Yayoi Fujita

Policies, Political-Economy, and Swidden in Southeast Asia

For centuries swidden was an important farming practice found across the girth of Southeast Asia. Today, however, these systems are changing and sometimes disappearing at a pace never before experienced. In order to explain the demise or transitioning of swidden we need to understand the rapid and massive changes that have and are occurring in the political and economic environment in which these farmers operate. Swidden farming has always been characterized by change, but since the onset of modern independent nation states, governments and markets in Southeast Asia have transformed the terms of swiddeners’ everyday lives to a degree that is significantly different from that ever experienced before. In this paper we identified six factors that have contributed to the demise or transformation of swidden systems, and support these arguments with examples from China (Xishuangbanna), Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. These trends include classifying swiddeners as ethnic minorities within nation-states, dividing the landscape into forest and permanent agriculture, expansion of forest departments and the rise of conservation, resettlement, privatization and commoditization of land and land-based production, and expansion of market infrastructure and the promotion of industrial agriculture. In addition we note a growing trend toward a transition from rural to urban livelihoods and expanding urban-labor markets.

Recent Land Use and Livelihood Transitions in Northern Laos

Abstract Landscapes in the mountainous north of Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (hereafter Lao PDR or Laos) are undergoing rapid transformation as road access is being improved and the area is integrated into the regional economies of Southeast Asia, particularly China. Rural livelihoods in the upland areas, long based on subsistence agricultural production, are changing as more households engage in the market economy. This study assesses land use changes from 1993 to 2000, as well as agricultural production in 4 northern provinces of Laos: Luang Prabang, Oudomxay, Bokeo, and Luang Namtha. The spatial data available for this region are limited, but several trends are apparent from 1993: the area of traditional upland agriculture and swidden farming (ie shifting agriculture) has decreased, while permanent intensive agriculture has increased. There is some evidence that forest cover has increased since 1997, probably as a result of the succession of abandoned swidden areas to secondary forest, but the quality and extent of this forest cover remains unclear. Agricultural sector analysis in the 4 northern provinces supported the land use data, showing a rise in commercial agricultural production of cash crops (including sugar cane, paddy rice, and maize) at the expense of subsistence agricultural production. All these changes reflect the governments policy of reducing shifting cultivation practices in the upland areas and promoting cash crop production. The new exposure to external market forces has begun to bring about changes in Laotian rural communities, with the development of village collectives to manage resources and negotiate with outside traders. However, it is also envisaged that this commercialization will increase the demand for privatization of agricultural land; this will require a renegotiation of current government land allocation policies.

Land and Forest Allocation in Lao People's Democratic Republic: Comparison of Case Studies from Community-Based Natural Resource Management Research

This article reviews a landmark policy on resource management in Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (PDR). The Land and Forest Allocation Policy was introduced in the early 1990s as a means of legitimately recognizing the customary rights of local communities to use and manage land and forest resources. We examine the policy from the viewpoint of decentralized resource management and, through three case studies conducted by the National University of Laos, how it works in practice. The studies were conducted in Vientiane, central Lao PDR, and indicate gaps between the expected goals of land reform and actual practice. The study also shows the varying impacts of the allocation policy on local resource use and household livelihoods in different villages. Finally, the case studies suggest the importance of field-based research as a way of critically reviewing the impact of government policy on local resource management and peoples livelihoods.

Understanding the History of Change in Laos: An Important Premise for Development Efforts

Abstract As a mountainous country with a sparse population largely dependent upon agriculture and natural products, Laos must overcome many challenges to develop its economy and raise living standards. The geographical constraints are well known—rugged and inaccessible terrain which makes transport and large-scale agriculture or industrial development difficult. However, it is also important to recognize how recent history has shaped the country. War, social disruption, and insecurity have not only affected communities, but also the landscape and the ways in which agriculture and resources have been managed. As we pursue development projects in rural Laos, we must be cognizant of all these influences.

Flexible Networking in Research Capacity Building at the National University of Laos: Lessons for North-South Collaboration

ABSTRACT This paper describes a research-training project for building social science research capacity at the National University of Laos (NUOL),supported by IDRC. At the international level, the project was structured as a flexible network of resource persons from six countries. The main successes of the project turned out to be unanticipated: the project offered significant insights to NUOLs ongoing assessment of its administrative capacity to manage university-based research. The flexibility of the network approach, combined with a structure that oriented the international network toward engaging with, and responding to, needs articulated by NUOL staff proved crucial to the projects ability to respond to changing institutional needs in NUOL. The importance of paying careful attention to how projects can be structured so that they are responsive to Southern needs has been heightened by intensified pressure in Canadian universities to generate funds, while promoting excellence in research and training takes a backseat.

PAST CONFLICTS AND RESOURCE USE IN POSTWAR LAO PDR

Forests in mainland Southeast Asia have throughout history been affected by regional conflict, but perhaps more so in the modern era (see Chapters 2 and 9). In the Indochina War, which engulfed this area for several decades during the middle of the twentieth century, forests became variously not only a buffer between hostile groups and a refuge for both civilian populations and combatants, but also a battlefield. The war between Vietnamese and American forces has had both direct and indirect impacts on forests in Lao PDR.1 Because forests provided for some the cover and resources critical for survival and for others marketable goods, the forest became a target of military attack. Extreme conflict in this region thus resulted in fragmented forests in some areas and impeded forest management in almost all areas, leaving vast tracts of forest as virtually an open access resource. The government’s lack of a coherent forest management plan and the difficulty of exercising control over forest resources resulted in widespread, unregulated timber harvesting. Consequently, tackling forest management problems became a primary concern for the postwar government. A landlocked country in the heart of Southeast Asia, Laos is home to approximately six million inhabitants (2004 est.). Forests, the country’s major natural resource, play a significant role in both the national and local economies. In the early 1960s forests covered 17 million ha and 64% of the country. A nationwide survey in the early 1990s, however, revealed that forest cover had fallen to 47% or 11.2 million ha (NOFIP, 1992). The alarming loss of rich natural forest is not only of global concern but also has serious implications for the national economy and livelihoods, especially given that so many rural inhabitants are highly dependent on forest resources for daily subsistence needs as well as cash income.