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Title of document: Risk Perception and Lowland Rice Farming Change in Savannakhet Province, Southern Laos Authors/editor: Chanthavisouk Ninchaluene, Santi Piyadeth, Ian G. Baird Journal’s name if any: European Journal of East Asian Studies Ministry/Government Agency/Organization: Savannakhet University, University of Wisconsin-Madison Year of publication: 2021 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Main issues/ topics addressed (for example: …) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: Lowland rice cultivation is changing in southern Laos. A formalised survey and informal interviews in the lowlands of Savannakhet Province indicate that while some farmers still raise water buffaloes, farmers now mainly use hand-held mechanised ploughs to till their fields. More chemical fertilisers are being used, and improved seed varieties have become dominant, with native varieties disappearing. Due to these changes, rice yields have increased substantially, with many more farmers selling surplus rice. The trade-offs are, however, not simple…   Read More

Title of document: Bridging the gap: How to get climate services to farmers Authors/editor: FAO, MONRE, MAF Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organization: FAO, MONRE, MAF Year of publication: 2021 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Main issues/ topics addressed (for example: …) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: The Lao Climate Service for Agriculture (LaCSA) provides agro-meteorological information in a compact format relevant to Lao farmers. The challenge addressed here, is the delivery of the provided information to farmers and other end-users. While the standard output channel are bulletins that are published online and sent to subscribed receivers, these resources may be beyond the reach of many farmers. Under the SAMIS project, FAO in collaboration with the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) and the Department of Agriculture and Land Management (DALaM), have tested a number of pathways to give farmers access to the produced content. Based on their testing, a number of ways have been identified that allow farmers to take advantage of tools that are normally out of their reach. To drive this process, the National Agriculture and Forestry Institute (NAFRI) has trained DAFO and DONRE staff throughout the country in the use and retrieval of LaCSA information. The purpose of this leaflet is to present the identified dissemination options and insights, to encourage subsequent projects in taking them up or building on them.   Read More

Title of document: Production of Vegetable Fern (Diplazium esculentum Reytz.) Under Varying Levels of Shade Authors/editor: Patrick Trail, Yuwadee Danmalidoi, Abram Bicksler, and Rick Burnette Journal’s name if any: EDN Ministry/Government Agency/Organization: ECHO Asia Impact Center Year of publication: 2021 Geographic focus: Asia Main issues/ topics addressed (for example: …) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): http://edn.link/hk96zz Summary: This topic of interest dates back a few years to when Rick Burnette served as Director of ECHO Asia. Observing that local edible vegetable ferns were only being wild-harvested and made available at market certain times of the year, he rationalized that perhaps this local Neglected and Underutilized Species could be cultivated on-farm, using artificial shade, thus making it marketable in the ‘off-season’ as well. Since that time, the experiment has been replicated and wrapped up (with the help of many hands), and the following article summarizes what we have learned   Read More

Title of document: Insect Pest Management Authors/editor: Annie Deutsch and Stacy Swartz Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organization: EDN Year of publication: 2021 Geographic focus: Asia Main issues/ topics addressed (for example: …) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): http://edn.link/ipm2 Summary: Insect pests affect all forms of agricultural production, from densely planted field crops to high-value nursery plants to grains in storage. This article explains some principles and practices for conducting in-field observations (sampling) to inform pest management decisions. General principles and practices are discussed for detecting, identifying, and monitoring pest populations, in order to inform next steps.   Read More

Title of document: Managing Pesticides for Greener Growth in Lao PDR (Ver. English & Laotian) Authors/editor: World Bank Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organization: World bank Year of publication: 2021 Geographic focus: Lao PDR Main issues/ topics addressed (for example:…) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: Pesticides management is important for sustainable agriculture and green growth. Sound pesticides management and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in particular are widely acknowledged as important mechanisms to mitigate pre- and post-harvest losses and to achieve sustainable agricultural intensification.   Read More

Title of document: Seasonal organic rice revival in Mekong Delta Authors/editor: Dr. Nguyen Van Kien Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organization: The Saigon Times Year of publication: 2021 Geographic focus: Vietnam Main issues/ topics addressed (for example:…) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): https://en.thesaigontimes.vn/tinbaichitiet/80949/?fbclid=IwAR31-rjqmkl3LhN3yxLXP8VdjkJykpu-xjIrueD0-KcJCH5yc3yXb4FBpA0 Summary: According to the analysis by QY Research published in 2020, the total value of global organic rice exports in 2018 was US$1.5 billion. The figure was forecast to increase 9% in the period 2019-2025 and reach US$2.78 billion by 2025. In Vietnam, seasonal organic rice, which has been seemingly extinct after some time, is gradually reviving and proving its outstanding value to farmers and the ecology. In 2020, the Mekong Delta had over 1,400 hectares of rice in the provinces of Ca Mau, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre, Kien Giang and Vinh Long which were certified up to the international organic standards (USDA/EU/JAS—U.S. Department of Agriculture/European Union/Japanese Agricultural Standards). Ca Mau had the largest area of organic rice-shrimp production. Meanwhile, the seasonal rice, the kind of seasonal floating rice grown without chemicals likely to be converted to organic certified rice, has begun to revive on the delta soil…   Read More

