Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

Members of the South East Asian Council for Food Security and Fair Trade (SEACON) from eight countries carried out participatory research to gather data about the situation of small scale producers in the Southeast Asia region. It has been reported that the majority of the population in the ASEAN region are poor and reside in rural areas. SEACON carried out this research-based advocacy initiative to assess the impact of free trade agreements on small scale food producers and to advocate the implementation of friendly agricultural/fisheries trade policies in the ASEAN region. SEACON chose this tactic, as an effort to engage its network in educating and empowering small scale food producers to advocate government policy efforts by providing reliable statistical data and demographic figures. SEACON used participatory research to collect the data rather than relying solely on other sources for empirical analysis. Key findings included that small producers are an aging population with high levels of debt and limited capital. Additionally, the research found that small producers have very limited awareness of the guidelines and regulations regarding the Asia Free Trade Agreement (AFTA).

The majority of the ASEAN nation populations are dependent on agriculture/fisheries for their income source, food supply and sustainable livelihood. The research was based on Articles 1 & 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which state that 'in no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence.' It focused on the impact of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) Agreement on Small Scale Producers' Right to Livelihood and Right to Food.

SEACON's members carried out primary research including focus group discussions, key informant interviews and case studies in 5 countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines; and secondary research in 3 countries: Cambodia, Laos and Burma. The findings of the research are being formulated into SEACON's Food & Agriculture Charter incorporating the human rights perspectives of the right to livelihood, the right to food and the important role women play in the agriculture and fishing sectors. The Charter will be used as a lobbying tool to support these perspectives at national, regional and international meetings.

SEACON felt it was crucial to carry out a research-based advocacy initiative to assess the impact of free trade agreements on small scale food producers and to advocate the implementation of friendly agricultural/fisheries trade policies in the ASEAN region. SEACON chose this tactic, as an effort to engage its network in educating and empowering small scale food producers to advocate government policy efforts by providing reliable statistical data and demographic figures. SEACON used participatory research to collect the data rather than relying solely on other sources for empirical analysis.

SEACON trained lead researchers from eight countries regarding the key concepts, methodologies, work plans and research design necessary to conduct empirical research that could provide foundational and advocacy support for government policies regarding small-scale producers.  The questionnaire developed during the training session was field tested and revised. The sample size for the countries that carried out primary research was 250 respondents, with proportional representation of men and women in the agriculture/fisheries sector.

Upon completion of the data collection, the lead researchers reviewed and edited the questionnaires to perform quality checks ensuring that the questions were answered correctly and logically. The data from the questionnaires were then recorded into a database. After the data was encoded, the database was sent to the SEACON Secretariat for cleaning and compiling. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used to perform the compilation of data. The processed data was sent back to the lead researchers for analysis and report development. The three countries involved in secondary research wrote their reports based on the compilation of articles and data from various sources of publications such as journals, periodicals, and government publications.

After the lead researchers finished their work on the AFTA reports, a validation meeting was held to finalize the reports and develop SEACON's Food and Agriculture Charter. SEACON network partners are sharing their findings with local member partners, CSOs, NGOs, academics and their respective national governments.

Some the initial key findings of the SEACON research revealed that a significant number of farmers in the Southeast Asia region are an aging population of 51 years of age and above; operate small farms of 1.5 hectares and below; have annual incomes as low or lower than USD 100; and engage in the widespread use of inorganic inputs such as seeds, fertilizers and pesticides which lead to increased production costs. In addition, the agricultural market in the ASEAN region is controlled by traders and millers. As a result, small producers have high levels of debt and limited capital. Additionally, the research found that small producers have very limited awareness of the guidelines and regulations regarding the Asia Free Trade Agreement (AFTA). 

Research based advocacy provides a feeling of ownership between the members who carried out the research and the respondents, i.e. small scale farmers/fisherfolks. Moreover, since the research was participatory in nature, this tactic was found to be an effective tool in strengthening SEACON as a network. SEACON member-partners were directly involved in the conceptualization, planning and implementation of the project, and became facilitators in representing the voice of the farmers and fisherfolks. The small scale producers who were involved in this research were empowered to share their experience and advocate for their rights. Importantly, this tactic of using research with a human rights framework has enabled SEACON to advocate for right to livelihood and right to food policies for small scale producers based on concrete, verifiable data.

For more in-depth information, see the tactical notebook, Research for Action: A region-wide participatory process to build participation, awareness & advocacy on trade policies (link below).