BRICS Information Centre
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BRICS Information Centre |
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Action Plan 2012-2016 for Agricultural Cooperation of BRICS Countries
Chengdu, China, October 30, 2011
Ministers of Agriculture and Agrarian Development of the BRIC countries met for the first time in Moscow on March 26th 2010 and reached consensus on the following actions for agricultural cooperation under this mechanism: firstly, creation of agricultural information base system; secondly, development of a general strategy for ensuring access to food for the most vulnerable population; thirdly, reduction of negative impact of climate change on food security and adaptation of agriculture to climate change; and fourthly, enhance agricultural technology cooperation and innovation.
To implement the consensus reached at the First Meeting of BRIC Ministers of Agriculture and Agrarian Development, the First Meeting of BRICS Agricultural Cooperation Working Group was held in Beijing, China in August 2011. The meeting unanimously agreed to formulate the present Action Plan on Agricultural Cooperation of the BRICS countries for the period of 2012-2016, approved at the Second Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Agriculture and Agrarian Development. Furthermore, the countries will establish an annual calendar of activities which will take into consideration the principles adopted at the Action Plan.
BRICS countries shall share/arrange/mobilize financial resources to cover the cost of all the cooperation activities below.
I. Creation of basic agricultural information exchange system of BRICS countries (coordinated by China in collaboration with other four countries)
1) Each member country shall make commitment to exchange basic agricultural information on a regular basis;
2) Each member country shall designate an information officer to be responsible for the collection and compilation of the basic agricultural information and its translation into English and disseminate it to other member countries through the focal point of the BRICS Agricultural Cooperation Working Group;
3) Information exchange shall mainly be carried out by way of internet in the form of e-mail, instant messaging, and video conferencing, etc;
4) Information to be exchanged shall include:
b) Agricultural trade data and policies;
c) Market prices of major agricultural products;
d) Dynamic information, such as the latest development in agricultural science and technology; and
e) Legislation, policies and management strategies related to fisheries and aquaculture;
6) To work out coordination mechanism on Action Plan implementation and agree to prepare regular national reports;
7) The information base should be linked to AMIS created under the G20 in order not to duplicate;
8) Information to be exchanged could be adjusted from time to time on an agreed basis according to needs of all member countries;
9) Information submitted by all members shall only be shared among ministries of agriculture of the BRICS countries;
10) A mechanism for the exchange of information related to agricultural production, consumption and population growth shall be established and discussion and exchange on common issues to agricultural development of the BRICS countries shall be conducted.
II. Development of a general strategy for ensuring access to food for the most vulnerable population (coordinated by Brazil in collaboration with other four countries)
1) To hold seminars to exchange policies and experience of the members in ensuring food security of the most vulnerable populations;
2) Strengthen technological and industrial cooperation on livestock, fisheries, especially in the field of seawater and freshwater aquaculture, to enhance the contribution of fisheries to ensuring national food security;
3) Capacity building and human resource development strategy to ensure food access for the most vulnerable population”;
4) Hold a seminar “Modernization of feeding systems for the most vulnerable population” with focus on national system of food and nutrition security and public food procurement from smallholder farmers;
5) Hold a seminar on sustainable intensification of agricultural production and productivity of smallholder farmers;
6) Creation of a BRICS group in FAO, which would act also within the United Nations World Food Program in order to coordinate initiatives to promote food security, projects in the area of food security and school meals, as well as incentivizing mechanisms for purchasing local food of family agriculture.
III. Reduction of negative impact of climate change on food security and adaptation of agriculture to climate change (coordinated by South Africa in collaboration with other four countries)
1) Jointly conduct R&D on agricultural greenhouse gas emission measurement and climate resilient high-yield agricultural production. Priority shall be given to technology and methodology of agricultural greenhouse gas measurement, integrated farming systems cultivation of new climate resilient high-yielding crop varieties, R&D on managerial technologies for climate resilient high-yield crop and animal production, and technical development for climate resilient high-yield agricultural production. These activities are to be conducted in principle for R&D purposes only;
2) Hold seminars to exchange views on conservation farming, water-saving agriculture, agronomic improvement, agricultural insurance and other technical or policy measures to cope with climate change and promote sustainable agricultural development;
3) Jointly carry out consultation and cooperation on adaptation to climate change in the field of agriculture and share technologies and information related to alternate sources of food, fodder, fiber and energy in climate change prone dry regions;
4) To harmonize activities in using updated technologies for environment protection and monitoring of negative impact of climate;
5) China plans to sponsor an agriculture seminar in 2012 under the theme of the impact of climate change on agricultural production and response measures; South Africa will be hosting COP 17 and Brazil the Rio plus 20 in 2012.
IV. Enhance agricultural technology cooperation and innovation (coordinated by India in collaboration with other four countries)
1) Establish a strategic cooperation alliance on agricultural science and technology among the BRICS countries, and hold an agricultural technological cooperation forum alternately in the five countries every other year, so as to strength dialogues and exchanges, jointly analyze major challenges in the world agricultural technologies, and discuss how to share scientific and technological resources, promote agricultural technological development and improve the efficiency of scientific research in the BRICS countries;
2) Hold a “conference on agricultural and fishery cooperation among the BRICS countries” alternately in the five countries every other year to exchange views on agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture development trend and research priorities, and discuss the cooperation on management, research and industry in the fields of agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture among the five countries;
3) Strengthen cooperation in resources and environment as well as development of biomass energy, crop residue recycling and conduct discussion and exchange on agricultural development and energy exploitation, and protection of resources and environment;
4) Conduct collaborative research on low-carbon fishery technologies, including technological development and collaborative research of energy saving and emission reduction of fishing vessels, carbon sink function of aquaculture and artificial wetland, and recycling aquaculture system;
5) To promote setting up shared views concerning strategic objectives that are desired to be reached by 2016;
6) To create an Innovation Projects Store;
7) To promote cooperation on technologies with the aim of strengthening traditional forms of production for the maintenance of biodiversity;
8) Conduct dialogue and share research on food dietary regimes with the aim of widening food production diversity;
9) To promote cooperation on TEEB (The Economy of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) in order to strengthen environmental conservation in agriculture;
10) To cooperate on sustainable use of water and fertilizers;
11) To hold seminars on policy on adoption of frontier sciences of biotechnology;
12) To exchange germplasm resources (genetic resources) (subject to national laws), conduct study on the breeding of hybrid rice, hybrid maize, wheat, pulses, oil seeds, horticulture and other crops and demonstrate and promote conservation farming, soil improvement technology, balanced fertilization, new fertilizer sources and other yield-promoting technologies to increase the unit yield and improve quality of crops.
V. Trade and investment promotion (coordinated by Russia in collaboration with other four countries)
1) Trade and investment cooperation shall be promoted. The BRICS member countries shall make commitment to promote trade and investment cooperation between agricultural enterprises by organizing exhibitions, trade and investment forums, or other events, and encourage and assist enterprises of respective countries to participate in the economic and trade promotion activities held by the BRICS member countries;
2) To promote market infrastructure by designing and developing supporting facilities;
3) To explore the possibilities of increasing the value of agricultural trade and investment.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation