Title of document: Agroecological farming innovations: Case studies in Hoa Binh and Lam Dong province, Vietnam

Authors: Pham Van Hoi & Ngo The An

Ministry/Government Agency/Organization: GRET/CARES

Year of publication: 2016

Geographic focus: Vietnam

Given the increasing scope and impacts of environmental pollution and food poisonings in Vietnam since its agricultural sector started with further intensification with more chemical inputs used especially pesticides since early 1990s; increasing opportunity for agricultural exports; and more awareness of governments on importance of agricultural sector as well as agricultural exports which has contributed significantly to national economy since early 2010s, numerous important policies have been formulated to boost agricultural development towards more sustainable, notably on efforts of reduction of pesticide uses. This consultancy mission is a small part of the AFD project which aims at increasing the credibility and visibility of agro-ecology practices towards small-holder farmers as well as other relevant stakeholders such as consumers, policy makers, and private actors. Based on the firsthand information gathered from professional network and government websites, Hoa Binh and Lam Dong were selected for field study in which numerous AE innovative farmers were identified and interviewed for their exisiting farming practices and underlying reasons for restructuring their farms towards more ecological orientation.