Research approaches on Agroecology and agroecological systems in Asian contexts

FAO conference Multistakeholders consultation on Agroecology

Bangkok 25-26 November 2015

RESEARCH on AGROECOLOGY and

AGROECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS

for SOUTH EAST ASIA

FAO consultation Nov 2015 1

Frank Enjalric et Etienne Hainzelin

• Agrarian transition


1) Context (1/2)

Progressive replacement of upland rice-based

shifting cultivation by … by maize or cassava

monocropping with detrimental impacts on natural

resources, ecosystem biodiversity, soil fertility, weeds

control, crop yields, etc.

Forest cover Land degradation

Poverty Inequalities

• Soil erosion and deforestation

FAO consultation Nov 2015

3

Context (2/2)

The limits of the agro-business model: Positive results on production, but unequally distributed,

More and more dependant on inputs and fossil energy with major negative

impacts on environment, economical and social aspects

Even if it is still the reference, this model is not any more

sustainable (according to the 3 pillars)

There are needs for alternative approaches and cropping systems

• Agroecology

AE represents a rupture with the way agriculture

has been seen and analyzed by mainstream

science for over a century, with essentially

artificializing views

• Ecological intensification

• Agroecology and innovative cropping systems

with CANSEA, Conservation Agriculture Network

for South East Asia


2) Research involvement from Cirad and its partners on:

Designing of CA farming systems through

systemic and holistic approach, accordingly to

local, socio-economical, agropedological

contexts.

Agroecological approach

Scientific approach

Social Movement

Agricultural practices

Ecology science applied to the study, design and management of sustainable agroecosystems

Support to smallholder farming aimed to food sovereignty as opposed to industrial agriculture

Practices mimicking natural processes and harnessing biological interactions in agroecosystems …



What do we mean by ecological intensification ?

Diversification Complex systems

Simplification Degradation

Driven process

Natural processes

Natural Ecosystems

Traditional Systems

without input

Agroecological systems

& Ecological processes

High inputs conventional

systems Adapted from M. Griffon 2013

From a large choice of alternatives practices:

Research institutions in partnership with Cirad decide to agree on common objectives, on common

principles, and on common practices

CANSEA : Conservation Agriculture Network for South East Asia

Conservation Agriculture (CA) principles: minimal soil disturbance, crop associations and rotations, and adequate organic soil cover. These farming system aims at increasing agricultural production and productivity while conserving the natural resources and enhancing biological interactions in agroecosystems


CANSEA

• A research network for the development of Conservation

Agriculture (CA) and Agroecology

• 9 members of the network:

Cambodia: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF)

China: Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (YAAS)

Indonesia: Indonesian Agency for Agriculture Research & Devlpt (IAARD)

Lao PDR: Department of Agricultural Land management (DALaM)

Thailand: Kasetsart University

Vietnam: Northern Mountainous Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute

(NOMAFSI) and Soils and Fertilizers Research Institute (SFRI)

+ Australia: University of Queensland

Regional coordination by CIRAD.


Research and

knowledge

Exchanges Training

• To restore degraded soils • To intensify and diversify conventional cropping systems

• Academic and vocational

training

• To enhance internal and external communication

• To spread CA and AE knowledge



3) Research activities and orientations for CANSEA

Research platform in partnership

Conservation Agriculture and Agroecology to support a regional agroecology transition based on ecological intensification in South-East Asia

Overall objective: Co-design and co-assessment of sustainable management for smallholders’ farming systems based on agroecology

DP CANSEA Agroecology and ecological intensification in South East Asia


Intervention methods:

o Diagnosis with systemic and holistic approach,

o Multiscale and multidisciplinary approaches

o High diversity of knowledge, with association of

traditional and up to date knowledge

o Participatory cropping systems designing based on

biomass production and recycling

Example of Complexification of cropping systems.

Source: L. Seguy et al., (2009) La symphonie inachevée du semis direct dans le Brésil central http://agroecologie.cirad.fr/librairie _virtuelle

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Erosion

http://agroecologie.cirad.fr/librairie

http://agroecologie.cirad.fr/librairie

Engaging village communities in landscape level management of agricultural innovations

LANDSCAPE APPROACH (Eficas-NUDP-CA project)


For SEA, there were mainly maize based CA cropping systems in relation with maize boom

Upland environment § 4, Vietnam (NOMAFSI)


Many cropping systems based on rotation and succession with Maize, Stylosanthes, Brachiaria, rainfed rice, vigna, cassava, … have been tested. Among them, the most efficient widely adopted by farmers was:

• Maize + Vigna / Vigna // Maize + Vigna / Vigna

Maize upto 8 t/ha, and rice bean (vigna) 2t/ha

§ 1, 2 & 4 environments: in Cambodia (CASC –GDA)

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Various cropping systems have been evaluated:

• Two years rotation :

maize + Stylosanthes guianensis // soybean + sorghum + S. guianensis,

maize + S. guianensis // upland rice + S. guianensis,

• Three-year rotation: early maize + E. coracana + C. juncea / dry season

cassava // Cassava // maize + S. guianensis

maize + S. guianensis 7.35 ± 0.62 6.71 ± 1.19

soybean + sorghum + S. guianensis 5.02 ± 0.95


7.48 ± 0.98 8.00 ± 0.44

upland rice + S. guianensis 4.58 ± 0.51


upland rice + S. guianensis 9.58 ± 0.71

Control monocropping maize 5.70 ± 0.79

Cropping system

Dry biomass

before sowing

(Mg ha-1

) n = 5

Yields

(Mg ha-1) n= 5


Some illustrations of cropping systems on Cambodia uplands

maize direct seeded on mulch of Stylosanthes guianensis

maize after soybean + sorghum + stylosanthes

Soybean on mulch of sorghum

Upland environment § 4, Laos

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Maize based CA systems

Maize residues management

Intercropping with pigeon pea

Intercropping with rice bean

What is expected for the next future:

To aggregate scientific approaches and thematics on designing and assessment of farming systems able to tackle rural sustainable development involving different approaches of Agroecology and Ecological intensification.

Key words are:

Agroecology, Ecological Intensification, Agroecological crops

protection, smallholder farmers, Participatory designing,

Conservation Agriculture, Landscape approach, Natural

resources, Climate change, Out- and up-scaling, Agrarian transition, ecosystemic services…


DP CANSEA Agroecology and ecological intensification in South East Asia

Thank you for your attention

20 FAO consultation Nov 2015

• Reproduction of the forest ecosystem which is balanced

• Re-introduction of soil biology via plant biomass production and

recycling

• Enhance mineralisation and humification of Soil Organic Matter

Conservation agriculture as defined by FAO

This refers to Direct seeding Mulch based Cropping

systems (DMC) or SCV in French (CIRAD)

1. Permanent soil cover all year around

2. No tillage or minimum soil disturbance

3. Crops rotations and associations to improve soil

fertility (SOM)

CANSEA / Different projects

• Laos: • Pronae and PROSA projects

from 2003 to 2011 on CA • Eficas-NUDP/CA from 2014

on AE dissemination methods

• Cambodia • PADAC 2004-2013 on CA

technics and soil conservation

• Vietnam • ADAM project until 2014 on

AE based CS designing evaluation and dissemination

• China • NR management, acid soils

fertility management

• ACTAE regional project


Human Resources 2014-2015

More than 70 researchers from CIRAD and partners On: - Soil sciences - CA based cropping systems - Social sciences - Participatory approach - Landscape approach - Water quality and

management - Soil biology - Soil conservation - … - …

Research approaches on Agroecology and agroecological systems in Asian contexts

Education

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