The Conservation Agriculture Network for South East Asia

(CANSEA)An initiative to Develop and Disseminate CA in

SEA

Jean Claude Legoupil and Sulivanthong Kingkéo

5th World Congress on Conservation Agriculture Brisbane, Australia, 26-29 September 2011

CONTENT

The starting point: Why a network on CA in SEA?

CANSEA: Objectives and activities Conclusion: Key lessons learned

from CANSEA first years implementation

CONTENT

The starting point: Why a network on CA in SEA?

CANSEA: Objectives and activities Conclusion: Key lessons learned

from CANSEA first years implementation

A wide diversity of bio-physical, socio-economical & agrarian contexts...

Tropic of Cancer

Xieng KhouangSayabouri

Vientiane

Yen Bai

Bac Kan

Hanoi

Hué

Pleiku

Phnom PenhKampong Cham

Bangkok

Sakon Nakhon

Kunming

Yuanmou

Simao

J inghong

Lancang Tropic of Cancer

Xieng KhouangSayabouri

Vientiane

Xieng KhouangSayabouri

Vientiane

Xieng KhouangSayabouri Xieng KhouangSayabouri

Vientiane

Yen Bai

Bac Kan

Hanoi

Hué

Pleiku

Yen Bai

Bac Kan

Hanoi

Hué

Pleiku

Phnom PenhKampong Cham

Phnom PenhKampong Cham

Bangkok

Sakon Nakhon

Bangkok

Sakon Nakhon

Kunming

Yuanmou

Simao

J inghong

Lancang

Kunming

Yuanmou

Simao

J inghong

Lancang

0

2200

3300

1100

4400

Elevation (m)

- From lowlands to mountainous areas- Dry to humid conditions- Rice self-sufficiency to market-oriented- Land locked to easily accessible etc.

But similar concerns...

Increased pressure on natural resources:High deforestation rate, soil degradation

Latin America Africa Southeast Asia Global Total study area 1155 337 446 1937

Forest cover in 1990 669 ± 57 198 ± 13 283 ± 31 1150 ± 54

Forest cover in 1997 653 ± 56 193 ± 13 270 ± 30 1116 ± 53Annual deforested area 2.5 ± 1.4 0.85 ± 0.30 2.5 ± 0.8 5.8 ± 1.4Rate 0.38% 0.43% 0.91% 0.52%Annual regrowth area 0.28 ± 0.22 0.14 ± 0.11 0.53 ± 0.25 1.0 ± 0.32Rate 0.04% 0.07% 0.19% 0.08%Annual net cover change −2.2 ± 1.2 −0.71 ± 0.31 −2.0 ± 0.8 −4.9 ± 1.3Rate 0.33% 0.36% 0.71% 0.43%Annual degraded area 0.83 ± 0.67 0.39 ± 0.19 1.1 ± 0.44 2.3 ± 0.71Rate 0.13% 0.21% 0.42% 0.20%

From Achard et al, 2002

Increasing demographic pressureNational and regional market demand changes

RAPID CHANGES

Increasing demographic pressureNational and regional consumption demand changes

Increased pressure on natural resources:High deforestation rateSoil degradation,Erosion and fertility decline…

Erosion in Northern Vietnam

Erosion in Laos - Sayabouri

Erosion in China - Yunnan

But similar concerns...

Increasing demographic pressureNational and regional market demand changesHigh deforestation rate

Increased pressure on natural resourcesErosion, Soil degradation and fertility decline…

Erosion in Northern Vietnam

Similar wish to keep on the intensification and expansion of agricultural activities but to limit the related negative side-effects on natural resources

Similar interest in CA as technical alternative

But similar concerns...

A decade of CA R4D programs in several SE countries…

Vietnam: SAM (1999); Rubber project (2003), ADAM (2008)

Laos: from 2003: PRONAE, PASS, ORCATAD, PROSA etc. supported by various donors (AFD, UE)2009 : opening of the national centre for conservation agriculture

Thailand: since 2005: soil biology laboratory focused on CA impact on soil biota (Sakon Nakhon campus).

Cambodia: project for development of rubber-based farming systems (2003) then PADAC (2007)

Yunnan: YAAS experiments since 2003

But few interactions between countries and institutions despite…

• Similar difficulties regarding scaling up• Similar need for higher synergies between R&D, extension and

educational systems• Need for experience exchanges (failures /successes,

approaches)• Emergence of new topics of R&D easier to implement at

regional level (e.g., IPM, CA-Organic farming, market opportunities, certification, market links and commodity chains between countries...)

• Possibility to implement actions not feasible at country level (e.g., increase synergies among projects, seek regional funds, empowering regional research and expertises)

CONTENT

The starting point: Why a network on CA in SEA?

CANSEA: Objectives and activities Conclusion: Key lessons learned

from CANSEA first years implementation

To federate complementarities between countries and institutions to:

General objectives

Improve efficiency of research

Go beyond the “pilot” diffusion of CA systems in small-scale areas in Southeast Asia.

