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Asia Network News
Edited by
Rick and Ellen Burnette
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ECHO is a Christian non-profit organization whose vision is to bring glory to God and a blessing to mankind by using science and technology to help the poor.
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2nd ECHO Asia Agricultural Conference
September 21-25, 2009
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Don't Miss Out!
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A Resource Fair featuring displays and booths by various development organizations and businesses will be offered at the ECHO Asia Agricultural Conference. If you are interested in requesting a space please contact Ellen Burnette at eburnette@echonet.org .
The cost for a resource fair table is $20 or 650 Thai Baht for each table needed (with electrical connection) |
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This Newsletter is For You!
Send announcemnts, employment opportunties, and your stories to echoasia@echonet.org for inclusion in our next newsletter. |
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ECHO Agricultural Conference 2009
Dec. 7-12
Fort Myers, FL
For More Information
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ECHO Opens Regional Office in Asia
Under the shade of a large raintree, an 80-year-old building on Chiang Mai's historic McCormick Hospital campus houses the new ECHO Asia Regional Office. With work space on the bottom floor and a small (but growing) resource library housed on the second level, the new location serves as a quiet hub for ECHO's vigorous regional network.
For the past 28 years, ECHO (based in the US) has been helping thousands of development workers and organizations around the world to better access vital information and other resources needed to improve food production and security for small farmers and gardeners.
But some might wonder, "Why an ECHO Regional Office in Asia?" Despite considerable economic gains over the past three decades, due to the region's vastness, enormous population as well as uneven economic growth, Asia remains home to two-thirds of the world's poor. Remaining challenges related to regional poverty and food insecurity include:
- More than 600 million Asians living in absolute poverty (less than $1 a day).
- By 2015, although Asia's share of the global gross domestic product is expected to approach 42 percent, the region will still be home to half of the world's poor.
- Growth in rice production, Asia's staple, has slowed and rice production areas are in decline.
- Growing resource scarcity (i.e., water) will increasingly constrain food production growth.
The recent establishment of the Asia office enables ECHO to better connect with regional partners who are addressing these concerns through their grassroots efforts. ECHO's Asian presence provides not only improved networking opportunities but enables new regional-based services such as:
- Hosting a bi-annual regional agricultural conference for development workers; the next scheduled for September 21-25, 2009 in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
- Facilitating similar national agricultural conferences throughout Asia (e.g., Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia).
- Offering the quarterly ECHO Asia Notes, a regional e-supplement to the ECHO Development Notes, offered in English and regional languages such as Burmese, Thai and Khmer.
- Providing the ECHO Asia Network News, an e-newsletter, which highlights the regional activities of ECHO and offers a forum for partners to share their own activities, opportunities and events.
- Maintaining an ECHO Asia webpage for the purpose of disseminating and exchanging relevant technical information in English and other regional languages.
- Operating a seed bank for the purpose of providing seeds of regionally appropriate crops for development workers.
- Offering periodic courses and workshops related to topics of interest for agricultural development workers in Asia.
- Consulting with regional development agencies.
With its new regional office, ECHO is in even better position to network with regional partners for the exchange of ideas, information, technology and other resources. And considering ECHO's growing global network, such interaction will benefit small farmers in both the Asia/Pacific region and beyond.
So if you're ever in Chiang Mai please feel free to visit our new office under a big raintree at McCormick Hospital. And don't hesitate to engage in other regional ECHO Asia services as well.
Source: Reducing Poverty and Hunger in Asia: The Role of Agriculture and Rural Development, Edited by Nurul Islam, International Food Policy Research Institute, 2008.
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Partner Updates
Vetiver Grass and Peppers
 The following observation related to an interesting vetiver/chili pepper interaction comes from Ron* who works in Sumatra.
