Title of document: Role of technology transfer in agriculture to achieve Sustainable Development Goals Authors: MOHAMAD ROFF BIN MOHD NOOR Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: MARDI Year of publication: 2017 Geographic focus: Malaysia Main issues / topics addressed (for example: Introduction; Malaysian Perspective; MARDI’s Perspective ……) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: The presentation for CAPSA-MARDI Workshop 18-20TH JULY 2017, Malaysia   Read More

Title of document: Country Report Status of Climate Change Adaptation and Identify Agricultural Technology in Lao PDR Authors: Ms. Sonephet PHOSALATH (MONRE), Mr. Chanseng PHONGPACHITH (MAF) Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: MONRE, MAF Year of publication: 2017 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Main issues / topics addressed (for example: Country Profile; Disasters and Climate Change; Transfer of Agricultural Technology in Lao PDR; General Exchange & Sharing……) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: The presentation of the “CAPSA-MARDI Regional Training Workshop on Transfer of Agricultural Technology with Specific Focus on "Application of ICT for Resilient Agriculture". Putrajaya, Malaysia 18th - 20th July 2017”   Read More

Title of document: Cambodia Agriculture Development Authors: Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Kingdom of Cambodia Year of publication: 2017 Geographic focus: Cambodia Main issues / topics addressed (for example: Cambodia Agricultural Development 2016; National Perspective on Food Security and Future Agriculture in Cambodia; National Strategy for Food Security and Nutrition 2014-2018……) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: The presentation of the “Technical Workshop Distributional Effects of Disasters on Food Security in ASEAN, 17-20 July 2017, Putrajaya, Malaysia”   Read More

Title of document: Minute of the Annual Meeting 3rd Mekong Extension Learning Alliance (MELA) Report, 30th October – 1st November 2017, Cambodia Authors: HEKS/EPER Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: HEKS/EPER, GFRAS, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, MELA, MAFF Year of publication: 2017 Geographic focus: Mekong Region Main issues / topics addressed (for example: Country presentations on new policy, innovations, challenging which are concerning to agricultural extension and rural advisory service; A panel discussion on Pesticides Impacts to Health and Environment facilitated ……) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: The 3rd Annual Meeting of the Mekong Extension Learning Alliance (MELA) was held from 30 October to 1st November, 2017, at Angkor Paradise Hotel in Siem Reap, Kingdom of Cambodia. It gathered participants from every country in the Mekong region MELA brings together agricultural extension and rural advisory service providers from five countries linked by the Mekong River. The Mekong River passes through Yunnan province of China and five countries in South East Asia: Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Agricultural extension and rural advisory services in the Mekong Region have many features in common. This network was established in 2015 following discussions at the meeting held in Hanoi in 2013 on ‘Reaching the Millions’ in Hanoi. The main objectives of the MELA meeting were: to share information, knowledge, experience, and best practices in advisory services among Mekong Region countries and institutions involved in agricultural and rural development; and to provide a space for reflection, hands-on peer support and learning. This event was organised by HEKS/EPER, the General Directorate of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Cambodia MELA Coordinating Committee, with support from GFRAS and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation   Read More

Title of document: Biochar, climate change and soil: A review to guide future research Authors: Saran Sohi, Elisa Lopez-Capel, Evelyn Krull and Roland Bol Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: CSIRO, ROTHAMSTED Research, Newcastle University Year of publication: 2009 Geographic focus: General Main issues / topics addressed (for example: What is biochar?; Biochar application in Agriculture; Policy context and Analysis; Research Priorities and Future Challenges……) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: Biochar is the charred by-product of biomass pyrolysis, the heating of plant-derived material in the absence of oxygen in order to capture combustible gases. The objective of this report was to review and evaluate published studies with regard to what evidence and arguments currently exist that assess the application of biochar to soil to a) sequester carbon and b) produce secondary agronomic benefits. Current analyses suggest that there is global potential for annual sequestration of atmospheric CO2 at the billion-tonne scale (109 t yr-1) within 30 years. So far, however, the underlying published evidence arises mainly from small-scale studies that do not currently support generalisation to all locations and all types of biochar.   Read More

Title of document: Intensification level of rice farming in Myanmar: implication for its sustainable development Authors: Masahiko Matsuda Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Springer Year of publication: 2010 Geographic focus: Myanmar Main issues / topics addressed (for example: Introduction; Materials and methods; Results and discussion……) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: This study aims to estimate the intensification of rice farming in Myanmar particularly due to chemical fertilizer application, using farm-level data obtained from field surveys conducted in the 2000s. Relatively high-input rice farming was found in dry season crop in the delta zone and the double crop in well-irrigated lowlands of the central dry zone. A gap was observed between these calculated values and the official statistics. A comparison of fertilizer use efficiency for rice production in Myanmar with that in China and Vietnam has shown that the efficiency in Myanmar has not declined to an inappropriate level even in its intensive ones. Rice production in Myanmar has room for increasing the yield by capital intensification. Nevertheless, considering its sustainability as well as productivity, further intensification in rice farming technology in irrigated lowlands of Myanmar may neither be the best nor the only way.   Read More

