Title of document: Presentations from the Regional Forum on Promoting Sustainable Agriculture in the Mekong Sub-Region towards Food Security, An Giang University, Vietnam 6-7 November 2017 Authors: Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: An Giang University, ALiSEA, SEARCA Year of publication: 2017 Geographic focus: Mekong Region Summary: The Mekong Sub-region is rapidly becoming a new frontier of economic growth in Southeast Asia due to its rich human and natural capital (ADB 2017). Its suitability for a wide range of crops has made agriculture one of the sub-region’s important economic sectors. It has also led to increased trade and investment linked to regional integration. More than two-thirds of the population of the countries comprising the Mekong Sub-region rely heavily on agriculture for their livelihoods (WWF Greater Mekong). These countries are Cambodia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. The People's Republic of China (Yunnan Province) is a part of this sub-region but for purposes of this forum is not included. The forum aimed to share research findings from SEARCA SFRT grantees across the Mekong Sub-Region, as well as develop research to address gaps, towards the promotion of ecological farming, adaptation to climate change, and improving rural livelihoods and food security. This forum covered Seed Fund for Research and Training (SFRT) research from 2013 to 2016 where 11 out of 15 studies of Vietnamese and Myanmar grantees are relevant to the above subject (none from Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Thailand for the period). The expected participants were selected local researchers from universities in Vietnam, particularly in the Mekong Delta, SFRT grantees and SEARCA Fellows/scholarship alumni from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand. It also featured research conducted by the Research Center for Rural Development (RCRD) of An Giang University under the project component Agroecology Learning Alliance in South East Asia (ALiSEA). The ALiSEA component supports activities aimed at increasing visibility and credibility of the agroecology movement, and scaling up the development and adoption of agroecological practices among farmers. Here are the presentations of the Seed Fund for Research and Training (SFRT) research from 2013 to 2016: Assessment of Impacts of and Adaptation to CC in Fisheries and Agriculture - Mac Nhu Binh Assessment of the Impact of CC to Aquaculture Fisheries Household - NTHDiep Assessment of Traditional Rice Based Farming Systems - LT Phong Climate Change Impact on Rice Production and Adaptation - Huynh Viet Khai Enhancing Marketing Capacity for Agriculture Cooperatives - QTXuan Gender roles and relationship in water management - Nguye Van Thai Impact of Rural Out-migration on the Resilience of Agricultural - Seinn Seinn Mu Promoting Sustainable Agriculture in the Mekong Sub-Region_ Ngo Thanh Son   Read More

Title of document: Presentations from the Regional Forum on Promoting Sustainable Agriculture in the Mekong Sub-Region towards Food Security, An Giang University, Vietnam 6-7 November 2017 Authors: Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: An Giang University, ALiSEA, SEARCA Year of publication: 2017 Geographic focus: Mekong Region Summary: The Mekong Sub-region is rapidly becoming a new frontier of economic growth in Southeast Asia due to its rich human and natural capital (ADB 2017). Its suitability for a wide range of crops has made agriculture one of the sub-region’s important economic sectors. It has also led to increased trade and investment linked to regional integration. More than two-thirds of the population of the countries comprising the Mekong Sub-region rely heavily on agriculture for their livelihoods (WWF Greater Mekong). These countries are Cambodia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. The People's Republic of China (Yunnan Province) is a part of this sub-region but for purposes of this forum is not included. The forum aimed to share research findings from SEARCA SFRT grantees across the Mekong Sub-Region, as well as develop research to address gaps, towards the promotion of ecological farming, adaptation to climate change, and improving rural livelihoods and food security. This forum covered Seed Fund for Research and Training (SFRT) research from 2013 to 2016 where 11 out of 15 studies of Vietnamese and Myanmar grantees are relevant to the above subject (none from Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Thailand for the period). The expected participants were selected local researchers from universities in Vietnam, particularly in the Mekong Delta, SFRT grantees and SEARCA Fellows/scholarship alumni from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand. It also featured research conducted by the Research Center for Rural Development (RCRD) of An Giang University under the project component Agroecology Learning Alliance in South East Asia (ALiSEA). The ALiSEA component supports activities aimed at increasing visibility and credibility of the agroecology movement, and scaling up the development and adoption of agroecological practices among farmers. Here are the presentations of the plenary session: Development potentials for floating rice cultivation in Ayeyarwady Delta Region, Myanmar - Nilar Aung Integrating collaborative co-designed research and citizen sciences for conservation of floating rice in the Mekong Region, Vietnam - Dr. N V Kien Sarus crane, an indicator of sustainable agriculture in the Ayeyarwady Delta, Myanmar - Tran Triet Scoping Floating rice based agro-ecological farming system, Myanmar - Dr Thein Tun Trade-offs between ecosystems services in rice cropping system, Cambodia - Dr Malyne Neang   Read More

