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ACC Network:Countries:China
SD DIMENSIONS

ACC Network on Rural Development and Food Security
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Posted 16 April 1998

Country Thematic Groups

China: Task Force on Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security

In China, the Task Force on Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security, set up in follow-up to the World Food Summit, has been affiliated to the Network. It currently includes the participation of FAO (chair), UNDP, WFP and the World Bank, though there are plans to expand the membership to include non-UN partner organizations in the future.

Mandate and focus

The main mandate of the Task Force is to follow-up on integration of the World Food Summit commitments into programmes at the national level. In this context, the Task Force plays an important role in enhancing information exchange and co-ordination among government and donor agencies engaged in agricultural development projects. As part of its overall focus on household food security, the Task Force has identified the "role of agricultural technology transfer, through extension, in enhancing food security" as a priority sub-theme.

Completed activities

The Task Force has already completed its first joint activity which was to produce a compendium of ongoing agriculture related projects in China. This Compendium includes:
  1. a geographical reference list of projects;
  2. an analysis of the allocation of financial assistance for different agricultural sub-sectors; and
  3. a perspective on future donor policies in agriculture and related areas.
The final version of this "Compendium on Donor Assistance in Agriculture in China" will soon be printed and is likely to provide a useful tool for those engaged in agricultural development issues.

Planned activities

The Task Force is planning a study in association with the Ministry of Agriculture. The purpose of this study will be to analyse the effectiveness of the existing agricultural extension services at the grassroots level in China, with a focus on the needs of poor female and male farmers, in order to develop action-oriented guidelines aimed at improving agricultural extension at the national, county and village level. It will seek to examine the agricultural technology transfer process (e.g. management practices, dissemination methods, rate of adoption and relevance of new technologies, mechanisms for feedback from farmers) paying attention to the policy framework, the socio-economic and natural environment, and the perceptions and attitudes of poor farmers, especially women.

Case studies will be carried out in three poor counties of three different provinces during June-July 1998 and they will provide the basis for the study recommendations. The conclusions and recommendations of these case studies will be discussed with extension staff and farmers in field-level workshops. The study outcomes will also be discussed with relevant Government bodies and UN agencies/interested donors to provide practical recommendations aimed at improving extension services for poor farmers at the grassroots level, an important element in enhancing household food security.

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