http://www.fao.org/asiapacific/events/detail-events/en/c/1262/ Presentation of Frank Enjalric, from CIRAD, on research approaches on Agroecology in the Asian context. Examples of research involvement by CIRAD are discussed on for instance Conservation Agriculture. The presentation was prepared and delivered in occasion of the Regional Symposium on Agroecology in Asia and the Pacific, held in Bangkok, Senegal on 24-26 November 2015. © FAO: http://www.fao.org

1. FAO conference
Multistakeholders consultation on Agroecology
Bangkok 25-26 November 2015
RESEARCH on AGROECOLOGY and
AGROECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
for SOUTH EAST ASIA
FAO consultation Nov 2015
1
Frank Enjalric et Etienne Hainzelin

2. • Agrarian transition
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1) Context (1/2)
Progressive replacement of upland rice-based
shifting cultivation by … by maize or cassava
monocropping with detrimental impacts on natural
resources, ecosystem biodiversity, soil fertility, weeds
control, crop yields, etc.
Forest cover 
Land degradation 
Poverty 
Inequalities 

3. • Soil erosion and deforestation
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Context (2/2)
The limits of the agro-business model:
 Positive results on production, but unequally distributed,
 More and more dependant on inputs and fossil energy with major negative
impacts on environment, economical and social aspects
Even if it is still the reference, this model is not any more
sustainable (according to the 3 pillars)
 There are needs for alternative approaches and
cropping systems

4. • Agroecology
AE represents a rupture with the way agriculture
has been seen and analyzed by mainstream
science for over a century, with essentially
artificializing views
• Ecological intensification
• Agroecology and innovative cropping systems
with CANSEA, Conservation Agriculture Network
for South East Asia
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2) Research involvement from Cirad and
its partners on:

5. Designing of CA farming systems through
systemic and holistic approach, accordingly to
local, socio-economical, agropedological
contexts.
Agroecological approach
Scientific
approach
Social
Movement
Agricultural
practices
Ecology science applied to the study,
design and management of
sustainable agroecosystems
Support to smallholder farming
aimed to food sovereignty as
opposed to industrial agriculture
Practices mimicking natural processes
and harnessing biological interactions
in agroecosystems  …
FAO consultation Nov 2015

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What do we mean by ecological intensification ?
Diversification
Complex systems
Simplification
Degradation
Driven process
Natural processes
Natural
Ecosystems
Traditional
Systems
without input
Agroecological
systems
& Ecological
processes
High inputs
conventional
systems
Adapted from
M. Griffon 2013

7. From a large choice of alternatives practices:
 Research institutions in partnership with Cirad
decide to agree on common objectives, on common
principles, and on common practices
 CANSEA : Conservation Agriculture Network for
South East Asia
Conservation Agriculture (CA) principles: minimal soil
disturbance, crop associations and rotations, and
adequate organic soil cover.
These farming system aims at increasing agricultural
production and productivity while conserving the
natural resources and enhancing biological interactions
in agroecosystems
FAO consultation Nov 2015

8. CANSEA
• A research network for the development of Conservation
Agriculture (CA) and Agroecology
• 9 members of the network:
Cambodia: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF)
China: Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (YAAS)
Indonesia: Indonesian Agency for Agriculture Research & Devlpt (IAARD)
Lao PDR: Department of Agricultural Land management (DALaM)
Thailand: Kasetsart University
Vietnam: Northern Mountainous Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute
(NOMAFSI) and Soils and Fertilizers Research Institute (SFRI)
+ Australia: University of Queensland
Regional coordination by CIRAD.
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9. Research
and
knowledge
ExchangesTraining
• To restore degraded soils
• To intensify and diversify
conventional cropping
systems
• Academic and
vocational
training
• To enhance internal
and external
communication
• To spread CA and AE
knowledge
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3) Research activities and orientations
for CANSEA
Research platform in partnership
Conservation Agriculture and Agroecology to
support a regional agroecology transition based
on ecological intensification in South-East Asia
Overall objective:
Co-design and co-assessment of sustainable
management for smallholders’ farming systems
based on agroecology

11. DP CANSEA  Agroecology and ecological intensification
in South East Asia
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Intervention methods:
o Diagnosis with systemic and holistic approach,
o Multiscale and multidisciplinary approaches
o High diversity of knowledge, with association of
traditional and up to date knowledge
o Participatory cropping systems designing based on
biomass production and recycling