Title of document: Assessment of Rice IPM Practice and Inputs Authors: Roy Bateman and Le Cao Luong Journal’s name if any:  Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation:  Farmers and Storekeepers in Dong Thap – A Province in the Mekong Delta Region of Viet Nam. Year of publication: 2015 Geographic focus: National level Main issues / topics addressed (for example: Action thresholds, Natural enemies and biological control agent, IPM strategy, crop protection product, spraying practice and application equipment…) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any):  Summary:  1.       A greatly improved training infrastructure is needed on pesticide science as part of the integrated pest management (IPM) curriculum: for farmers, spray contractors, retailers and agricultural colleges. Key weaknesses include the apparent confusion, by both store-keepers and farmers, about mode of action (MoA) with mode of dose transfer: in which case the prospects for effective IRM are fairly bleak. Products with questionable AI mixtures are a registration issue that should be addressed. Farmer ‘cocktails’ and late-season applications are also a significant problem. A curriculum for responsible selection and use of crop protection products is given, covering important health-related and technical issues such as: MoA, resistance, resurgence, residues (the ‘three Rs’), the importance of pre-harvest intervals and rational application techniques. 2. Pesticide application: existing practices are unsafe and inefficient. Most (>99 %) farmers and contractors walk into their own spray, with virtually all farmers relying on PPE as their ‘first line of defence’. The design of spraying equipment contributes to very inefficient application. Engineering solutions might involve the introduction of tail-booms and specifying equipment capable of using international nozzles, which would both improve safety and save famers money: both for labour (work rate) and more efficient use of PPPs. Volume application rates in post-tillering rice average 400 L/ha, but it is technically feasible to reduce this substantially, with commensurate reduction of inputs: thus potentially making the work attractive to farmers and attainable within a medium-term project. In the longer term, adoption of international (e.g. FAO, ISO) standards and higher-level training and research are needed in this area. We suggest the formation a national (or regional) pesticide application unit, possibly in the form of a University-based lab, be set-up to address these issues. 3. Only a small minority of farmers in Đồng Tháp even claim province practice IPM (84% reported that they do not) and most farmers evidently are spraying unnecessarily. Most farmers spray their fields merely on incidence of pests, or preventatively. An especially common insect thus treated is the rice leaf-roller, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis, with a large number of products specifically registered for this ‘pest’. Similar levels of BPH were reported by farmers (92% in Winter-Spring, 84% in Summer-Autumn crop); rice blast is the principal disease and Echinochloa spp. are the most important weeds. We suggest that it time to seriously re-evaluate the role of action thresholds as part of a realistic IPM strategy for the main rice pests and introduce clear, simple guide-lines for farmers: agreed by major stake-holders and conforming to a code of practice.   Maintaining awareness of natural enemies is needed – especially for younger farmers in the post-1990s IPM-FFS generation, who are influenced by intensive advertising on the TV and elsewhere. However, a substantial minority (46%) are aware of natural enemies (NE) in their fields and a few farmers know about a wide range of NE. More than 80% of farmers claimed to use ‘selective pesticides’ (the question refers to all categories). However, biopesticides (if fermentation products are excluded) enjoy on a tiny proportion of the market: slow action and storage issues were frequently alluded-to as constraints, but as above, we discuss the need for realistic guide-lines for use and better training.   Read More

