(Sentencia) Una fórmula sin variables libres se denomina sentencia

impacts assessments (IIA), to determine the local impacts of the investment on the socio-economic and agro-ecological conditions. Such inspections can be repeated as necessary.

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58. In the context of improving smallholder livelihoods, maximizing return on rural invest- ments, and expanding agricultural trade and agribusiness, with the goal of generating 3-4 percent annual growth in the agriculture sector, the following priority actions of Program 2 are planned.

59. In the context of an estimated 1.5 million hectares of land having been allocated to investors and agro-enterprises to operate as large-scale commercial farms (planta- tions), MAF will work to strengthen links between farmer organizations and conces- sionaires, traders, and processors to use contract farming as a tool to (i) access regional and global value chains for food and agricultural products; (ii) transfer innovative techniques of agricultural production, pre- and post-harvest handling, and food safety technology to smallholder farmers; and, (iii) access micro-finance to support systematic and continuous production of high quality agricultural raw materials for value-added processing in-country and export. In consultation with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce - DPCD, interested commercial banks and micro- finance units, and small-, medium-, and large-scale agro-enterprises, including foreign direct investment and mega-projects, MAF will undertake the following specific sequence of measures:

• Immediate / short-term priorities (2011-2013):

- Establish a central database of domestic and foreign investors with land concessions and agro-enterprises; apply criteria to identify the quality of each investment based on their financial, social, and technical performance, corporate governance, and willingness to collaborate with the Government and farmer organizations to expand contract farming and community-based value-added processing of commodities;

- Establish a central database of farmer organizations; apply criteria to identify the quality of each farmer organization based on their financial and technical performance and demonstrated ability to engage in contract farming;

- In consultation with the MOIC–DPCD, prepare value chain analyses for priority food and agricultural products for export; identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to strengthening linkages between farmer organizations and agro-enterprises with access to regional and global value chains;

- Identify and delineate using GIS technology (now being made available at the provincial level), crop-specific production zones based upon agro-ecological and socioeconomic conditions in each region; and,

- Seed production of high priority agricultural export commodities. • Medium-term priorities (2013-2015)

- Through provincial and district agriculture and forestry offices (PAFO and DAFO), work with local business groups and individual agro-enterprises to develop contract farming projects for high priority food and agricultural products for export.

- Develop production-based and post-harvest activities at the farm-level that will

strengthen the capacity of smallholder farmers to implement GAP and meet international food safety and SPS standards that will modernize the agriculture sector.

- MAF will cooperate with the MOIC and the Science and Technology Agency (STA) and collaborate with agro-enterprises to streamline procedures and institutional

arrangements for issuing phytosanitary (‘phyto’) certificates (by provincial agriculture and forestry offices) and technical (‘techno’) certificates (by provincial science and technology agency). Procedures that are more efficient will be accompanied by computer-based logistics to facilitate the planning and control of the flow of food and agricultural products through key border trading centres.

- MAF will cooperate with the MOIC and STA and collaborate with agro-enterprises to design, develop, and install ICT to modernize and facilitate connectivity with cross- border trading partners at high priority border trading points.

- Develop irrigated agricultural production projects to maximize investments in irrigation infrastructure in collaboration with farmer organizations and foreign investors.

- Monitor and evaluate farmer organizations, agro-enterprises, and export-oriented agribusiness activities.

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- Key responsible agencies: Ministry of Industry and Commerce: Department of Promotion and Commodity Development, Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Lao Agribusiness Association, MAF: Departments of Planning, Irrigation, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Inspection; NAFRI; NAFES

60. MAF will strengthen the capacity of agribusiness and farmer organizations to under- take value-added processing of raw materials for domestic and export markets, in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce-DPCD and the Lao Cham- ber of Commerce and Industry, and in consultation with foreign direct investment in agro-enterprises. The commodity production program will emphasize food safety (‘clean agriculture’) and expanding local agribusiness to retain the maximum value- added in-country. Qualified farmer organizations will be further strengthened to form agricultural cooperatives to facilitate the production, marketing, and processing of food and agricultural products. Agribusiness investors will be encouraged to work with farmer organizations to reduce production costs and improve competitiveness of ex- port commodities through expanded mechanization of on-farm production. To this end, MAF will undertake the following specific sequence of measures:

• Immediate / short-term priorities (2011-2013):

- Organize one or more national and provincial level workshops with members of the Lao Agribusiness Association and provincial and district business groups to identify the constraints to and opportunities for expanding value-added processing of food and agricultural commodities in-country;

- Organize one or more workshops with representatives of farmer organizations to identify constraints to and opportunities for expanded contract farming, post-harvest handling, marketing, and community-based value-added processing of agricultural commodities at the local level;

- Prepare an assessment of farmer organizations and determine the fiscal policies and public investment required to develop agricultural cooperatives;

- Review and prepare an action plan for upgrading qualified farmer organizations to adopt GAP and create certification clubs, using a participatory community-based approach; and,

- Develop an agricultural mechanization action plan for lowland production areas in the Mekong corridor with fiscal policy incentives for smallholder farmer mechanization. • Medium-term priorities (2013-2015)

- Formulate an ‘agricultural exports production action plan’ based on GAP with specific roles identified for smallholder farmers, farmer organizations, SMEs, large-scale agro- enterprises, traders and exporters, and foreign direct investment, based on the value chain analysis.

- Advise and facilitate the Lao Agribusiness Association in implementing the ‘agricultural exports promotion action plan.’

- Monitor and evaluate the expansion of commodity production for export.

- Key responsible agencies: MOIC-DCPD, Ministry of Finance (fiscal policy unit), Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), MAF: Departments of Planning, Irrigation,

Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Inspection; PAFO; DAFO; NAFRI; NAFES.

61. For smallholder farmers choosing not to engage in contract farming or who are unprepared or lack the resources to engage in contract farming, MAF will analyze value chains for high-value crops to maximize opportunities for community-based value-added processing and provide information related to access to domestic mar- kets. These farmers will be encouraged to visit and learn from lead farmers in the community and to join farmer organizations to improve their competitiveness. These farmers will focus their efforts on producing crops in season to meet household and community food security needs. MAF will coordinate and facilitate the following spe- cific sequence of measures in support of smallholder farmers:

• Immediate / short-term priorities (2011-2013):

- Identify vulnerable, marginal, and resource-deficient smallholder farmers in each community to establish a provincial-based database of target farmers;

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- Prepare agriculture technology packages for the marginal farmers, adjusted to community socioeconomic and agro-ecological conditions;

- Support the organic farming, to maximize the comparative advantage of marginal farmers who have little experience in using capital intensive agricultural production inputs (agricultural chemicals);

- Link organic farmers to organic agriculture value chains through local small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs); and,

- Introduce improved seeds, bio-fertilizer packages, and improved breeds of livestock and fish to interested marginal farmers and technologies to ensure the effective use of these inputs.

• Medium-term priorities (2013-2015)

- Through refresher training and extension activities, develop the farm management capacity of marginal farmers to enable them to join farmer organizations and produce a surplus of farm products for sale in domestic and regional markets.

- Through home economics training for women, promote household participation in community-based micro-finance savings and loan programs.

- Monitor key social and economic factors for this group of smallholder farmers to determine the impacts of extension and commercialization.

- Key responsible agencies: MAF: Departments of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, and Inspection; PAFO; DAFO; NAFES

62. An increasing number of food safety problems occurring worldwide have height-