Source :growsellthrive.org
On March 5, 2015, GRAISEA was formally launched at the Aetas Lumpini Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. Gender Transformative and Responsible Agribusiness Investments in South East Asia (GRAISEA) is a regional programme, which is funded by the Government of Sweden. It is based on the recognition that financial viability and gender equitable and sustainable supply chains are not mutually exclusive. It also believes that win-win-win propositions - community/environment. wins, women and men small-scale producers win, and larger businesses win - are attainable.
It focuses on three intertwined approaches:
- Promotion of Corporate Social Responsibility and other Private Sector regulatory frameworks in South East Asia: with ASEAN and its member states and with leading agribusiness companies
- Demonstrate gender transformative and responsible agribusiness investments for smallholders in particular women in the selected value chains palm oil and aquaculture
- Promote responsible and innovative investments in small and medium enterprises
The programme wll be implemented for a period of three years, starting April 1, 2015. It is a joint OGB/ONL programme led by the OGB regional centre in Bangkok, which will involve 5 regional partners: ChangeFusion, CSR Asia, Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia (ISEA), Shujog/Impact Investment Exchange IIX and Oxfam’s East Asia GROW campaign and 6 countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand. The Oxfam offices will work with local country partners.
In the launch, Amit Vatsyayan, Regional Economic Empowerment Team Manager of Oxfam in Asia presented GRAISEA to the various participants in the programme and external guests. He highlighted the context of South East Asia and introduced GRAISEA’s multi-stakeholder approach, with Oxfam serving as convenor to bring together the different stakeholders involved. His presentation was then followed by speeches from regional partner organizations working on GRAISEA and a representative of a private sector company active in responsible fisheries and aquaculture, Union Frozen Products.
On behalf of the Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok, Anne-Charlotte Malm, Head of Development Cooperation, talked about their commitment to support the programme. She said that the Embassy of Sweden has been keen to collaborate with Oxfam for a long time because they see Oxfam’s potential as a partner to influence the ASEAN and connect the private sector to small-scale producers. She further added that Oxfam’s commitment to put women’s rights at the heart of their work is aligned with the embassy’s approach to their development work involvement. Her speech was followed by a short speech by Gerard Steehouwer, Head of the Business for Development bureau of Oxfam Novib in the Hague. The final speaker of the launch was Cherian Mathews, Regional Director of Oxfam GB- Asia who talked about the work that Oxfam has been doing in the region and how GRAISEA can be a vital component of the programming in Asia. He encouraged everyone involved on the programme to keep the fire burning and work in unity to pave the way for GRAISEA’s success.
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For more information about GRAISEA, kindly email graisea_pmu@oxfam.org.uk
This post was written by Henk Peters, GRAISEA Interim Programme Manager
It first appeared on Oxfamily.org on 10 March 2015
( In Vietnam, ICAFIS,has been identified as one of two project implementing partner , will implement the programme in Soc Trang province.
For more information about project implementation in Vietnam, please contact Mr. Dinh Xuan Lap, email: lap.dinhxuan@icafis.vn)