" The last time I went to ECHO I brought back some vetiver grass. I planted some in my garden and as a border along the edge. By chance I ended up with some volunteer peppers growing along side. There are a lot of peppers grown here but they don't really like all the rain we get. Depending on the rain, approximately one-fourth to three- fourths of the peppers rot and fall off before harvest. Surprisingly the peppers that came up with the vetiver grass have not had this problem and have continued to grow long after the other peppers at the farm died off (and our peppers at the farm outlasted the neighbors' peppers). I'm not sure if it is a fluke or not but my suspicion is that the combination of compost and the root system of the vetiver grass provides a more healthy growing environment for the peppers. I would like to try is to plant a row of vetiver grass with peppers planted on either side. If it works we'll get better pepper yields as well as clippings from the grass for mulch or compost"
[Ed. Ron's reported vetiver/chili pepper interaction led us to dig a bit deeper into the subject. In a reference book, aptly entitled "Vetiver Grass," a question is posed: "Does vetiver affect adjacent plants?" The response stated, "The answer is not clear. Depending on the crop and the level of stress on the site, some edge effects will undoubtedly be noted. However, neither vetiver nor its roots are inherently spreading, and in most cases, the effects should be minimal."
"In theory, vetiver should compete with immediately adjacent plants for the use of water and nutrients, but in practice it doesn't seem to."
"Certainly in some cases (cotton fields laced by vetiver hedges in South India, for example), no obvious edge effects are seen; the plants beside the hedges are as tall and productive as those elsewhere across the field. Perhaps this is because topsoil and organic matter washing off the fields accumulate behind the hedges and overcome any competition from the grass" (National Research Council, 1993)].
Any related observations or feedback from readers concerning vetiver interactions with adjacent crops would be welcome (write rburnette@echonet.org).
Reference: National Research Council. 1993. Vetiver Grass: A Thin Green Line Against Erosion. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.
*Name withheld for security reasons |
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"Something's Fishy"
 Darrell Blatchley in Davao City, Philippines offers the following update: "Our current crop of Tilapia (fish) is rated very delicious by a young malnourished boy and his family. He enjoyed it enough to ask his papa, 'Please ask Uncle Darrell for some more.'" "At the same time we are increasing the number of fish, there will be at least six new garden plots (4' X 8') to grow more vegetables; beans, egg plants, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peanuts, bananas, watermelon, corn, etc. Thanks to the fish, the plants grow about twice as fast as normal since we recycle and clean the fish pond removing the valuable nitrogen, via the garden's rock beds." "It all works together the way God originally created His garden. We use all natural fertilizers. And we are careful to keep the garden clean of potentially dangerous chemicals. It is a learning process, and our vision is a lot of food!" |
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Contributions from partners in the ECHO Asia Network Newsletter are printed with permission. Technical approaches shared in these updates do not necessarily reflect ECHO recommended practices. | |
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Partner Employment Opportunities
Country Director, Myanmar
Location: World Concern Myanmar
Job Description: The Country Director will provide overall organizational leadership and management for both mature development, capacity building, programs and cyclone relief. The Country Director will have strong experience in leadership, management (250+ staff), country representation in a complex political environment, program development and oversight, partnering and fundraising. Requires: proven success in development and relief program management, preferably 5 years experience managing personnel and finances, experience in developing international donor partnerships, intercultural skills and team-building skills. Contact
Janice Jensen
Human Resources Officer
Email: jjensen@wcasia.org
Tel: +6627148350 ext. 14
FAX: +6627148460
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA)
THAILAND
ADRA serves vulnerable and marginalized people in Thailand since 1984. ADRA works with people in poverty and distress to create just and positive change through empowering partnerships and responsible actions.ADRA seeks to identify and address social injustice and deprivation in developing countries. The agency's work seeks to improve the quality of life of those in need. ADRA invests in the potential of these individuals through community development initiatives targeting Food Security, Economic Development, Primary Health and Basic Education. ADRA's emergency management initiatives provide aid to disaster survivors. ADRA Thailand is currently seeking 5 positions for Advocacy for Migrant Women's Rights and Entitlements Project as listed below.
- Program Coordinator to be based in Support Office, Chiang Mai province
- Project Manager to be based in Project Office, Mae Sot district, Tak province
- Project Field Coordinator to be based in Project Office, Mae Sot district, Tak province
- Field Assistant to be based in Mae Sot, Tak province
- Project Accountant to be based in Mae Sot, Tak province
For further information contact,
Administrative Department - ADRA Thailand
P.O. Box 52, Samyaek Suanprung Post Office, Muang District, Chiang Mai 50201
or Email: hr@adrathailand.org |
The ECHO Asia Regional Office operates under ECHO, a non-profit, Christian organization that helps you help the poor to produce food in the developing world .
ECHO
17391 Durrance Rd.
North Fort Myers, FL 33917 USA
Phone: (239)543-3246
Fax: (239)543-5317 |
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