Title of document: Managing our natural resources for a better life in the villages of Houaphanh Province: Six Briefs on Bamboo Forest Management and Value Chains Development Authors/editor: Gret, BNDA Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organization: Gret, BNDA Year of publication: 2020 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Main issues/ topics addressed (for example: …) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: Huaphan Province is diversity of natural bamboo forest. Recognizing this potential since 2009, GRET through its Bamboo and Rattan project with the Houaphanh government and its Bamboo Taskforce has been supporting the Huaphan Bamboo Sector Development Strategy 2011-2015 & 2016 -2020. 5 bamboo value chains being actively developed within the province and supported by the Bamboo and Rattan Project are 1) Handicraft Value Chain; 2) Mai Khuane Value Chain; 3) Khom (Bamboo Shoot) Value Chain; 4) Broom Grass Value Chain; and 5)Red Mushroom Value Chain... After the project has ended, the Bamboo and NTFPs Development Association (BNDA) will continue to support it. You can view BNDA activities via the Facebook page: “ສະມາຄົມພັດທະນາໄມ້ປ່ອງ&ເຄື່ອງປ່າຂອງດົງ/Bamboo & NTFP Development Association” or by email: [email protected]   Read More

Title of document: The management of an improved pasture and the selection of the animal shelter (Lao language) Authors/editor: Agrisud International Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organization: Agrisud International, SNV, SDC Year of publication: 2020 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Main issues/ topics addressed (for example: …) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: The first series of Master-Farmers booklets published on ALiSEA is to support the establishment and management of improved pastures for big livestock.   Read More

Title of document: Harvesting the fodder seeds (Lao language) Authors/editor: Agrisud International Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organization: Agrisud International, SNV, SDC Year of publication: 2020 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Main issues/ topics addressed (for example: …) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: The first series of Master-Farmers booklets published on ALiSEA is to support the establishment and management of improved pastures for big livestock.   Read More

Title of document: Planting fodder crops (Lao language) Authors/editor: Agrisud International Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organization: Agrisud International, SNV, SDC Year of publication: 2020 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Main issues/ topics addressed (for example: …) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: The first series of Master-Farmers booklets published on ALiSEA is to support the establishment and management of improved pastures for big livestock.   Read More

Title of document: The Lao Coffee Notebook Authors/editor: RURAS and Comma Coffee Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organization: RURAS and Comma Coffee Year of publication: 2020 Geographic focus: Lao Main issues/ topics addressed (for example: Coffee Production, processing roasting and brewing, including a map, statistics…) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): https://laocoffee.org/2020/10/03/lao-coffee-notebook/ Summary: The Lao Coffee Notebook is now available! Produced by LURAS in cooperation with Comma Coffee, this unique notebook is packed with information about coffee production, processing roasting and brewing, including a map, statistics and a Lao-English wordlist, all of which has been beautifully illustrated by Tina at Helvetas.   Read More

Title of document: ECHO Development Notes - Issue 149, October 2020 Authors/editor: ECHO Asia Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organization: ECHO Asia Year of publication: 2020 Geographic focus: Asia Main issues/ topics addressed (for example: Farmer-Centered Climate Change Mitigation; A Seed Trial Report; Upcoming Event: ECHO International Agriculture Conference - ONLINE EVENT…) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): https://assets.echocommunity.org/publication_issue/e414df45-2f56-4112-a601-761992903acd/en/edn-issue-149.pdf Summary: In this issue: Farmer-Centered Climate Change Mitigation: Part 2 of 2 From ECHO's Seed Bank: How Seeds from ECHO Grew in a Dry-Season Garden in Uganda Echoes from our Network: Grafting Tamarillo and OtherSolanaceous Crops for Nematode Resistance Books, Websites, and Other Resources: AT Fair Summary Upcoming Event: ECHO International Agriculture Conference - ONLINE EVENT   Read More

Title of document: Lao’s Agricultural Statistics Year book 2019 Authors/editor: MAF Journal’s name if any:  Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: MAF Year of publication: 2020 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Main issues/ topics addressed (for example: Lao’s Agricultural Statistics in 2019…) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: The information presented in this yearbook has been mainly collected by the Technical line Department concerned within the MAF. Other information has been obtained from Lao Statistics Bureau under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment and others agencies.   Read More

