ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE POLICY

ENVIRONMENT AND PRACTICES AFFECTING

SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN LMB COUNTRIES

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POLICY ANALYSIS OBJECTIVE

Critical insights & contextual analysis of the current policies and practices of public and private sectors that affect smallholders - including rain-fed rice farmers - in attaining sustainable livelihoods, productivity and profitability while facing the pressure of climate change.

Research findings and recommendations for policy advocacy work to inform the policy advocacy and communication activities supported by the SEMIL-SRI-LMB.

KEY CONCEPTS AND ASPECTS FOR POLICY REVIEW

Small holder Farmers (Women)

Overall Policy Framework which has implication on smallholder farmers

FINDINGS AND DIRECTIONS

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KEY THEMES FOR SYNERGY IN ADVOCACY

Transitioning agriculture (affecting smallholders) Farmers’ choice (all 4) Rural finance (all 4) Rural industries or processing (all 4) Access to inputs – including labor (all 4) Access to markets (all 4) Private sector partnerships (all 4) Access to Land and the Rule of Law (Cambodia, Lao PDR,

Vietnam) Irrigation (Cambodia, Lao PDR) Farmers’ groups (Lao PDR, Vietnam) Contract farming: Thailand Women representation ( all 4)

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CAMBODIA CONTEXT AND SMALLHOLDERS

4 agro-ecozones: coastal, plain, Plateau and Tonle-Sap

2 categories: commercial (1-3 ha) and subsistence (<1 ha)

Very low yield (2.8t/ha avg) and poor value

Persistent difficulty access to food security Increasing diversification and use of other

income sources, incl. migration

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CAMBODIA – AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION

New Extension policy is recently launched, Public investment to implement this policy is still a question. Women’s representation is still a question but good signsIncreased influence of the private sector

Development of a cohesive extension policy’s monitoring and evaluation framework and resources investment plan needs to be established.

Adequate incentives for extension staff/system

Coordination of all extension providers (TWG can be the mechanism)

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CAMBODIA – WATER MGT AND IRRIGATION

Focus on supplementary irrigation (reduce risk, but low return) and large scales (not adapted to topography)Difficult transfer to user groups because of low incentive to invest.

Advocate for the development of (dry season) small scale irrigation schemes that are more likely to benefit small farmers (women)

Capacity building of Gvt staff to train farmers and to transfer schemes to user groups

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CAMBODIA – CLIMATE CHANGE

Insufficient evidence of the impacts of CC on small farmers. CCCSP is ready, but translation into practical plans coordinated intra- and inter- ministries is very arduous

Development of evidence of the impact of climate change on poor farmers and women (micro-economic studies necessary)

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LAO: CONTEXT AND SMALLHOLDERS

Key rice producing area: 7 plains. 2 distinct small farmers: plain (about 3.5

T/h) and upland (about 1.9 T/ha)

92 % glutinous rice Plain farmers are increasingly commercial Upland farmers are switching to cash

crops

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LAOS – OVERALL TRENDIndustrialization of the agricultural sectorUse of natural resources to generate income (“turning land into capital”)Little coordination between ministries with opposite goals.

MAF decided to transform from service provider to facilitator good opportunities.

New Law -Farmers cooperative/Association will bring a good opportunity to SEMIL project.

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LAOS – IRRIGATION

Schemes are under-performing because: poor non-participatory designs lack of investment (most channels are earthen) / mismatch design vs resourcesDisconnection between irrigation schemes and markets (input and output)

Positive move towards reinforcing user groups.

Guidelines for co-management between user groups and gvt

Participatory design of irrigation scheme with focus on small-scale and sustainability. Balance between supplementary and dry irrigation.

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LAOS – NEW EXTENSION PARADIGM AND FARMER COOPERATIVES

Very positive developmentMAF transitions from service provider to facilitatorcommercial farmers cooperatives are created.

Strengthen enabling environment for farmers cooperatives to ensure that they do not become a relay for political structures, but serve their members.

Women in extension services

Provide networking opportunities for farmers cooperatives.

Advocate for direct provision of seed fund to cooperatives.

