Seminar on Enhancing Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chains through Partnership among Cooperative in Asia and the Pacific

07 November 2023
Crown Plaza Manila Galleria Hotel, Philippines

Cultivating a Greener Tomorrow: Uniting Cooperative Leaders for Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chains in Asia-Pacific. 🌱🤝 #CooperativePartnerships #SustainableAgriculture.

Manila – The collaborative seminar on Enhancing Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chains through Partnership among Cooperative in Asia and the Pacific was organized on November 7, 2023 from 11:00 – 12:30 (Philippines Time) at the Crown Plaza Manila Galleria Hotel. It was collaboratively organized with ICA-AP Trade and Business Committee in association with the ICA-AP Regional Assembly taking place in Manila from November 6-10, 2023.

The seminar aimed at promoting sustainable agricultural supply chains and fostering partnerships among cooperatives within the Asia-Pacific region. The seminar provided a platform for ICA-AP members, committee representatives, and NEDAC members to share knowledge, exchange experiences, and collaboratively explore ways to align their efforts with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Three presentations were delivered during the seminar, featuring esteemed speakers who shared valuable insights on key topics:

1. FAO support to agricultural and fisheries cooperatives, presented by Dr. Lionel Dabbadie, FAO Representative in the Philippines. [PDF]
2. SDGs and Cooperative Development, presented by Mr. Ray R. Elevazo, Executive Director, Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), Philippines [PDF]
3. A study of value chain and financial achievements among agro-food cooperatives in Malaysia, presented by Mr. Zulkiflee Aspan, Director, Cooperative Institute of Malaysia [PDF]

The Cooperative Leaders and Functionaries also took active participation in this important Seminar of ICA AP and NEDAC. Few ways through which Co-operatives can have meaningful collaboration among themselves to help enhance sustainable agriculture supply chains are:

1. Cross sectional knowledge and technology sharing and learning of best practices from each other
2. Building strong Network and Partnership at regional, national and international levels among Co-operatives in the Region
3. Joint marketing initiatives to gain better market reach and increase negotiation capacity among farming community
4. Jointly invest and adopt modern agricultural technologies and techniques for sustainable farming practices
5. Working together by pooling resources as Consortium and also optimise expenses and co-branding among Co-operatives on the principle “Cooperation among Co-operatives”