Title of document: Development in Practice: Commercialising smallholder agricultural production in Lao People’s Democratic Republic Authors: Kim Alexander, Peter Case, Michael Jones and John Connell Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Rutledge Year of publication: 2017 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Main issues / topics addressed (for example: Agricultural innovation system: actors and institutions; Methodology; Discussion of agricultural innovation systems; Conclusion ……) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: Many smallholder farmers in Lao People’s Democratic Republic are transitioning from subsistence to commercial production. This article employs the Agriculture Innovation System (AIS) framework to report on empirical findings from six case studies of Lao smallholder production. It identifies the actors, organisations, and institutions involved in systemic commercialization of subsistence farming and articulates patterns of interactions that contribute to the relative success of the transition. Of the factors identified in the case studies, the most important enablers of commercial production and adoption of innovative technologies were technical and financial assistance, access to markets, and the formation of farmer associations/organisations.   Read More

Title of document: Concept Note for NUDP:  Learning from Longlan Village Authors: Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: NUDP Year of publication: Geographic focus: Lao PDR Main issues / topics addressed (for example: an introduction Longlan Village and Why is resilience important; What can NUDP learn from Ban Longlan?……) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: A short visit to Ban Longlan on the border of Luang Prabang and Phonxai Districts provides an idyllic picture of village life in the mountains of Northern Laos.  High above the valley, amid karst peaks and mature forest, the Hmong inhabitants of Longlan appear to have escaped the poverty that affects so many other upland communities. The Northern Upland of Laos, where Ban Longlan is located, have often been characterised as poor and remote.  If may be more useful, however, to describe the region as highly diverse and highly dynamic. Ban Longlan is a success story.  This is the kind of success that the Northern Upland Development Programme wants to achieve in many other locations.  There are unique circumstances behind every story, but there are also lessons that can be applied elsewhere.   Read More

Title of document: Agroecology and the Search for a Truly Sustainable Agriculture - 1st edition Authors: Miguel A. Altieri and Clara I. Nicholls Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: UN; PNUMA; University of California Year of publication: 2005 Geographic focus: Global level Main issues / topics addressed (for example: Modern Agriculture: Ecological impacts and the alternatives to conventional farming; Agroecology: principles and strategies for designing sustainable farming systems; the ecological impacts of transgenic crops; an agroecological basis for insect pest management……) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: There is increasing evidence that warns that the growing push toward industrialization and globalization of the world’s agriculture and food supply imperils the future of humanity and the natural world. Industrial agriculture which is corporate controlled, and promotes agrochemically based, monocultural, export-oriented systems are negatively impacting public health, ecosystem integrity, food quality and nourishment, traditional rural livelihoods, and indigenous and local cultures, while accelerating indebtedness among millions of farmers, and their separation from lands that have historically fed communities and families. This transition is increasing hunger, landlessness, homelessness, despair and suicides among farmers. Meanwhile, it is also degrading the planet’s life support systems, and increasing alienation of peoples from nature and the historic, cultural and natural connection of farmers and all other people to the sources of food and sustenance. Finally, it is also destroying the economic and cultural foundations of societies, undermines security and peace, and creates a context for social disintegration and violence. By confronting myth with reality, the objective of this book is to challenge the false promises made by the genetic engineering industry. The industry has promised that genetically engineered crops will move agriculture away from a dependence on chemical inputs, increase productivity, decrease input costs, and help reduce environmental problems (Office of Technology Assessment, 1992). Another agriculture is not only possible, it is already happening taking a multitude of expressions of alternative agriculture, from various variations of organic agriculture to more peasant based, subsistence oriented traditional agriculture. In this book we explore the extent, features and ecological, social and economic benefits of both forms of sustainable agriculture. In this report the agroecological features of organic agriculture as practiced in North America and Europe, and of traditional agriculture involving millions of small farmers and/or peasants in the developing world are described with emphasis on their contribution to food security, conservation/ regeneration of biodiversity and natural resources and economic viability. The book also depicts an agroecological path to reach a truly sustainable, biodiverse and socially just agriculture   Read More

Title of document: Ecosystem approach for drought resistant home gardening in Central Dry Zone, Myanmar Authors: Luca Nichetti Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: ALiSEA, GRET, AFD Year of publication: 2018 Geographic focus: Myanmar Main issues / topics addressed (for example: Project objectives; Activities……) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: The presentation of the Annual General Meeting of ALiSEA Myanmar, 19-24 February 2018, in Myanmar   Read More