Title of document: Organic Agriculture in Lao PDR Lessons - Learnt from Organic Production and Marketing Groups Authors: Thiphavong Boupha Year of publication: 2014 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Main issues / topics addressed: Organic Production and Marketing Groups School of agroecology: Organic Agriculture 1.Provision of training on organic production technologies, formation, management, ICS and basic business planning of producing groups and processors; 2.Provision of training materials, tools and equipments for organic production; 3.Setting up and provision of group fund and facilitation of access to credit; 4.Support on cost of organic certification; 5.Provision of facilities for market place, and in kind support to producer groups participating in public showcase events and market linkages 6. Provision of linkages among producers, processors, retailers in domestic and export markets; 7.Support on daily working allowance for government staff.   Read More

Title of document: Session 1 Lessons from PROFIL and PRO Rice - Document in Lao language Geographic focus: Lao PDR School of agroecology: Organic Agriculture   Read More

Title of document: Replacing Chemicals with Biology: Phasing out highly hazardous pesticides with agroecology Authors: Meriel Watts; Stephanie Williamson Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: PAN International Year of publication: 2015 School of agroecology: Organic Agriculture Adverse effects of highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) on people and the environment have been a global concern for many years. In 2006, this was clearly expressed by the FAO Council when it recommended a progressive ban on HHPs. The concern crystallized at UNEP’s Fourth International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM4) in Nairobi in 2012, with the submission of a conference room paper supported by at least 65 countries and organizations. The proposed resolution included supporting “a progressive ban on HHPs and their substitution with safer alternatives”. While the resolution was not immediately adopted, countries participating in subsequent regional meetings of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) have reiterated concern about HHPs and called for more information on ecosystem-based alternatives. At SAICM’s Open-Ended Working Group in December 2014, following a call by the entire African region for a global alliance to phase-out these chemicals, it was agreed a proposal would be developed for ICCM4.   Read More

Title of document: Future Fertiliser Demand and Role of Organic Fertiliser for Sustainable Rice Production in Bangladesh Authors: Jayanta Kumar Basak (Department of Environmental Science and Hazard Studies, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Bangladesh); Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir (Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh); Khosrul Alam (Department of Economics, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Bangladesh) Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Noakhali Science and Technology University; University of Dhaka; Noakhali Science and Technology University -Bangladesh Year of publication: 2015 Geographic focus: Bangladesh Main issues / topics addressed: Rice, Fertilisers, Organic Fertilisers, Urea, TSP, MP School of agroecology: Organic Agriculture The study finds out the requirement of chemical fertilisers and suggests the role of organic fertilisers for sustainable rice production based upon projection of rice production, consumption, demand and supply of fertilisers for the years of 2020, 2030, 2040 and 2050. The total requirement for commonly used three fertilisers, Urea, Triple Supper Phosphate (TSP) and Muriate of Potash (MP) may increase significantly due to compulsions for growing increased amount of crop outputs in small fragmented parcels of land in the context of diminishing cultivable lands in Bangladesh, negatively impacting on soil fertility as well as sustainability of crop production. Since sustainable yield of crop considerably depends on balanced application of both chemical and organic fertilisers in the field level, the research suggests for increased usage of organic fertilisers.   Read More

Title of document: FEEDING THE PEOPLE - AGROECOLOGY FOR NOURISHING THE WORLD AND TRANSFORMING THE AGRI-FOOD SYSTEM Authors: Hans Rudolf Herren, Angelika Hilbeck, Ulrich Hoffmann, Robert Home, Les Levidow, Adrian Muller, Erin Nelson, Bernadette Oehen and Michel Pimbert Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: IFOAM EU Group; IFOAM Organics International; ORGANIC. Year of publication: 2012 School of agroecology: Organic Agriculture How can inefficient, poorly managed smallholder systems be transformed into productive agroecological systems? And how can environmentally destructive, energy and chemical intensive industrial systems be converted into productive agroecological systems? What role does international trade play in today’s agro-food systems, and are short supply chains relevant? This brochure provides a platform to a number of experts working in various fields relevant to these issues. It gives them space in which to share their visions and voice their concerns about how we are feeding the people of the world.   Read More

Title of document: Organic Agriculture Worldwide: Key results from the FiBL-IFOAM survey on organic agriculture worldwide 2013 - Part 3 Authors: Julia Lernoud;  Helga Willer Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FIBL), Swiss Agency Development and Cooperation (SDC); BioFach; International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). Year of publication: 2011 Geographic focus: South East Asia, Mekong Region Main issues / topics addressed: Organic agriculture in the regions School of agroecology: Organic Agriculture There are 3 presentations summarizing the key results of the FiBL-IFOAM survey on organic agriculture worldwide 2013 (data 2011). Apart from the global data, key results on crop and on regional data are presented. › More information is available at the password area of www.organic-world.net › The following three presentations are available at http://www.organic-world.net/yearbook-2013-presentations.html: › Part 1: Global data 2011 and survey background › Part 2: Land use and key crops in organic agriculture 2011 › Part 3: Organic agriculture in the regions 2011   Read More

