The Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA) participated in the 12th Asia-Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development (APFSD) held in Bangkok, Thailand on 25-28 February 2024, represented by Irish Baguilat, who participated as a panelist in two side events.
In the “Leveraging Digital Innovations to Improve Women’s Work in Agriculture” session organized by the Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization, Baguilat shared various insights and recommendations from the survey, focus group discussions, and experience sharing on digital agriculture in 2023. She emphasized the need to:
- Tackle accessibility, affordability, and connectivity challenges
- Safeguard small-scale farmers’ data and promote sustainable approaches
- Enable participation in decision-making for more responsive digital technologies
- Partner with farmers’ organizations and cooperatives
In the second side event, “Convergence for a Healthier Future: Integrating Health, Food, and Climate Systems for a Just Transition,” organized by The UN Food System Coordination Hub, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and Scaling Up Nutrition, Baguilat highlighted several key areas for convergence that can yield multiple benefits for women farmers. These include:
- Assessments and scoping studies that identify the role of women in agriculture
- Inclusive mechanization to alleviate the various burdens faced by women and reduce their workload
- Interventions directed at crops that are under the control of women, extending beyond staple crops
- Support for farmers’ organizations and cooperatives
- Holistic community-based initiatives (e.g., Green Village Initiative of Self Employed Women’s Association-SEWA)
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