Suchergebnisse

Metadata only record ; Mr. Nam, the vice chair of a village in Dak Lak province of Vietnam, was keen to protect farmers in his village from the sharp decline in prices of coffee (Coffea canephora Pierre ex Froehner). He did this by encouraging farmers in his village to plant cacao (Theobroma cacao L. subsp. cacao). Cacao was suitable to the soil and climate of the area, and because a foreign company had promised to buy cacao from the farmers, it seemed to offer greater financial security. However, uncertainty about crop losses due to pests, the cost of chemicals such as pesticides, and potential fluctuations in the prices of cacao made it imperative to carefully evaluate the benefits of cacao production. In making his recommendation to the village, Mr. Nam utilized additional information about the potential demand and the marketing networks for cacao. The decision to switch from coffee to cacao provides a village-level example of learning about agricultural supply and demand issues, perennial crop production, and economic and environmental consequences of growing particular crops. This case was written for undergraduate students in agriculture and forestry programs at Nong Lam University. Students were expected to understand ; SysCoor-5 (Policy and Governance)

This paper presents results of a case study of the SANREM's research project and two other UAF case studies in the Central Highland of Vietnam. These studies used similar participatory research approach to generate empirical evidences to patterns of land use change as these are influenced by multidimensional factors. Environmental consequences associated with these land changes were also reported. The paper shows that changes in economic policies, institutions and market access led to a large transformation of forestland into agriculture. The rapid expansion and intensification of agricultural production, driven in part by expanding population, places high pressure on the natural resource base and causes high negative externalities in the uplands, particularly in marginal lands. In all case studies, rates of degradation of forests, soils, and water remain high and threaten agricultural sustainability. Recently, national and local government took some efforts to overcome negative environmental consequences of agricultural development in the uplands, but their impacts are still limited. Balancing agricultural development and environmental protection is currently a major challenge for upland development. For meeting this challenge, the paper emphasizes the need for setting enabling policies and institutional framework that better promote sustainable agriculture and natural resource management practices in the uplands.

The viability of Vegetable-Agroforestry (VAf) system is constrained by various factors, including farmers' inability to invest in the system, inadequate institutional structures for facilitating information flow, and lack of market incentives. This paper reports on a scoping study of the policy environment of VAf in Vietnam and the Philippines. We hypothesized that policy incentives are needed to stimulate smallholder investments in VAf. ; LTRA-5 (Agroforestry and Sustainable Vegetable Production)

Vegetable-Agroforestry (VAf) is a viable farming system that provides multiple benefits, including provision of micronutrients to the diet of the rural community and enhancement of on-farm biodiversity and environmental ; LTRA-12 (Conservation agriculture for food security in Cambodia and the Philippines)

This study outlines the changes in agricultural policies and market conditions in Vietnam for the last 20 years characterized with gradual decentralization and integration in the global economy. Using a case study approach, the study examines how these institutional changes influence land use and land management and the impacts on the environment and the livelihood systems among members of a local community in the uplands of Vietnam. Preliminary analysis at the local level shows that changes policies and market conditions result in a rapid transformation of the socio-economic and biophysical landscape in this upland community. Large forest area had been converted into commercial agricultural land. Results of the study also show that farmers base their decisions on short-term market expectations rather than on long-term market information. This lends them more vulnerable to greater economic losses in the long term as shown by the behavior of mulberry and coffee production in the study area. Farmers had not only opened new forest land for coffee cultivation but also shifted from mulberry to coffee after 1994 when the price of coffee beans increased. However, there are risks associated with coffee, as a monocrop in a large area such as fluctuation in market prices and environmental degradation. The study provides empirical evidence to the complex interplay of policies and market conditions on land use, land management and livelihood system of the Vietnamese upland farmers. The study raises issues relating to the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices and the need for agricultural land use planning that aims to deal with the fluctuating global market without compromising the welfare of small farmers and landholders.