Title of document: VIETNAM ORGANIC AGRICULTURE - An overview on current status and some success activities Authors: Ngo Doan Dam, Doan Xuan Canh, Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha, Nguyen Van Tan, Nguyen Dinh Thieu Geographic focus: Vietnam School of agroecology: Organic Agriculture Although it is believed, as in all other countries in the world, Vietnamese farmers were growing crops organically hundred years ago, organic farming according to the international understanding is quite new to Vietnam. There is currently only a very sparse amount of information available on organic agriculture in Vietnam and the topic has received little attention in the academic literature. According to the 2010 IFOAM report, the certified organic area in Vietnam was some 21.000 hectares, equivalent to 0.2% of the total cropped area of which 7000 ha was for aquaculture (mainly shrimp). The total export value of the organic products was some 12-14 million US$. Vietnam also has some 44 ha of natural forest for wild harvesting.   Read More

Title of document: VIETNAM ORGANIC AGRICULTURE An overview on current status and some success activities - Korea Author: Ngo Doan Dam Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Field Crops Research Institute (FCRI); Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS) Year of publication: 2012 Geographic focus: Vietnam Main issues / topics addressed: Presented at the 4th ANSOFT Workshop; Gwangju, Korea, 18-20 October 2012 School of agroecology: Organic Agriculture Modern organic agriculture is new to Vietnam. Organic Information: Few and scattered. Certified organic area and value (2010): • 21.000 ha (0.2% of the total cropped area) of which 7000 ha was for aquaculture (mainly shrimp). • Total export value: 12-14 million US$. Organic commodities: vegetables, tea, shrimp, and small amounts of specialty products, such as herbs, star anise, ginger, spices and essential oils… for export to Europe.   Read More

Title of document: IPM Farmer Field Schools: A synthesis of 25 impact evaluations Author: Henk van den Berg Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Wageningen University; Global IPM Facility Year of publication: 2004 Geographic focus: South East Asia Main issues / topics addressed: A synthesis of 25 impact evaluations School of agroecology: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) / Integrated Cropping Management (ICM) The Farmer Field School is a form of adult education, which evolved from the concept that farmers learn optimally from field observation and experimentation. It was developed to help farmers tailor their Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices to diverse and dynamic ecological conditions. In regular sessions from planting till harvest, groups of neighboring farmers observe and discuss dynamics of the crop’s ecosystem. Simple experimentation helps farmers further improve their understanding of functional relationships (e.g. pests-natural enemy population dynamics and crop damage-yield relationships). In this cyclical learning process, farmers develop the expertise that enables them to make their own crop management decisions. Special group activities encourage learning from peers, and strengthen communicative skills and group building. A detailed description of the Farmer Field School approach is given by Pontius et al. 1   Read More

Title of document: Country Strategy Paper Lao PDR - Pesticide Risk Reduction “IPM Component”/Towards a non-toxic environment in South East Asia – Phase I Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: FAO; FAO IPM; IPM Lao PDR Year of publication: 2013 Year / period of application: July 2010 - June 2013 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Main issues / topics addressed: Pesticide Risk Reduction “IPM Component” School of agroecology: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) / Integrated Cropping Management (ICM) As a result of the Lao PDR joining as member country of the FAO Regional Rice IPM Programme, the Lao National IPM programme was initiated in 1994. The farmer education programme was implemented by the Agricultural Extension Agency (AEA) under the Department of Agriculture (DOA). The first IPM Farmers Field Schools were piloted in lowland irrigated rice ecosystems in Vientiane from 1994 onwards, initially with financial support from the INGO CIDSE. When FAO funding became available in 1996, FFS training in irrigated lowland rice ecosystems was up-scaled to 8 provinces in the central and southern parts of the country. However, with the reorganization of the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in 2000, the national programme underwent several subsequent leadership changes and was institutionally moved to the newlyestablished National Agriculture and Forestry Extension Service (NAFES) in 2001. Subsequently, the programme was transferred back to DOA in July 2005 and is now implemented by the Plant Protection Centre (PPC) based in Salakham. Since 2005, four National IPM Project Coordinators (NPCs) (including two Acting NPCs) were appointed successively. These changes in national, institutional and project leadership have been detrimental to programme development and have weakened national ownership and capacity to implement the IPM programme. Despite these set backs, FAO has continued its support for IPM training capacity building given the tremendous need for basic farmer education on sustainable crop production and protection in the Lao PDR. Over the last decade, various donors have supported the national IPM programme under several FAO Regional IPM Programmes and their associated projects. In recognition of the importance of IPM and farmer education for human resource development in the country, the Lao Government also started to provide co-funding for programme implementation as part of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s Five Year Development Plan (2006-2010). From 2006 onwards the annual government contribution towards strengthening of plant protection networks amounted to Kip 50 million (US$ 6,163). During the last decade, the National IPM Programme also worked with several NGOs such as with World Education and Global Alliance for People and the Environment (GAPE), with Cooperation International Development and Solidarity (CIDSE) for FFS and curriculum reform activities in Agriculture Colleges, with Oxfam-Belgium on capacity building for biological control and integration of Good Agricultural Practices in Vegetable FFSs in Vientiane Province and with INGO SEARICE/Oxfam-Belgium on FFS development for plant genetic resource management and sustainable utilization of agro-biodiversity.   Read More