The Impact of the Renovation Policies on the Livelihoods of ... - RCSD

Field surveys showed that <strong>the</strong> main commodity exchanged for food in <strong>the</strong> market was tea in Vauand Nac, livestock in Khau Qua and Khuoi Ken, fish in Ban Cam, and timber in Pac Han.However, very poor people usually do not have many products to sell or exchange. Often <strong>the</strong>yrely on forest products (timber, bamboo and non-wood products) or <strong>the</strong>ir own labour to coverbasic needs, but <strong>the</strong>y still lack food. In addition, <strong>the</strong>se upland villages are located in remote areaswhere access to <strong>the</strong> main markets outside is limited and transport costs high for those who are notwealthy. <strong>The</strong> villagers thus rely on local markets. <strong>The</strong>y are aware <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir remote location andrelatively low output <strong>of</strong> products, and that <strong>the</strong>y do not obtain good prices for <strong>the</strong>ir products. <strong>The</strong>irability to trade is limited due to poor road quality. This is also <strong>the</strong> main reason why uplandinhabitants still maintain <strong>the</strong>ir view that food self-sufficiency is <strong>the</strong> first priority, even though<strong>the</strong>y are free to buy rice in <strong>the</strong> market.In general, rice is available in <strong>the</strong> market, but <strong>the</strong> poor people do not have <strong>the</strong> money to buy it.Normally, <strong>the</strong> poor and very poor people do not have enough money to buy even half <strong>the</strong> riceneeded for a year. For example in Nac village, very poor people who have 8-10 months <strong>of</strong> riceinsufficiency can only earn enough money from forest products or labouring to buy rice for 4 or 5months. For <strong>the</strong> remaining 4-5 months <strong>the</strong>y eat maize, cassava and forest fruits.3.3.3 Shifting cultivation continuing as a result <strong>of</strong> food insecurityShifting cultivation or slope farming is closely linked to <strong>the</strong> basic needs <strong>of</strong> upland people. It hasbeen <strong>the</strong> traditional cultivation and source <strong>of</strong> self-sufficiency for all upland people for centuries.However, rapid population growth has led to this cultivation system becoming unsustainable interms <strong>of</strong> both environment and economy. Forest land reform under ‘Doi Moi’ in this uplandregion was intended to stop shifting cultivation on forest land by changing <strong>the</strong> cultivation system.<strong>The</strong> area <strong>of</strong> shifting cultivation recorded in 2005 had reduced significantly compared to that in <strong>the</strong>early 1990s. Many previous shifting cultivation areas have been replaced by new regeneratedforest, cash crops or plantations. However, at present, shifting cultivation or food crop farming onforest land is still being practised in all <strong>the</strong> case study areas <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> three forest types. In villageslocated close to market, <strong>the</strong> farmers have tried to develop cash crops to earn higher income in .<strong>The</strong> limited access to areas suited to agriculture in general, and paddy cultivation in particular,force upland people to continue shifting cultivation even though it is prohibited by law. <strong>The</strong>average paddy land per household member ranges in size from 150 m 2 to 380 m 2 , which issmaller than <strong>the</strong> national average. In addition, most areas can be cultivated for one crop only,except at Ban Cam where two crops can be cultivated with an irrigation system (see Table 9).Moreover, <strong>the</strong> yield <strong>of</strong> paddy rice in <strong>the</strong> upland is influenced by climate factors such as rainfall.<strong>The</strong> average yield <strong>of</strong> rice in <strong>the</strong>se upland case study villages is 1.3-1.7 tonnes per ha while <strong>the</strong>national average yield <strong>of</strong> rice was 4.2 tonnes per ha in 2000 3 .Agricultural land for dry food crops is also very limited in most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> case study sites. <strong>The</strong>re areonly a few thousand square metres <strong>of</strong> agricultural land for dry crops in Vau and Nac and none atall in Khuoi Ken (see Table 9).3 National average yield <strong>of</strong> rice was 4.24 tonnes per ha in 2000 (Statistics <strong>of</strong> Agriculture and RuralDevelopment 1996-2000, 2002:122).Paper for International Conference “Critical Transitions in <strong>the</strong> Mekong Region”29-31 January, 2007, Chiang Mai14