Title of document: COVID-19 building back greener and more resilient: Contributions of agroecology to a “new normal” in Asia and the Pacific Authors/editor: FAO Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organization: FAO Year of publication: 2021 Geographic focus: SEA Main issues/ topics addressed (for example:…) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): http://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cb3114en Summary: Besides the severe health crisis, the COVID-19 epidemic also caused the global economy to contract at a rate not seen since the Second World War and led to a severe increase of poor and food insecure people as well as a sharp projected decrease of production of agricultural goods in Southeast Asia. The effects of the pandemic on agriculture have been exacerbated by the way in which the current industrial farming system is set up. Integral to Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) common vision for sustainable food and agriculture, agroecology echoes the goals of the 2030 Agenda and can be seen as a key part of the global response to this climate of instability, offering an original approach to meeting significant increases in our food needs of the future while ensuring no one is left behind. As recognized by the World Bank and FAO-led global agriculture assessment (IAASTD 2019), landmark reports from IPBES (2018; 2019), IPCC (2019), and FAO (2019a), agroecology has the capacity to reconcile the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainability. This paper is a contribution to the regional dialogue on how to respond to the COVID19 crisis. It first highlights some of the impacts of the pandemic on agriculture and food security in the Asia Pacific Region. Then, mobilizing the FAO’s 10 elements of Agroecology framework, it provides selected examples of how agroecological approaches can contribute transforming food systems and developing a greener, more resilient and more inclusive “new normal”   Read More

Title of document: ASEAN Guidelines for Responsible Investment in Food, Agriculture and Forestry Authors/editor: ASEAN Secretariat Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organization: ASEAN Secretariat, Grow Asia, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and a World Bank trust fund. Year of publication: 2019 Geographic focus: ASEAN Main issues/ topics addressed (for example:…) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): Summary: The ASEAN Guidelines on Promoting Responsible Investment in Food, Agriculture and Forestry were adopted by ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) in October 2018 and were developed in response to a decision by that same group the year prior. The guidelines have as their main objective the promotion of responsible regional investment in food, agriculture and forestry that ensures economic development, while also incorporating and reflecting the diverse circumstances of different ASEAN member states. Ensuring responsible investment in these sectors will be key in meeting the food safety and security needs of the growing population of the Southeast Asian region. The guidelines are grounded in the Committee on World Security’s Principles for Responsible Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI). They were developed through a multi-stakeholder process involving the ASEAN Secretariat, Grow Asia, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation and a World Bank trust fund.   Read More

Title of document: Policy Brief - Issue No. 4: Mechanization Solutions for Improved Livestock Management and Prevention and Control of Zoonotic Diseases Authors/editor: UN-ESCAP CSAM Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organization: UN-ESCAP CSAM Year of publication: 2020 Geographic focus: Asia Main issues/ topics addressed (for example: Role of Mechanization in Prevention and Control of Zoonotic Diseases; Recommendations…) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): http://www.un-csam.org/Publication/PB-2020-03-ENG.pdf Summary:   Read More

Title of document: Policy Brief - Issue No. 3: Integrated Management of Straw Residue in the Asia-Pacific Region Authors/editor: UN-ESCAP CSAM Journal’s name if any: Ministry/Government Agency/Organization: UN-ESCAP CSAM Year of publication: 2020 Geographic focus: Asia Main issues/ topics addressed (for example: Impact of the Pandemic on Agriculture in the Asia-Pacific Region; Role of sustainable agricultural mechanization in supporting recovery and building resilience…) School of agroecology (if any): Web address to original document (if any): http://www.un-csam.org/Publication/PB-2020-03.pdf Summary: Burning of straw residue is a common practice in many countries of the Asia-Pacific region. In recent times, this practice has drawn the attention of policymakers and the public due to its adverse effects on the environment, including air pollution which impacts the life of millions of people across countries and contributes to climate change as well as loss of fertility of agricultural land. Appropriate agricultural machinery can help farmers adopt sustainable and integrated management of straw residue including its use as fertilizer, cattle feed, bioenergy, substrate for growing mushrooms and industry material.   Read More