Title of document: Building Farmers’ Capacity for Innovation Generation: What are the determining Factors   Authors: Justice A. Tamboo and Tobias Wunscher   Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Center for Development Research, University of Bonn Year of publication: 2014 Geographic focus: Ghana Url original document: http://econpapers.repec.org/paper/agsaesc14/170351.htm Summary: While farmers have been recognised as one of the key sources of innovation, many studies on agricultural innovations continue to consider farmers as adopters of externally driven innovations only. Based on cross-sectional data from 409 farm households, this study, in contrast, analysis the innovation-generating behaviour among rural farmers in northern Ghana. Inspired by two innovation theories – induced innovation and innovation systems we focus on the determinants of innovation behaviour. Employing recursive bivariate probit and endogennous treatment regression models which control for selection bias, we find that participation in Farmer Field Fora, a participatory extension approach with elements of innovation systems perspective, is a key determinant of innovation behaviour in farm housholds. Other important determinants are education, climate shocks and risk preferences. These results are robults to alternative specifications and estimation techiques.   Read More

Title of document: Rush for cash crops and forest protection: Neither and sparing nor land sharing   Authors: Thoumthone Vongvisouk, Rikke Brandt Broegaard, Ole Mertz, Sithong Thongmanivong Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Journal of Land Use Policy Year of publication: 2016 Geographic focus: Laos Url original document: www.elsevier.com/located/landusepol Summary: In many countries with large tracts of tropical forest. There is a dual focus on enhancing forest protection and increasing commercial agricultural for economic devlopment. Laos is a case in point for this deveopment as the government of Laos has a strong commitment to economic growth, with rural farmers in part help realize through a rush for cash crop production destine to be sold in neighboring countries. Maze cultivation, for example,  is rappidly expanding and grown under a Contract Farming System for Vietnamess market. At the same time, government of Laos attempts to increase nationwide forest cover and prepares for REDD+ (reducing deforestation and forest degradation). This paper explores how the recent boom in cash crops is impacting land use and livelihood local communities, as well as affecting forest conservation in Hua Meuang district of Huaphan province in the northeastern Laos. It also examines how local authorities react to these changes and navigate the contradicting policies. Further more the paper analyzes to what extent the land sparing intention of land and forest land allocation policies are fulfilled.   Read More

Title of document: Myanmar: Analysis of Farm Production Economics   Authors: World Bank Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: World Bank Year of publication: 2016 Geographic focus: Myanmar Url original document: https://www.google.la/?gws_rd=cr&ei=wzpZV9G3Cp6UvQTSr6CwAQ#q=Myanmar:+Analysis+of+Farm+Production+Economics Summary: Both World Bank and Livelihoods and Food Security Multi-Donor Trust Fund (LIFT) are actively involved in supporting Myanmar’s agriculture sector given its significance in poverty reduction and food security, and they both consider the lack of reliable farm data to be a significant constraint to designing effective programs and policies. This report fills some of the data gaps. The presentated results are based on a 2013/14 Myanmar agricultural survey of 1,728 farm households in four regions of Myanmar that covered major crops grown in the surveyed regions during the monsoon and dry seasons. These crops include beans and pulses, oil seeds, and maize.   Read More

Title of document: Agroecology: A global Paradigm to Challenges Mainstreams Industrial Agriculture   Authors: Hector Valenzuela Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Horticulturae Year of publication: 2016 Geographic focus: Global Url original document: www.mdpi.com/journal/horticulturae Summary: Considerable controversy continues to exist in scientific and policy circles about how to tackle issues of global hunger, malnutrition, and rural economic decline, as well as environmental issues, such as biodiversity loss and climate change adaptation. On the one hand, powerful vested interests, with close ties to government, media, and academic institutions, propose high input technology-based solutions, speculative and neoliberal « market-based » solutions, and export-oriented agricultural models. On the other hand, an international scientific and grassroots Food Movement has emerged, calling for a redesign of Global Food System in support of small-scale agroecological farming systems.   Read More

Title of document: Farmers’ Voices Authors: NAFES Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: MAF Year of publication: 2010 Geographic focus: Laos Url original document: http://laocs-kis.org/resources/farmers-voices-2010/ Summary: What do the farmers of Laos talk about when they get together? What are farmers saying about environment and rural livelihood? What do they consider to be their most valuable assets? What are their most trusted sources of advice? What do they think about the changes taking place around them? And what type of future do farmers want for themselves and their family?   Read More

