Landlessness and lack of secure tenurial rights to land, water, and forest resources have been identified as priority issues by many family farmers’ organizations across Asia. As landlessness continues to be a major problem for small-scale farmers, large-scale land acquisitions (LSLAs) become a serious threat to their livelihoods. The Land Matrix (LM) is a global, independent and open-access land monitoring initiative that promotes transparency and accountability in decisions over land and investment. The focus is primarily on LSLAs in agriculture where there is foreign investor involvement in low- and middle-income countries. The initiative aims to answer the high demand for accurate information on LSLAs in Asia. The goal is to ensure that decision-making over land investment is evidence-based, transparent, inclusive and equitable, and respectful of the rights of traditional land users.
The Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA), as the regional focal point of Land Matrix in Asia, initiates partnerships with organizations from different countries to better understand the situations of LSLAs in Asian countries. AFA acknowledges that every country has its own unique situation, and different economic events can differ from one another. For 2021, partnerships with organizations from Cambodia (Farmer and Nature Net or FNN), Lao PDR (Lao Farmers’ Network or LFN), Vietnam (Consultative Institute for Socio-Economic Development of Rural and Mountainous Areas or CISDOMA), and Papua New Guinea (PNG Women in Agriculture Development Foundation or PNG WiADF) were established to launch data campaigns in these countries.
To jumpstart the data campaigns, AFA organized a three-day virtual training on data management on June 25, 26, and 28, 2021 via Zoom. The training aimed to:
- Introduce the participants to the Land Matrix Database
- Orient the participants on the online platform of Land Matrix and to the data parameters that it uses
- Conduct hands-on training on data entry and editing on the Land Matrix Database
- Train the participants on data gathering techniques relevant to LM
Two methods were used to conduct the training; an interactive lecture and hands-on exercises. The training started with an orientation-lecture on the LMI database, its data parameters, and data editing guidelines. This was then coupled with feedbacking opportunities to ensure that participants interpret each parameter properly. Mr. Christof Althoff of GIGA also provided technical knowledge during the feedbacking session. Meanwhile, the hands-on training was used to allow participants to have a direct application of what they have learned in the lectures. This also ensures that they have understood what was taught and they are given a chance to clarify any points in the application that are not clear to them.
The training workshop was a success as each participant was able to correctly add a new deal in the online platform of Land Matrix. After the training, each participating organization has its own target number of new land deals that they will add to the database and existing deals that they would be updating.
For more info, follow these hashtags on social media: #landmatrixinitiative #LSLAsinAsia
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