Address theme of regional interest

To do together what can’t be done alone

• First exchanges in 2005 (regional workshop in Vientiane, Laos) then in 2008 (regional workshop in Xieng Khouang, Laos)

• Official creation (MoU) on September 30th, 2009 (regional CA meeting held in Vientiane, Laos)

CANSEA Creation

CANSEA core membersTo do together what can’t be done alone

Vietnam

Cambodia

Indonesia

China (Yunnan)

Laos

Thailand

CANSEA core members

• Cambodia: the Ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries (MAFF) • China: the Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (YAAS)• Indonesia: the Indonesian Agency for Agriculture Research and

Development (IAARD)• Laos: the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute

(NAFRI)• Thailand: the University of Kasetsart (KU)• Vietnam: the Northern Mountainous Agriculture and Forestry

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

• Le Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), which cooperates with all the partners of South East Asia

To do together what can’t be done alone

Generic activities of the network

To support exchanges of experience & results and favor crossed training between partners

e.g. Financial contributions to:- The 2nd regional workshop and conference on CA,

Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 4-7 July 2011- Sensitisation course on CA for Yunnan

representative in Laos (2010)- Training of Lao master degree (Nabong univ.) and of

Vietnamese agronomists (NOMAFSI) in Thailand (KU) and Cambodia (PADAC-MAFF) (2010 and 2011)

To support the communication and dissemination of results to the outside (donors, research community, broad public)

- Updating the database on CA - Setting up the CANSEA Web site (2009 & 2010)

Facilitate Exchange and communication between partners

ORCATAD CA Database

Generic activities of the network To support exchanges between partners To support the communication and the dissemination of results to the outside

To define, prepare and jointly submit R4D regionally-based projects each network member is leading a theme of action having both national

importance and regional interest management by a Steering Committee and a Regional coordination unit

Institutions Thematic areasCambodia GDA-PADAC

Methodological approach to link Research & Extension.

China YAASCA development for diversification of rice-based cropping system in uplands areas

Indonesia IAARDCA development in watershed area (uplands & lowlands) to improve agricultural production and control soil & environment degradation

Laos NAFRI CA to restore fertility of degraded soils & more specifically of acidic soils

Thailand KUCurriculum development (Masters) on CA integrating (amongst others) C sequestration & soil Biology

Vietnam NOMAFSI SFRI

Soil conservation & CA-DMC systems in Uplands zones

RC 1: CA-DMC systems for agricultural intensification, diversification and soil conservation in Uplands-Highlands

• Context:

Cambodia China-Yunnan Northern LaosNorthern Vietnam

Concerned Areas 5-10,000,000 ha 394,000,000 ha 9,000,000 ha39% of the country

95,000,000 ha

Population 2,500,000 45,700,000 1,200,000 11,100,000

Agricultural Uplands

670,000 ha30% of

cultivated areas4,600,000 ha 2,400,000 ha

1,115,000 ha13% of

cultivated areas

Farming systems

Slash and burn practiceMono cropping : Rain fed Rice, Maize, Tea, cassava, perennial crops

(Rubber…)Emergence of commercial mono cropping

Present yieldVery low yields

Rice = 1.0 – 2.0 T/ha; Maize = 2 – 5 T/ha; Cassava: +/- 5 T/ha

Poverty rate > 50% 15% 46% 31.6%

About 9,000,000 ha potentially concerned in 4 countries of the network

• Objectives: To take stoke: (i) of past and current results & lessons learnt regarding CA potential systems for these areas,

RC 1: CA-DMC systems for agricultural intensification, diversification and soil conservation in Uplands-Highlands

• Intensification and diversification of rice-based cropping systems in the uplands

Intercropping rice + cow pea northern Vietnam

Traditional S&B system

Improved fallow with legumes…

… or grasses

Pigeon pea, Laos

B. ruziziensis, Laos, Yunnan

Traditional weeding on corn

Association corn + rice bean Laos, Sayabouri

Association corn + pigeon peaLaos, Xieng Khouang

Miniterrasses + soil mulchNorthern Vietnam

Corn on stylo mulch, Laos

Cassava + stylo, Vietnam

• Diversification of tillage-based mono cropping (maize, cassava) in the uplands

• Diversification of tillage-based mono cropping (maize, cassava) in the Highlands

Maize and Cassava, the crops of Pioneers (Cambodia)

Rotation Maize+Stylo / Cassava+styloCambodia

Use of bio-pumps in crop sequences (Cambodia)

Stylo. + Cajanus c.

Stylo. + V. umbellata

Stylo. + Sorghum

• Objectives: To take stoke (i) of past and current results & lessons learnt regarding CA potential systems for these areas,

(ii) of accumulated knowledge regarding agrarian changes, farming system constraints and CA conditions for dissemination (when existing studies)

To define and propose a regional project involving 2 to 4 of the countries and institutions of the network

To promote CA diffusion on at least 5000 ha in 4 to 6 years

RC 1: CA-DMC systems for agricultural intensification, diversification and soil conservation in Uplands-Highlands

REMINDERFor those interested in more details regarding CANSEA

projects…

Conservation Agriculture Network for South East Asia (CANSEA)

SIDE EVENT

Objectives, Projects & Opportunities for new Technical and Financial Partnerships

for CA Development in SE Asia

Tuesday, 27th September 2011

6.00 pm, Plaza Room 5

CONTENT

The starting point: Why a network on CA in SEA?

CANSEA: Objectives and activities Conclusion: Key lessons learned

from CANSEA first years implementation

Key lessons learned from the experience of the CANSEA network

• Sharing of the information

The difficulty to mobilize grassroots partners, stakeholders and to make emerging relevant and useful information and results during ongoing CA programs and projects

• Regional communication tool

The difficulty to develop and use relevant Participatory Information & Communication Technologies for Development (PICT4D) tools which allow network members to share their information and experiences.

• Network structure and functioning

The necessity to have a lean structure to avoid heavy structural and transaction costs. Multiplying steering committees is very costly (travels, per diem…).

• Regional approach interest

In defining and implementing regional programs (transnational) objectives and activities of these programs are collectively defined. Institutions do together what can’t be done alone.

REMINDERFor those interested in more details regarding CANSEA

projects…

Conservation Agriculture Network for South East Asia (CANSEA)

SIDE EVENT

Objectives, Projects & Opportunities for new Technical and Financial Partnerships

for CA Development in SE Asia

Tuesday, 27th September 2011

6.00 pm, Plaza Room 5

Thank you for your attention !