Title of document: Multiple pathways: Case studies of sustainable agriculture in china   Authors: Qiao Yuhui, Qi Gubo, Seth Cook, Lila Buckley, Song Yiching, Zhang Yanyan, Zhang Li, He Xueqing, Friederike Martin, Yue Shizong and Wang Zhen. Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: IIED Year of publication: 2015 Geographic focus: China Url original document: http://pubs.iied.org/17579IIED Summary: Chinese agriculture currently faces major environmental challenges. China’s applications of fertilizers and pesticides are among the highest in the world, which in turn has negative impacts on human health and environment. Soil erosion and soil pollution are widespread, as is the loss of agricultural biodiversity as high-yielding hybrid crop varieties replace traditional landraces. Water scarcity affects many parts of the country, as evidenced by plummeting water tables in northern China. Meanwhile, food safety risks – exemplified by a series of well-publicized incidents such as the 2008 milk-melamine scandal are a source of great public anxiety.   Read More

Title of document: Study of farmer experiences and approaches with mechanised dry direct seeding in Savannakhet province   Authors: Liz Clarke, Tamara Jackson, Khamlouang Keoka and Viengsavanh Phimphachanvongsod Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: CIAT Year of publication: 2016 Geographic focus: Laos Url original document: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299627239_Study_of_farmer_experiences_and_approaches_with_mechanised_dry_direct_seeding_in_Savannakhet_province#pf3 Summary: Mechanised dry direct seeding (DDS) is a crop establishment technique that reduces labour requirements, and offers flexibility in terms of earlier planting times. This technique has been tested for many years in southern Lao PDR, including more recently by several research and development projects concurrently in Savannakhet province, and there has been a trend of increasing adoption among farmers. In this province in the wet season of 2015, over 800 ha was planted using the DDS technique, in comparison to around 80 ha in the previous year. This rapid increase requires an understanding of the motivations, experiences and outcomes for farmers, in order to understand the innovation process, and to identify methods to support the uptake and outscaling of this technique.   Read More

  Title of document: Crop protection and pesticide risk assessment Myanmar: towards sustainable    agricultural and export of high value crops Authors: Peeters, F.M.; Meggelen, J. van; Schepers, H.T.A.M. in Alterra Report Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Year of publication: 2015 Geographic focus: Myanmar Url original document: https://www.wageningenur.nl/nl/Publicatie-details.htm?publicationId=publication-way-343835323638 Summary: The government of Myanmar and the Netherlands intend to start a partnership programme in different agricultural sectors, including horticulture. The Dutch Ministry of economic Affairs has fielded a technical expert mission in October 2014 to assess the potentials for growth and development in the vegetable, fruit and flower sub-sectors. In this context the Dutch ministry of Economic Affairs aims to assist Myanmar towards sustainable agricultural production and increased exports of high value crops. Investment in an integrated programme on Plant Health, including Integrated Crop Management and Pesticide Risk Reduction will result in an improved balance between benefits and risks of agricultural production in Myanmar. An expert team of the Netherlands existing of experts of Alterra and PPO of Wageninggen-UR and the NVWA have visited Myanmar (3-8 November, 2014). The objective of their mission was to provide clear strategic and operational directions for further development of an Integrated Crop Management and Pesticide Risk Reduction programme in Myanmar.   Read More

Title of document: Proceedings of the national multi stakeholder workshop on Agroecology Transition, Cambodia   Authors: Lucie Reynaud, Pierre Ferrand and Dr Saythong Vilayvong   Ministry/Government Agency/Organization: ALiSEA   Year of publication: 2016   Geographic focus: Cambodia This report presents the main findings of the discussions held during the 2 days workshop addressing the agroecology transition in Cambodia in Phnom Penh on the 30th and 31st of March 2016.   Read More

Title of document: Proceedings of the national multi stakeholder workshop on Agroecology Transition, Myanmar   Authors: Pierre Ferrand, Dr Htet Kyu and Lucie Reynaud   Ministry/Government Agency/Organization: ALiSEA   Year of publication: 2016   Geographic focus: Myanmar This report presents the main findings of the discussions held during the 2 days workshop addressing the agroecology transition in Myanmar in Yangon on the 7th and 8th of March 2016.   Read More