1.6 Conclusion
The intensification and commercialization of land use in the mountainous areas of
Southeast Asia has generally improved the livelihoods of ethnic minority people,
those who previously relied on subsistence agriculture. Yet, rapid land degradation,
pesticide pollution and persistent poverty are important challenges that need to be
addressed in order for mountainous land use systems to become more sustainable in
environmental, economic and social terms. Various technological and social
innovations are available to address certain aspects of these challenges, but adoption rates remain low. Our research shows that innovation processes are more
successful when using a participatory approach that takes into account diversity
in the demand for innovations and that allows people to test innovations and adapt
them to their needs. Taking into account this diversity appears to be particularly
relevant for mountainous areas, as these are characterized by diverse biological,
climatic, economic, social and cultural conditions.
Our research also shows that intensified land use systems in mountainous areas
are characterized by very substantial inefficiencies; for instance, in terms of
agrochemical use, animal nutrition, soil care and irrigation water use, giving
many opportunities to improve their performance through the better sharing of
knowledge. An extension system in which farmers, extension workers and
researchers cooperate on equal terms was shown here to be more fruitful than the
conventional top-down approach. Therefore, as poor farm households face
difficulties in benefitting from the agricultural commercialization process, it
remains important for governments to complement policies promoting market
development with programs that give targeted support to poor households.
Table 1.6 (continued)
Type of knowledge
Research question
Main finding
Integration into modern
supply chains
(Schipmann and Qaim
2010)
What are the benefits to be
derived from modern supply
chains as compared to
traditional markets, and what
factors constrain farmers
participating in them?
Weak infrastructure, missing land
titles and limited access to
information constrain farmers
from adopting the innovation
Rehabilitation after
hydropower-induced
resettlement (Bui et al.
2013)
What factors enable or constrain
farm households from
rehabilitating their livelihoods
after being resettled into a new
location in Vietnam?
Severe constraints to livelihood
diversification and agricultural
intensification constrain
resettled households in terms
of rehabilitating their
livelihoods
Note: Selection of recent examples of published research within the context of the uplands
program
22
P. Schreinemachers et al.
The intensification and commercialization of land use in the mountainous areas of
Southeast Asia has generally improved the livelihoods of ethnic minority people,
those who previously relied on subsistence agriculture. Yet, rapid land degradation,
pesticide pollution and persistent poverty are important challenges that need to be
addressed in order for mountainous land use systems to become more sustainable in
environmental, economic and social terms. Various technological and social
innovations are available to address certain aspects of these challenges, but adoption rates remain low. Our research shows that innovation processes are more
successful when using a participatory approach that takes into account diversity
in the demand for innovations and that allows people to test innovations and adapt
them to their needs. Taking into account this diversity appears to be particularly
relevant for mountainous areas, as these are characterized by diverse biological,
climatic, economic, social and cultural conditions.
Our research also shows that intensified land use systems in mountainous areas
are characterized by very substantial inefficiencies; for instance, in terms of
agrochemical use, animal nutrition, soil care and irrigation water use, giving
many opportunities to improve their performance through the better sharing of
knowledge. An extension system in which farmers, extension workers and
researchers cooperate on equal terms was shown here to be more fruitful than the
conventional top-down approach. Therefore, as poor farm households face
difficulties in benefitting from the agricultural commercialization process, it
remains important for governments to complement policies promoting market
development with programs that give targeted support to poor households.
Table 1.6 (continued)
Type of knowledge
Research question
Main finding
Integration into modern
supply chains
(Schipmann and Qaim
2010)
What are the benefits to be
derived from modern supply
chains as compared to
traditional markets, and what
factors constrain farmers
participating in them?
Weak infrastructure, missing land
titles and limited access to
information constrain farmers
from adopting the innovation
Rehabilitation after
hydropower-induced
resettlement (Bui et al.
2013)
What factors enable or constrain
farm households from
rehabilitating their livelihoods
after being resettled into a new
location in Vietnam?
Severe constraints to livelihood
diversification and agricultural
intensification constrain
resettled households in terms
of rehabilitating their
livelihoods
Note: Selection of recent examples of published research within the context of the uplands
program
22
P. Schreinemachers et al.