Introducing Cash Crops in Shifting Cultivation Regions – The Experience with Cardamom in Laos (original) (raw)

Abstract

Farmers are often blamed for destroying the tropical forest, especially in Laos. Converting shifting cultivation into cash crop based agriculture is frequently presented as the solution for merging forest protection and poverty alleviation, but many attempts have ended in failure. A rural development project has attempted to introduce medicinal cardamom (Amomum villosum) cultivation in the notably remote region of Phongsaly (northern Laos), for export to China. With nearly 300 ha planted, the crop now involves about 75% of the farmers in the region. Farmers fitted cardamom into their farming system, to suit their needs for sustainability with a crop compatible with existing practices. Results indicate that introducing a cash crop into a shifting cultivation region is possible if a greater attention is paid to: (i) appraise how the new crop fits into the farming systems; (ii) prioritise economic issues over agronomic matters, in particular identify markets, traders or commercial risks.

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Authors and Affiliations

1. Paris-Grignon National Institute of Agronomics (INA P-G), France
   Olivier Ducourtieux
2. Lao Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry, National Director of rural Development Project of Phongsaly District (PDDP), Lao PDR, France
   Phoui Visonnavong
3. Committee for Co-operation with Laos (CCL), Technical assistant to PDDP, Lao PDR, France
   Julien Rossard
4. Olivier Ducourtieux, La Ferrière Haute, 24600, Ribérac, France
   Olivier Ducourtieux

Authors

1. Olivier Ducourtieux
2. Phoui Visonnavong
3. Julien Rossard

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Correspondence toOlivier Ducourtieux.

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Ducourtieux, O., Visonnavong, P. & Rossard, J. Introducing Cash Crops in Shifting Cultivation Regions – The Experience with Cardamom in Laos.Agroforest Syst 66, 65–76 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-005-6645-1

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• Received: 27 April 2004
• Accepted: 26 April 2005
• Published: 25 October 2005
• Issue date: January 2006
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-005-6645-1

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