Dear RFILC members,

We are proud to announce, among the first, the launch of the OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains. This guidance has been developed to help enterprises observe existing standards for responsible business conduct along agricultural supply chains and to mitigate their adverse impacts and contribute to sustainable development. These standards include the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems, and the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security. The Guidance targets all enterprises operating along agricultural supply chains and proposes a model enterprise policy based on good practices; a framework for risk-based due diligence to identify, assess, mitigate and account for how enterprises should address the adverse impacts of their activities; a description of the major risks faced by enterprises and the measures to mitigate these risks; and a guidance for engaging with indigenous peoples.

Second highlight is the first edition of policy notes from the Access to insurance initiative (A2ii) “How agricultural insurance can improve food security – and why regulation matters”. These notes make the case for agricultural insurance in the context of food security, explaining some of the challenges and options in regulating innovative index-based insurance approaches. Unfavorable weather events cause heavy losses to farmers every year and contribute to rural poverty. However, key barriers still need to be addressed and most products are still in pilot stage. An area that has not received much attention yet is the essential role that regulation and supervision plays in supporting and enabling wider access to index-based agricultural insurance products. The paper provides an overview of the benefits of agricultural insurance, explains why regulation matters and highlights some of the challenges faced by supervisors when seeking to regulate index-based agricultural insurance.

Finally, Mekong Financial Inclusion Forum will take place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from 11-14 July 2016. The 1st Mekong Financial Inclusion Forum is an initiative of the Banking with the Poor Network (BWTP) and organized by the Foundation for Development Cooperation (FDC) and Appui au Développement Autonome (ADA), in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations Capital Development Fund’s SHIFT programme. The Forum will explore and discuss the differences, similarities and opportunities for achieving financial inclusion within this unique region and it will address the region’s priority issues, For more information, click here.

We wish you a Happy Easter.

With best regards,

The RFILC editorial team