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THAILAND: CONTEXT AND SMALLHOLDERS

Third largest exporter of rice. Mature agricultural sector for the region.

Rice smallholders: 56% of rice farmers <3.2 ha

Central region: rice bowl of Thailand. Northeast: rice farming with low

productivity.

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THAILAND – OVERALL POLICY FRAMEWORK

The Philosophy of Self-Sufficiency and the New Theory are guiding agricultural development (articulated in the 11th NESDP). Positive view of farming based on diversified farms for sustainability.Use the Philosophy of Self-Sufficiency as a

platform to interact with gvt.

Reinforce the role of women farmers

Advocate for increasing number of options for farmers (some have become stuck in credit cycle).

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THAILAND– RICE PLEDGING SCHEMEMarket intervention, now terminated.Has affected the whole value chain Did not benefit small farmers.

Space available for advocacy as there is now a vacuum. Gov’t will be especially sensitive to better focus of subsidies towards the poorest.

Opportunity to call for research on the impact of global markets and how small farmers may benefit (position in the value chain).

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THAILAND– CONTRACT FARMINGThailand is one of the pioneer and is now actively exporting the model to neighboring countries. Model mostly benefited the better-off farmers by mitigating state deficiency. Benefit for most vulnerable with low bargaining power is less than evident (debt, landlessness…). Strengthen implementation of legal framework to protect

smallest farmers and lobbying agri-business for long-term mutually beneficial approach.

Reinforce capacity of extension staff, smallholders and cooperatives to deal with agri-business.

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THAILAND– ORGANIC PRODUCTION

Successful promotion by Thai governmentSlow uptake as organic certification is too expensive for smallholders or cooperatives.

Reinforce attractiveness for farmers by raising profile of Thai organic rice /or SRI rice on domestic and international markets and by awareness campaign on the benefits (fits with the New Philosophy)

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VIETNAM: CONTEXT AND SMALLHOLDERS

Doi Moi in 1986. Increased yield and diversification into

non-farm activities. Smallholders <

0.5 ha with fragmented land. 30-35% of rural population poor or near

poor. Smallholders mainly live in disadvantaged

areas: North and central highlands. Rice is not as important for them as for others.

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VIETNAM– FOOD SECURITY AND EXPORT

Continues to guide Gvt policy intervention with - results in low-quality high-volume.

Gvt’s strong interventionism in export and less focus on domestic rice market

Focus on rice quality for policy intervention on domestic market and ensure this is enshrined in next SEDP (drafting is starting)

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VIETNAM– LAND USE95% of farmers have a land use certificate. Farmers’ opportunities to diversify into other areas and

increase incomes are limited by factors like water consumption, labor use, carbon emissions.

The designated rice land policy and difficulties in land-use transformation (Decree No. 42/2012/NĐ-CP dated 11 May 2012 requires the Prime Minister's approval for any change of land-use purpose from designated rice land to non-farm usage).

Review the new agriculture restructuring re potential benefit to smallholder farmers.

Constructive dialogue with Provincial govt/ Farmer Union for possible way to promote/strengthen small holder farmers to gain more benefit from rice production policy.

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VIETNAM– AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION

Various services are offered, including technical trainings, field demonstration workshops, on-site consultation, and provision of market information.However extension services is mostly to response to govt’s objectives (not really focus on demand-driven), with insufficient budget and not wider reaching to the poor. Recent positive evolutions have seen increased budget for extension.

Emphasis on the quality of services and women as the audience.

Incentives for private or farmer-led extension services (including transparent input registration…)

Facilitation of contract farming arrangements with development of regulations and mechanisms to protect the poorest

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ADVOCACY SHOULD REINFORCE POSITIVE ELEMENTS

The Philosophy of Self-Sufficiency and The New Theory in Thailand

Lao PDR’s focus on farmers’ cooperatives and on public extension as a facilitator

Rice Production Policy- support to reduce input cost in Viet Nam

Thailand experiment with precision farming and support to organic agriculture.

New Extension policy ‘s monitoring and implementing and monitoring resource allocation for extension in ASDP2014-2018 for Cambodia

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