Accompanying the agrarian transition in Laos

Opportunities and challenges for conservation agriculture in maize production areas

G. Lestrelin & J-C. Castella

Research Questions

• CA deemed knowledge- and capital-intensive, hence poorly compatible with smallholder farming (e.g. Erenstein 2003; Bolliger et al. 2006; Giller et al. 2009)

• Dissemination should concentrate on “socio-ecological niches” (Giller et al. 2009: 31) where CA is the most likely to be adopted by smallholders

• Two questions:To what extent can CA compete with more conventional

forms of agricultural intensification in a context of smallholder farming?

What is the value of a “socio-ecological niche” approach to the dissemination of CA?

Research SitesSayaboury Xieng Khouang

Two CA research and development initiatives active between 2003 and 2008:

Research Sites• From 2003 to 2008:

• Network of experimentation and demonstration plots• Establishment of CA farmer groups (44 villages in Sayaboury and 17

villages in Xieng Khouang)• Technical support to farmers and extension agencies

• Various direct seeding mulch-based cropping (DMC) systems disseminated, including:Maize mono with

residues managementAssociations

food - fodder cropsRotations

grass - legume crops

Methods & Data• Exhaustive village censuses: on household

composition, land, labor, capital, farm equipment, etc.

• Questionnaire surveys:Sayaboury: Annual surveys (2005-2008) among 2084 households in 21 villages; data on household livelihoods and adoption of CAXieng Khouang: Rapid and detailed surveys (2009) among 600 households in 20 villages; data on household livelihoods, farm economics and adoption of CA; re-study of farming systems 2003

• Qualitative interviews and focus groups: Village histories, perceptions of the advantages and limits of CA, constraints for adoption and dissemination, etc.

• Land cover and land use change analysis (LANDSAT)• Scenario analysis: Technical and economic simulations

with Olympe software

Results

• Contrasted situations– CA dissemination efforts– Topography and ecology

Geomorphology of southern Sayaboury province

Steep slopesErosion-proneSandstone

Mod. slopes ProductiveSchists

Steep slopesProductiveSchists

Results

• Similar transitions and driving forces– Strong market demand for maize

(w/ Thailand and Vietnam)

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 20090

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

Sayaboury Xieng Khouang Lao PDR

Mai

ze p

rodu

ction

(ton

s)

Maize boom

Results

• Similar transitions and driving forces– Rapid agricultural expansion and

intensification

2002 2006 2010

Forest land

Upland crops (maize)

Paddy rice

Land cover change in Xieng Khouang province (2002-2010)

Results

• Similar transitions and driving forces– Smallholder agriculture is still the norm

Average rainfed land tenureper household

Sayaboury (2008) 3 ha (1.1 – 5.3 ha)

Xieng Khouang (2009) 2.2 ha (0.8 – 5.2 ha)

Four Agro-Ecological ZonesRepresentative of successive stages in a historical pattern of land use intensification

Transition Stages & CA adoption

Agroecological transition (stages)

Sayaboury Province (21 villages, n=2084) Xieng Khouang Province (9 villages, n=270)

Adoption*

(2008)Extent of CA♣

(2008)Abandon♠

(2004-2008)Adoption*

(2008)Extent of CA♣

(2008)Abandon♠

(2006-2008)

Productive landsSubsistenceExtensive systems

- - - 4% 76% 8%

Productive landsCommoditizationIntensification

40% 50% 30% 27% 61% 11%

Degrading landsCommercial agricultureIntensive monocropping

13% 31% 54% 13% 32% 55%

Degraded landsDiversificationIntensive mixed systems

41% 65% 30% - - -

Total 24% 53% 36% 12% 53% 21%

* Percent of farming households

♣ Percent of total farmland among CA farmers

♠ Average abandon rate between year n and year n+1 of CA practice

1

2

3

4 ≠

High adoption levels

Low adoption levels

Transition Stages & CA adoption

Conclusions• Two critical windows of opportunity for CA-related interventions in

the maize production areas of Laos– Early stage of commoditization and intensification of agriculture:

“Attractive option for smallholders willing to engage in commercial agriculture with a limited increase in production costs”

– Latest stage of land degradation and economic diversification:“Economically- and ecologically-sound alternative to conventional intensive monoculture”

• No particular “socio-ecological niches” or “hotspots” for dissemination BUT key moments for intervention along specific agro-ecological transition pathways

• Appropriate timing + adequate research and extension endeavours CA can become a viable and accepted alternative – even in a context of small-scale farming

Thank you!For further information: g.lestrelin@gmail.com

References

Slaats J, Lestrelin G (2009), Improving cropping systems by introducing Conservation Agriculture: Taking stock of the results and methodology of research-development in southern Sayaboury province, Lao PDR, PCADR, Vientiane, 115 p.

Lestrelin G, Nanthavong K, Jobard E, Keophoxay A, Khambanseuang C, Castella J-C, Lienhard P (2011), “To till or not to till?” Opportunities and constraints to the diffusion of Conservation Agriculture in Xieng Khouang Province, Lao PDR, Outlook on Agriculture (in press).

Lestrelin G, Tran Quoc H, Jullien F, Rattanatray B, Khamxaykhay C, Tivet F (2011), Conservation agriculture in Lao PDR: Diffusion and determinants for adoption of DMC systems in smallholder agriculture, Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems (under review).