General

To build the capacity of the next generation of policy makers in Shan State in Myanmar, a holistic training program of several weeks is required. A major capacity gap is the ability to include energy development aspects (e.g. land lost due dam projects, de centralized alternatives) into the Land Law consultation process of 2020. In addition, the next generation of practitioners for advancing decentralized renewable energy (DRE) is also direly required to set forth a bottom up, scalable movement toward equita ble rural development. In this project, Kyun Ta Htaung Myae Foundation (KTHM) will implement a capacity building program to train the next generation of energy policy makers and practitioners in Nam San, Kunhing and Mong Nai townships the marginalized e thnic sub-region of the Salween River Basin. The program includes the following activities: 1) Training to develop specialized skillsets for policy development and DRE assessment for 20 young ethnic leaders and further 80 community-level technical lead ers (by the 20 trained young leaders), 2) Field-based, participatory research by the trained young leaders to map (a) land use issues as they relate to energy development, (b) DRE national resource, energy demand, and socio-environmental aspects, and (c) productive end use of energy focusing in rural agriculture end uses. 3) Development and presentation of field research outputs by the 20 young leaders to move forward DRE planning and implementation in the Salween River Basin for local inclusive energy planning 4) Policy recommendations and advocacy for the Land Use Law reacted and local level energy plan that outlines a project pipeline for short-term and medium-term DRE projects. Direct Beneficiaries will 100 young leaders of ethnic communities, a nd indirect beneficiaries include more than 1200 community members. Other stakeholders include national and international cooperation organizations, energy experts and micro hydro SMEs as well as government authorities from township level to state level. K THM works to create more space for women in its project planning and activities, it is hoped that 40% of the trained young leaders would be women. The implementing organisation is membership-based Kyun Ta Htaung Myae Foundation, located in Taunggyi. In i ts work, KTHM focuses on sustainable natural resource governance (including land rights, water governance and decentralized renewable energy), democratic processes, justice and peace issues.

General

SDC has worked with the Ministry of Land and Environmental Protection since 2004 to empower farmer groups to apply new agroforestry practices on steeply sloped land. These entail participatory land use planning, reforestation and conservation farming. The concept is humanitarian in nature and designed to address the issue of food security amongst rural populations. This phase of the programme will focus on spreading these practices further and introducing methodologies which reduce the risks of disasters that threaten rural areas.

General

Ultimately SOMO’s Food and Land program strives for a global food system in which small farmers and workers are justly treated and fairly compensated, biodiversity and ecosystems are protected, rights of communities to natural resources are secured, and hunger is a thing of the past. To contribute to progress towards this ideal the program pushes for improvements in public and private policies intervening both at the beginning (farm workers, small holders and communities) and at the end (food companies and supermarkets) of the food chain. The program interventions can build on decades of experience with research and advocacy on corporate food sector issues and broad networks of partners in the global north and south. It is difficult to overstate the importance of the global food and land complex as it is essential for nutrition, employment, culture, environment, conservation, peace and stability. To illustrate, 31 per cent of the working population worldwide is involved in agriculture, which is often the most important sector in developing countries. Even in many developed countries food processing is a leading industry in terms of value added and jobs generated. On the other hand, working conditions in agriculture are often harsh, dangerous, under paid and jobs are precarious. Through large-scale land acquisitions community rights to land are often violated. Of the 795 million people worldwide who are undernourished 80 percent are involved in agriculture. Indeed over the last decade food riots, land grab, obesity epidemic, food speculation, reports of deplorable working conditions, climate change and farmer protests have made it clearer than ever that for the food and land complex to provide its essential services equitably and sustainably many critical issues need to be addressed. Within the theme Right to food, SOMO will focus its work on capacity building of civil society in research and advocacy, specifically in relation to food prices and improving conditions for agricultural workers and small-scale food producers. SOMO will conduct research to support national and global influencing. Its primary thematic focus areas include food prices, the impact of trading policies, the needs and problems of agricultural workers and the role of certification schemes. The long-term outcome of SOMO’s work in the strategic partnership with Oxfam Novib is to contribute to securing the right to food, improved labor conditions and respect of human rights. To contribute to this long-term outcome the program pursues a number of strategies, i.e. research, capacity building, supporting and building networks and advocacy. All strategies target the improvement of public and private policies that govern and/or affect the food and agricultural sector in developing countries.