Towards a People-led Food Systems Change

APEX UPDATES | Second Agroecology Regional Workshop in Laos PDR

The Asian People’s Exchange for Food Sovereignty and Agroecology conducted its second regional workshop on Agroecology in Luang Prabang, Laos PDR last February 2023. Hosted by Social Policy Ecology Research Institute or SPERI of Vietnam, the seven day regional workshop was attended by APEX’ partner organizations and farmers from eight countries in south and south east Asia where they collectively discussed and shared their local practices on soil fertility management and alternative pest management as a strengthening tool in forwarding a people-led and community driven agroecology.

APEX delegates in Nong Khuay Village, Luang Prabang, Laos PDR

 

The collective discussion on soil fertility management was facilitated by the farmer-led network MASIPAG of the Philippines and SPERI where participants from south and south east Asia shared their indigenous and local practices regarding soil fertility management. On the other hand, Pesticide Action Network Asia Pacific (PANAP) and Dr. Chito Medina, MASIPAG scientist, spearheaded the facilitation in the discussion on alternative pest management. The discussions resulted  in a drafting of on-farm research design by the participants where they will collectively discuss, improve and contextualize, and implement it in their respective communities. Here, not only agroecology will be put into practice but also it will be guided by the process of people-led development (PLD).
Sharing and discussion on the impacts of the green revolution in soil health

Since its creation, APEX has been firm in the principles of people-led development (PLD) in achieving and asserting food sovereignty and food security through agroecology thus its thorough process in collective learning and sharing from different grassroots and farming practices from the ground.

Seed exchange between the local farming community and the APEX delegates

The regional workshop culminated in a series of solidarity activities in the communities that the APEX delegates visited. Here the participants as well as the local farming community in Luang Prabang farming communities engaged in a seed and agroecological knowledge exchange.