Title of document: The Role of Pesticides in SE Asian Rice IPN; A view from the Mekong Delta Authors: Roy Bateman, ForestFloorLodge, Cát Tiên National Park, Viê.t Nam Journal’s name if any:  Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation:. Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute, CropLife International, GIZ, Nong Lam University and the Plant Protection Department Year of publication: 2016 Geographic focus: ASIA Main issues / topics addressed (for example: Rice, Integrated Pest Management, responsible pesticide use, efficient spray application, action threshold, brown planthopper, blast disease, farmer and retail training …) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any):  Summary:  Pesticide application remains an important component of rice pest management in Việt Nam and responsible use should be integrated back into a strategy of good agricultural practices. Crucial skills that need to be fostered include: better product selection with safe and efficient application; the role of action thresholds must also be re-considered. With such an important crop, strategies for good management perhaps inevitably become rather political in nature, with perverse consequences at the technical level. In many rice growing countries (besides VN) it is possible to identify where improvements may be made to pest management practices. There are a number of common issues, that sometimes become conflated and adopting an ‘anti-pesticide’ stance is not helpful: much better, surely, to adopt a set of rules where pesticides are truly used judiciously and as a last resort, on the understanding that a preventative approach is the basis of IPM. Over the coming years we intend to put this into practice.   Read More

Title of document: Stories From The Field - Women working toward a non-toxic environment Author:  Ilang Ilang Quijano et al. on behalf of Towards a Non-toxic Southeast Asia Date of publication: 2016 Geographical focus: Cambodge, China, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam Summary: The often unseen but disastrous consequences of chemical-intensive food and agricultural production are felt most by half of the world’s food producers and rural population: women. On the average, women make up about 43 percent of the agricultural labour force in developing countries, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Women are involved in all stages of food production—everything from seed collection, land preparation, fertilizer and pesticides application, weeding, harvesting and storage, food processing, and livestock rearing. In addition, they are also responsible for most household and child-rearing activities. This booklet contains a collection of stories of 25 women from five countries who are involved in an inspiring, ongoing campaign to eliminate use of chemical pesticides and promote agroecology in the Mekong Region. These women are part of the programme Towards a Non-toxic SouthEast Asia, a programme aiming to reduce health and environmental risks from chemicals by monitoring, regulating and managing agricultural, industrial and consumer chemicals. Partners in this initiative are the Swedish Chemicals Agency (KemI), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP) and The Field Alliance (TFA). The stories in this booklet highlight how women were influenced by the work of these dedicated organizations and how various activities and support resulted in mobilization of communities to start working for improved livelihoods, through reduction of pesticides use and shift to agro-ecology.   Read More

Title of document: Profiles of participants attending the multi stakeholder workshops on agroecological transition in the Mekong Region Authors: ALiSEA Team Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: ALiSEA Year of publication: 2016 Geographic focus: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar & Vietnam Summary: These 4 documents compile short biographies and contact details of most of the participants who have attended the 4 national multi-stakeholder workshops addressing Agroecological Transition in the Mekong Region organized between March and June 2016 (Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam Lao PDR).   Read More

Title of document: Consolidated account of the 4 national multi stakeholder workshops on agroecological transition in the Mekong Region Authors: Pierre Ferrand Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: ALiSEA Year of publication: 2016 Geographic focus: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar & Vietnam Summary: This report presents a short consolidated account of 4 national multi-stakeholder workshops addressing Agroecological Transition in the Mekong Region and bringing together 225 participants that have been organized between March and June 2016 (Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam Lao PDR). Such workshops aimed at sharing knowledge, information and actions between agricultural development stakeholders.   Read More

Title of document: Proceeding of the National Workshop on Agroecology Transition in Vietnam Authors: Dr. Htet Kyu and Pierre Ferrand Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: ALiSEA Year of publication: 2016 Geographic focus: Vietnam Url original document: Summary: This report presents the main findings of the discussions held during the 2 days workshop addressing the agroecology transition in Hanoi, Vietnam on the 5th and 6th of May 2016.   Read More

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.   Read More

Case study's fact sheet: Agroforestry for livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Northwest Viet Nam Organizations: ICRAF researchers, 31 households, District extension centres In practice since: 2011 Geographic focus: Vietnam School of agroecology: Agroforestry >>> See on map   Read More