Analysis on policies and agricultural transition: Challenges in promoting sustainable agriculture in Northern Laos

Abstract

Since 2006s, Lao agriculture has been transforming from subsistence farming to commercial farming system. The main objectives of this study were to review and evaluate the impact of the 6th National Socioeconomic Development Plan (NSDEP) 2006 to 2010 that influencing in transition of agricultural production in the northern Laos. The analysis was emphasized on the targets of MAFs responsibility that including Land and Forest Allocation, Shifting Cultivation Stabilization and Commodity Production policies. In conclusion, the result of these policies have emerged the new characteristics of the new agricultural production system are included fixed rotation system; modern rice based farming; annual cash cropping in monocultures and industrial plantations. Those farming activities have been promoting soil degradation and nutrient loss and are unlikely to maintain the current high yields and those farm types in the form of unsustainable agriculture. Among policies have also emerged contradictions. The commercial crop production has certainly contradicted with the forest management policy and environmental issue due to the market/private sectors have only concerned on increasing the volume of products without considering about the impact on land degradation and forest covers. Most of commercial crop investors encouraged farmers to increase farm size by expanding the new farmland from forest land and even steeper lands. The main causes of policy contradiction as the result of provincial staff have limited capacity to manage and interpret the policies, poor participation from villagers, unclear in models and guidelines. Moreover, farmers were often left with little room to negotiate and top-down decision process was common across in rubber and commer- cial crop production.