Rivers of Knowledge in the Greater Mekong Region
By the APMAS, AIT-E and PROCASUR Team
Self-reliance and self-sufficiency are the ground
philosophies of rural development programmes in Thailand. A cutting edge policy
strategy stressing the role of local talent wisdom, in a frame of inclusive competitiveness,
gives room to sustainable public private approaches.
It’s been three days since practitioners of
Cambodia, India, Laos, Madagascar, Thailand and Vietnam started their learning
route. Mrs. Tram Mihn Tam, from the Vietnamese team already took note about how
if the right measure of public and private interest is located, capacity
enhancement and market opportunities will arise for the rural poor families
with an increased impact.
The Route participants visited Sri Muang
Agricultural Central Market at Ratchaburi Province, which is an initiative
established in 1994. A multi stakeholder strategy with the involvement of public
actors allowed the building of a strong quality control system, which is today
the support of a service cluster. Farmers and middlemen are engaged today in a specialized
market niche value chain.
The Chao Phya Abhaibhubejhr Foundation also hosted
the participants of the learning route, and is willing to engage with the Laos’
participant Mr. Bounheng Amphavanh on a technical assistance contract. This
experience, localized in the Prachinburi Province, portrays a successful
initiative on local knowledge retrieval and valuing of traditional medicine,
with an extended supplying network of small farmers supported on fair trade
practices.
The
knowledge exchange between participants and the AIT-E scholars and government
officers already created a good ambiance for innovation. In the upcoming days
participants will arrive to Nakhon Ratchasima province to meet Siam Organic and
PDA PPP experiences.
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