12. Example of
Complexification
of cropping
systems.
Source: L. Seguy et al.,
(2009) La symphonie
inachevée du semis
direct dans le Brésil
central
http://agroecologie.cir
ad.fr/librairie
_virtuelle
12
ion

13. Engaging village communities in landscape level management of agricultural innovations
LANDSCAPE APPROACH (Eficas-NUDP-CA project)

14. FAO consultation Nov 2015
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For SEA, there were mainly maize based CA cropping
systems in relation with maize boom

15. Upland environment  § 4, Vietnam (NOMAFSI)
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Many cropping systems based on rotation and succession
with Maize, Stylosanthes, Brachiaria, rainfed rice, vigna,
cassava, … have been tested.
Among them, the most efficient widely adopted by
farmers was:
• Maize + Vigna / Vigna // Maize + Vigna / Vigna
 Maize upto 8 t/ha,
and rice bean (vigna)
2t/ha

16. § 1, 2 & 4 environments: in Cambodia (CASC –GDA)
16
Various cropping systems have been evaluated:
• Two years rotation :
maize + Stylosanthes guianensis // soybean + sorghum + S. guianensis,
maize + S. guianensis // upland rice + S. guianensis,
• Three-year rotation: early maize + E. coracana + C. juncea / dry season
cassava // Cassava // maize + S. guianensis
maize + S. guianensis 7.35 ± 0.62 6.71 ± 1.19
soybean + sorghum + S. guianensis 5.02 ± 0.95
maize + S. guianensis 6.88 ± 1.32 8.26 ± 0.44
7.48 ± 0.98 8.00 ± 0.44
upland rice + S. guianensis 4.58 ± 0.51
maize + S. guianensis 3.97 ± 1.15 6.95 ± 0.81
upland rice + S. guianensis 9.58 ± 0.71
Control monocropping maize 5.70 ± 0.79
Cropping system
Dry biomass
before sowing
(Mg ha
-1
) n = 5
Yields
(Mg ha-1) n= 5

17. FAO consultation Nov 2015 17
Some illustrations of cropping
systems on Cambodia uplands
maize direct seeded on
mulch of Stylosanthes
guianensis
maize after soybean + sorghum +
stylosanthes
Soybean on mulch of sorghum

18. Upland environment  § 4, Laos
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Maize based CA systems
Maize residues management
Intercropping with pigeon pea
Intercropping
with rice bean

19. What is expected for the next future:
To aggregate scientific approaches and thematics on
designing and assessment of farming systems able to
tackle rural sustainable development involving different
approaches of Agroecology and Ecological intensification.
Key words are:
Agroecology, Ecological Intensification, Agroecological crops
protection, smallholder farmers, Participatory designing,
Conservation Agriculture, Landscape approach, Natural
resources, Climate change, Out- and up-scaling, Agrarian
transition, ecosystemic services…
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DP CANSEA  Agroecology and ecological intensification
in South East Asia

20. Thank you for your attention
20
FAO consultation Nov 2015

21. • Reproduction of the forest ecosystem which is balanced
• Re-introduction of soil biology via plant biomass production and
recycling
• Enhance mineralisation and humification of Soil Organic Matter
Conservation agriculture as defined by FAO
This refers to Direct seeding Mulch based Cropping
systems (DMC) or SCV in French (CIRAD)
1. Permanent soil cover all year around
2. No tillage or minimum soil disturbance
3. Crops rotations and associations to improve soil
fertility (SOM)

22. CANSEA / Different projects
• Laos:
• Pronae and PROSA projects
from 2003 to 2011 on CA
• Eficas-NUDP/CA from 2014
on AE dissemination
methods
• Cambodia
• PADAC 2004-2013 on CA
technics and soil
conservation
• Vietnam
• ADAM project until 2014 on
AE based CS designing
evaluation and dissemination
• China
• NR management, acid soils
fertility management
• ACTAE regional project
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Human Resources
2014-2015
More than 70 researchers
from CIRAD and partners
On:
- Soil sciences
- CA based cropping systems
- Social sciences
- Participatory approach
- Landscape approach
- Water quality and
management
- Soil biology
- Soil conservation
- …
- …