Title of document: Ecological pest control fortifies agricultural growth in Asia–Pacific economies Authors/editor: Kris A. G. Wyckhuys, Yanhui Lu, Wenwu Zhou, Matthew J. W. Cock, Steven E. Naranjo, Atumurirava Fereti, Frances E. Williams & Michael J. Furlong Journal’s name if any: nature ecology & evolution Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: nature ecology & evolution Year of publication: 2020 Geographic focus: Asia Main issues/ topics addressed (for example: …) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-020-01294-y Summary: The Green Revolution is credited with alleviating famine, mitigating poverty and driving aggregate economic growth since the 1960s. In Asia, high-input technology packages secured a tripling of rice output, with germplasm improvements providing benefits beyond US$4.3 billion yr–1. Here, we unveil the magnitude and macro-economic relevance of parallel nature-based contributions to productivity growth in non-rice crops over the period 1918–2018 (across 23 different Asia–Pacific geopolitical entities). We empirically demonstrate how biological control resolved invasive pest threats in multiple agricultural commodities, ensuring annually accruing (on-farm) benefits of US$14.6–19.5 billion yr–1. Scientifically guided biological control of 43 exotic invertebrate pests permitted 73–100% yield-loss recovery in critical food, feed and fibre crops including banana, breadfruit, cassava and coconut. Biological control thereby promoted rural growth and prosperity even in marginal, poorly endowed, non-rice environments. By placing agro-ecological innovations on equal footing with input-intensive measures, our work provides lessons for future efforts to mitigate invasive species, restore ecological resilience and sustainably raise output of global agrifood systems…   Read More

Title of document: Delivering on the Promise of Biological Control in Asia's Food Systems: A Humboldtian Perspective Authors/editor: Kris A. G. Wyckhuys, Mauricio González-Chang, Evie Adriani, Annabelle B. Albaytar, Alice Albertini, Gonzalo Avila, Marie Joy B. Beltran, Ariel D. Boreros, Muhammad Z. Fanani, Duc T. Nguyen, Giang Nguyen, Ihsan Nurkomar and Sundar Tiwari Journal’s name if any: Frontiers - Front. Sustain. Food Syst., 11 September 2020 Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Frontiers Year of publication: 2020 Geographic focus: Asia Main issues/ topics addressed (for example: …) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2020.00140/full#h1 Summary: During the late twentieth century, the “Green Revolution” attained wide-ranging poverty alleviation, food security and improved nutrition across rural Asia. As these achievements were often reached at large environmental costs, “greener” trajectories urgently need to be traced for Asia's agri-food systems. In this sense, agro-ecological and biodiversity-based (ABB) farming systems can provide sufficient food, lift resource-use efficiencies and lower fossil-fuel dependencies while safeguarding the environment. Here, we systematically assess past progress and prospects for biodiversity-based pest management -or biological control (BC)- in five Asian countries.…   Read More

Title of document: Resolving the twin human and environmental health hazards of a plant-based diet Authors/editor: Kris A.G.Wyckhuys, Alexandre Aebi, Maarten F.I.J, .Bijleveld van Lexmond, Carlos R.Bojaca, Jean-Marc Bonmatin, Lorenzo Furlan, Jairo A.Guerrero, Trinh V.Mai, Hoi V.Pham, Francisco Sanchez-Bayo, Yoshinori Ikenaka Journal’s name if any: Environment International, Volume 144, November 2020, 106081 Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Year of publication: 2020 Geographic focus: Global level Main issues/ topics addressed (for example: Fruits and vegetables constitute core constituents of ‘planetary health’ diets…) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412020320365 Summary: Food can be health-giving. A global transition towards plant-based diets may equally help curb carbon emissions, slow land-system change and conserve finite resources. Yet, projected benefits of such ‘planetary health’ diets imperfectly capture the environmental or societal health outcomes tied to food production. Here, we examine pesticide-related hazards of fruit and vegetable consumption, and list proven management alternatives per commodity, geography and chemical compound. Across countries, pesticide use in these alleged healthful foods is extensive with up to 97% food items containing residues and up to 42% posing dietary risks to consumers…   Read More