Title of document: Asia at the Crossroads Prioritising Conventional Farming or Sustainable Agriculture? Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: ACTION AID; 1. Muong ethnic minotiry sisters Ban Thi Cuc, 19, left, and Ban Thi Yen, 20, work on their family rice field in Duong hamlet, Vay Nua commune, Da Bac district, Hoa Binh province, Vietnam. © Chau Doan / OnAsia / ActionAid. 2. Emergency response to floods in Cambodia © ActionAid. 3. Multi-Purpose Farm in Cambodia © CEDAC / ActionAid. 4. Limited access to water in Myanmar. © Celso Marcatto / ActionAid. 5. Pesticide use in Sanya, Hainan Island, Hainan Province, China © Li Xiaoguo / Xinhua Press / Corbis. 6. Tractor spraying fertilizer in a conventional agricultural system © Imageplus / Corbis Year of publication: 2012 Geographic focus: Asia In June of 2012, representatives of over 140 nations are expected to take part in the “Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development”. The conference – scheduled 20 years after the first Rio conference saw an agreement that the United Nations must do something to address environmental degradation and global warming – is expected to focus heavily on the concept of the “green economy”. The “green economy” includes the idea that livelihoods, growth and environmental sustainability must go hand-in-hand in developing countries. While the concept itself may be laudable, it will be an unattainable ideal unless governments show a willingness to adopt a new development model – one based on human rights as opposed to profit for elites. A key example of the need for change – both in terms of the right to livelihood, environmental sustainability and the right to sufficient and nutritious food – is the agriculture sector. This paper seeks to address fundamental questions about the agriculture sector in Southeast Asia and China and to begin to sketch what a way forward – a way towards the “green economy” – may look like.   Read More

Title of document: Agroecology and Advocacy: Innovations in Asia Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy; the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development Year of publication: 2011 Geographic focus: Asia Main issues / topics addressed: The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy works locally and globally at the intersection of policy and practice to ensure fair and sustainable food, farm and trade systems. Rising food prices, increasing climate instability and food riots have sparked profound political changes around the world and put agriculture high on the international agenda. What kind of agriculture is best suited to respond to those challenges, however, is the subject of profound disagreement. Too much of the current policy debate on food security, climate change and agriculture assumes that industrial agriculture and related biotechnology are the only options for feeding a growing global population. Agribusiness and agrochemical companies have created and supported this image through aggressive advertising, lobbying and support for research institutions.   Read More

Title of document: The tyranny of taste: The case of organic rice in Cambodiaapv_1458 Authors: Maylee Thavat Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Resource Management in Asia-Pacific Program, Crawford School of Economics and Government, Australian National; University, Coombs Building, Fellows Road, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia. Year of publication: 2011 Geographic focus: Cambodia Main issues / topics addressed: agrarian transition, Cambodia, consumption studies, organic agriculture, post productivism School of agroecology: Organic Agriculture Fair-trade and organic products are often sold at price premiums justified by smaller production volumes that are associated with greater social and environmental responsibility. The consumption of these products confers on the consumer a greater sense of morality – and usually a claim to better taste. This paper tells the story of attempts to promote organic/fair-trade rice production by de facto organic Cambodian farmers for export to North American and European markets in order to assist poor farmers to trade their way out of poverty. It demonstrates that instead of promoting sustainable agriculture and fair trade between developed and developing markets, organic/fair-trade projects may impose First World consumer ideals and tastes that are out of step with the larger realities of agrarian transition in Cambodia and the wider region of developing Southeast Asia.   Read More

Title of document: VAC integrated system with entire Energy chain in Vietnam Author: Mr. Pham Van Thanh, Director of CCRD Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: The Center for Rural Communities R&D (CCRD) Year of publication: 2010 Geographic focus: Vietnam School of agroecology: Integrated Farming (VAC) 1. Brief background of Vietnam economy development 2. The basic elements of VAC integrated System 3. Example of VAC integrated System 4. The entire Energy chain in VAC Integrated System 5. VACVINA’ Biodigester System 6. Strategic Distribution Network 7. User survey & Lesson learnt 8. Barriers for Replication and scaling-up of IFES 9. Suggestions and Recommendations   Read More

