapid area appraisal in various municipalities
• Completed three waves of household questionnaire pre-testing.
• Conducted a store check which served as an input in the selection of case studies.
• Completed the three major components of the project, namely: Household Survey, Policy Review, and Case Studies.
• Submitted the Final Report to DA-BAR.

• Examine and share evidence of emerging inclusive agribusiness innovation trends in the ASEAN region with specific focus on countries where Grow Asia Chapter is being organized (the Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Indonesia)
• Identify relevant players and their activities and roles in the region in relation to inclusive agribusiness
• Provide an analysis of effective practices and implications of these for future investments, policy decisions, and partnership strategies

• Scoping study on the landscape of inclusive agribusiness in Southeast Asia with emphasis on the status, trends, functions, shape, and factors supporting success of inclusive agribusiness in the countries of Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, and Vietnam
• Roundtable on Inclusive Agribusiness in Southeast Asia
• Framework for analyzing the enablers of inclusive agribusiness which come in multiple dimensions and at different scales (Dr. Paul S. Teng, Nanyang Technological University)

Completed

• Submitted the final report to CSIRO
• Presented results of the scoping study titled "Landscape: Inclusive Agribusiness in Southeast Asia" during the Roundtable on Inclusive Agribusiness in Southeast Asia held on 23-25 September 2015 in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

• Assess how AEC can affect the trade agreements and related commitments made by ASEAN with its regional partners and its implications on food security in the region
  
  • Year 1: (i) Examine the implications of AEC on the FTAs between ASEAN as a whole, and between specific countries, and regional partners; (ii) Identify competitive advantage of commodities in each country
  • Year 2: Identify the implications of AEC on trade facilitation issues, especially on regional trade and investments, by examining the feasibility as well as the constraining and facilitating factors on AEC components
  • Year 3: Examine the effects of non-tariff barriers, being imposed to counter domestic pressures, to food availability and access, and on food utilization
  • Year 4: Identify the implications of AEC to Regional food security, by looking into the following factors: integrated markets, financial investments, and investments by public and private on agricultural and food supply chains
  • Year 5: Identify supply and demand surplus for main food commodities

• Identify the implication of AEC on the FTAs between ASEAN as a whole, and between specific countries, and regional partners
• Identify the commodities of competitive advantage in each country

Ongoing

Safeguarding and Sustaining the Integrity of Halal Food

• Sub-Project 1. Comparative study on the consumers' acceptance and economic impact of verified and certified Halal food in ASEAN countries
• Sub-Project 2. Development of authentication and analytical tools for Halal food product verifications
• Sub-Project 3. Development of alternative ingredients and products for Halal food processing application
• Sub-Project 4. Welfare and meat quality of livestock slaughtered according to Halal method using restraining mechanism and different knife sharpness
• Sub-Project 5. Development of database and Halal traceability system for Halal food products
• Sub-Project 6. Halal awareness and Halal compliance training in food processing for ASEAN countries

• Safeguard and sustain integrity of Halal foods in accordance to the Toyyiban aspects
• Determine the effects of Halal food products on consumers' acceptance and economic impact of verified and certified Halal food in ASEAN countries
• Develop reliable methods for Halal authentication and verification
• Develop processes, products and alternative ingredients for Halal food products production
• Determine the effect of restraining mechanism and different knife sharpness on the welfare and meat quality of livestock slaughtered according to Halal method
• Develop database and Halal traceability system for Halal food products
• Develop modules and provide training on halal awareness and Halal compliance in food processing for ASEAN countries

• Revenue generation of approximately RM100 million when Halal is implemented.
• Human resource capacity building - competent Halal Executives with knowledge in Halal Food Processing.
• Trade creation - the trade in Halal food is enormous with an estimated annual Halal food value of USD 347 billion globally. Greater confidence will be created in the Halal food industry thus opening more opportunities for ASEAN food manufacturers to penetrate OIC and EU Halal markets. This will increase per capita income for the ASEAN countries.
• Job creation - the creation of the Halal network will strengthen bi-lateral trade between developed and developing countries, giving an immediate boost to the volume of Halal products traded, which in turn will increase foreign exchange earnings and help create new jobs.

Ongoing

• Discuss definitions, concepts, and challenges of food value chain approaches to food value chain analysis of the different sectors in Southeast Asia in aid to policy

• Gain a clear understanding of the concept and framework of food value chain during the 4-day short course

Completed

• Identify and describe changes in quality and safety through the supply chain for grains, horticultural products, and animal-based food products
• Explain the basis for management systems for quality and food safety assurance through the supply chain
• Relate the quality and safety implications to food and nutrition security

• Gain a clear understanding of supply chains and management systems relating to food quality and safety during the 5-day short course

Completed