Authors: Jacques du Guerny, Lee-Nah Hsu and Sin Chhitna

A joint publication of UNDP/UNOPS and FAO

Foreword

Agriculture is the foundation of South East Asian culture and livelihood. The economic globalization has triggered an increasing exodus of rural farmers into the cities. Rural youth are particularly at risk of abandoning farming to make "quick cash."
In an effort to mainstream HIV resilience building in the agricultural sector, UNDP South East Asia HIV and Development Project, in collaboration with the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programme, has pioneered an experiment called the Fanner Life Schools.
Through the Fanner field schools, IPM farmers have learned to acknowledge plant ecology and interaction using beneficial versus harmful pests. The innovative FLS approach translates farmer's analytical thinking from plant ecosystem-base into analysing an individual1 s life as a human ecosystem - with factors that strengthen or weaken his/her resilience to adversities, which includes HIV.
This report documents the process as it gives input to rural farmers and recommends future refinement in documenting and sharing this innovative approach for HIV resilience building in the South East Asia agriculture sector. It is hoped this model could be used to strengthen South-South collaboration within the agriculture sector and to further strengthen the HIV resilience of farm communities in generations to come.

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974-680-200-3

January 2002