Title of document: Agricultural Systems Authors: Proyuth Ly (University of Copenhagen); Lars Stoumann Jensen (University of Copenhagen); Thilde Bech Bruun (University of Copenhagen); Dominik Rutz (University of Bern), Andreas de Neergaard (University of Copenhagen). Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark; Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Bern, Switzerland Year of publication: 2012 Geographic focus: Cambodia Main issues / topics addressed: Farming system; Adapted practices; Water control; Labour inputs; Socio-economic and agro-ecological conditions School of agroecology: System of Rice Intensification (SRI) The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) has been widely promoted in Cambodia and a significant number of adopters have been reported. However, little is known about the specific conditions regarding the adapted practices of SRI, how the local rice production practices are influenced by SRI principles and the outcomes of the adaptation. This paper seeks to describe reported differences in rice farming practices as influenced by SRI practices in two regions of Cambodia, evaluate reported outcomes by type of rice farming systems and analyze farmers’ perception of the relevance of SRI practices for their socio-economic and agro-ecological conditions. We conducted a survey with 207 farmers in two districts: Tramkak in the Takeo province and Santuk in the Kampong Thom province. The study revealed that the full SRI package was not generally adopted by farmers but the introduction of SRI did have a strong influence on conventional rice farming practices in the study areas. As the SRI practices adopted by farmers represent modifications of textbook SRI principles, we call the practices ‘‘SRI-influenced practices – SRII’’. The farmers’ experience demonstrated that the implementation of some SRI practices is constrained by labour availability and agro-ecological conditions. This results in a diversity of adapted practices of SRI being implemented by individual farmers. The requirement of skilled and committed labour at transplanting explained the fact that most of the SRII farmers could not apply SRII in their entire paddy fields. The intensive labour demand in SRII was reflected in the scepticism of non-adopters and disadopters for not trying or discontinuing SRII. Intermittent irrigation as recommended in SRI is very difficult to apply due to poorly developed infrastructure and because farmers are reluctant to drain water in case the next rains are delayed. In terms of crop yields and economic return, farmers reported higher yields for plots managed under SRII practices and we estimated lower cash investment costs. However, the estimated full economic costs for plots with SRII practices were higher than for conventional practices, and the mean net income did not differ between practices. Average returns to labour also did not differ significantly for the different practices.   Read More

Title of document: ORGANIC AGRICULTURE AND “SAFE” VEGETABLES IN VIETNAM: IMPLICATIONS FOR AGRO-FOOD SYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY Authors: Luke Simmons; Steffanie Scott Ministry/Government Agency/Organisation: University of Waterloo   Geographic focus: Vietnam School of agroecology: Organic Agriculture Organic agriculture is often promoted as a possible route for farmers in the global south to follow in the quest for greater agricultural sustainability. By allowing farmers better access to the global markets for organic food, it is hoped that sustainable livelihoods will develop. But what happens when this approach is viewed through the lens of a low energy future? It is increasingly recognised that world energy supplies in the form of readily available oil and natural gas are very close to peaking and will soon start to decline. This poses a serious challenge to agricultural development activities that rely on these fuels. This challenge is explored in the context of Vietnam, a fast-growing country with heavily taxed natural resources and millions of smallholder farmers seeking to improve their livelihoods. This paper reports on field research and a review of secondary sources to assess the trends and prospects for organic agriculture to address agro-food system sustainability. As certified organic agriculture is only just emerging in Vietnam, the production of safe vegetables for the domestic market is also discussed. It is argued that organic agriculture in Vietnam is not centered on environmental concerns and is instead driven largely by the demand from export markets. There has been very little development of the domestic market for organic products in Vietnam despite the fact that there are strong concerns around food safety and food quality, particularly amongst urban consumers.   Read More

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