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Stabilisation and Development

of

upland rice cropping and villager

forestry systems

as a crucial component in Upland

Development

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1: Recognized – acknowledged - as an important component of both current and near/medium term future upland livelihoods systems.

3: Focused on, developed, not ignored

2: Stabilised – and this can be done !

PROPOSAL: The “upland crop/bush fallow”

based farming system must be:

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Contents of Presentation

5: Improve strategy for role of forest management in the uplands

4: Reasons to focus or “develop” hai as a component of Upland Development

3: Upland crop/bush fallow system can be “stabilised”.

2: Neutral Carbon footprint of rotational upland systems.

1: Reasons to acknowledge ‘hai’ In Upland Development.

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1: Reasons that we must acknowledge ‘hai’ in Upland Development1.1 The “Eradication Policy” has not

been fully successful

1.3 Upland Rice is even exported as a “cash crop”

1.2 Rice growing is - “ipsi facto” – one of the best – and most direct route to “food security”

1.4 Bush Fallows are an crucial element of multifunctional landscapes

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Despite > 10 year of SC Eradication Policy, SC remains the main upland

agricultural practice Shifting cultivation dominated landscapes between 2001 - 2009

K. Hurni et al, 2012 K. Hurni et al, 2013

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Data from Agricultural Census 2011

MAF, Lao Ag. Census 2011

The Agricultural Census even suggests an increase of upland area, and a slight reduction of population involved in it

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1: Reasons to acknowledge ‘hai’:1.1 The “Eradication Policy” has not

been successful

1.3 Upland Rice is even exported as a “cash crop”

1.2 Rice growing is - “ipsi facto” – one of the best – and most direct route to “food security”; and

1.4 Bush Fallows are an crucial element of multifunctional landscapes

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Example for 1.3: Rice is “still” the main cash crop in many upland

villages

N = ~1200 HH

Source: TABI survey 2012

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Photo of rice exports from Ponsai

Example for 1.3 : Trucks ‘exporting’ upland rice from ‘upland’ Ponsai District, 2011

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1: Reasons to acknowledge ‘hai’:1.1 The “Eradication Policy” has not

been successful

1.3 Upland Rice is even exported as a “cash crop”

1.2 Rice growing is - “ipsi facto” – one of the best – and most direct route to “food security”

1.4 Bush Fallows are an crucial element of multifunctional landscapes

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Where are NTFP’ are collected?

1.4: Bush fallows an important source of NTFPs (2nd after forests)

Based on survey in 100 villages in Phonexay, Chomphet and Phoukoud district

Source: TABI survey 2012

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Medicinal plant in upland rice and bush fallow rotational fields

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2: Neutral Carbon footprint of rotational upland systems

Carbon in rotational systems needs both a landscape as well as multi-temporal perspective

Also for possible REDD PES schemes, this perspective is crucial, else rotational systems can not fit into the REDD systems

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Source: Inoue, 2010

There is significant carbon in rotational upland systems

• Even if only 5 years fallow there is only a slight decrease of carbon over time (without fallow improvements) ( ~ 55 t/ha)

• Ongoing research suggests that below ground carbon (B.C.) mayeven be considerably higher than shown above

1Y cultivated 5Y fallow

B.G

. carb

on

?

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2.1 See TABI FALUPAM (Maps below) for examples of stabilised upland rotational rice cultivation.

2.3 Thus, new generation can, and will, find other livelihood activities such as:

(a) Processing and marketing of products – will actually become more feasible due to (i) improved road network and (ii) improved access to electricity.

(b) Some of the younger generation will move to urban industrial centres.

3: Upland crop/bush fallow system can be “stabilised”

2.2 However, “stabilised” as of today means enough land for current number of farmers

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Data: pre and post FALUP

3.1: Example of stabilised upland cropping: Huay Jia Village, Ponsai District, Luang Prabang Province.

Before 2012 After 2012

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Example 3.2: stabilised upland cropping: Donekham Village, Ponsai District, Luang Prabang Province.

Before 2012 After 2012

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Example 3.3:stabilised upland cropping: Mien Village, Phoukodt District, Xieng Khouang Province

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Example 3.3: stabilised upland cropping: Mien Village, Phoukodt District, Xieng Khouang Province

Before 2012

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After 2012

Example 3.3: stabilised upland cropping: Mien Village, Phoukodt District, Xieng Khouang Province

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Example 3.4: stabilised upland and lowland cropping: Kheung Village, Phoukodt District, Xieng Khouang Province, 2012

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4.2. Loss of flat cropping land – loss of wet rice paddy and of aquatic products food/income due to hydropower projects means resettlers have only one option for food-rice sufficiency - to feed their families – and that is upland rice. There are many examples – and this will only increase in the future

4: Reasons to focus on and develop “hai” as a component of Upland Development

4.1. Difficulties in finding alternatives – and they take a long time to develop - and while developing alternatives, villagers still need rice !! So, resolving the ‘upland rice’ question then provides ‘energy’ and ‘time’ to focus on ‘alternatives’.

•See map of villagers planned for relocation in LPB

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Nam Tha 1

The over 120 hydropower project at different stages of planning will lead to resettlement of probably more than 400/500 villages (some have already moved)

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Nam Tha 1

To-be-resettled villages (pink) will loose access to flat and wet rice paddy land in valley and have to move further into – and rely on - the uplands = shifting cultivation !!

Villages in pink will have to relocate into the uplands

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However:The delineation (in the law) of “national protection forest” is a “drawing board” zoning, is confusing, and has little, often no. basis in realty on the ground. Thus: Must start by improving the legal and

administrative definitions of ‘forest categories’

5: Need to Improve the role of forest management and development in the uplands

Fact: Forest lands are a very significant component of the uplands. Some even hope they will get to 65 to 70 % of the total Land Area !!!

Thus: Forest must be a crucial component of the UDS

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Explanation of the inappropriate National

Protection Forest Zones

• Lacking spatial planning and incoherent sectoral approaches means that almost 2500 villages are locted in the so-called “national protection forest” (almost 1 mil. people)

• Even further to this – as villages are relocated due to hydropower dams (eg here is Nam Seuang 2 dam in LPB ) they will all move further into the ‘national protected forest’

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Proposed (more relevant and actual) definition of forest categories

Management Responsibility

Forest Management Category National Provincial/District Village Private

Production/Utilization Forest

Production Forest Reserve Yes Yes

Managed Utilization Forest Yes plant/regenerate

Conservation Forest

National/Provincial Park Yes Yes (assist)

Biodiversity Conservation Park Yes Yes (as above)

Watershed Protection Forest Yes Yes

Historical/Cultural Forest Yes (as above)

..other

Plantation Forest Yes Yes

Spirit/Cemetery forest Yes Yes

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Current: ‘mushrooming’ of land concessions & leases in Laos the last decade

Future Vision: ‘mushrooming’ number of villagers with stabilised upland cropping and forest zone plans approved and all granted

secure tenure ...and the new generation taking over from there !!

Current Scenario > Future Vision for

UDS

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Thank you very much for your attention!Contact TABI: chris.flint@tabi.la