In “Mekong” countries (Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, …), the agricultural sector provides the livelihood for a greater share of the population than its share part of the GDP. Proportion of poors exceed the average national indicator and could increase due to the degradation of environment and climate change impact (soil fertility, erosion, increased population density …).
2. For some years AFD funded research development projects based on Direct sowing Mulch based Cropping systems (DMC), also known as “no tillage” systems. These projects implemented with the technical and scientific support of Cirad in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam prove their efficiency for a 4 wins solution : (i) climate change adaptation and (ii) mitigation, (iii) agriculture productivity and (iv) affordable to poor smallholders.
3. In the case of Cambodia, this pilot phase pave the path to a strategy of territorial planning in the less densely populated peripheral areas allowing a sustainable equilibrium between natural conservation forests, productive forests and agricultural development. The potential could be up to 5 M ha of productive lands creating about 2 millions jobs and generating 5.5 billion USD of yearly revenues, part of which could be dedicated to poor households.
4. The question is no more “what is the solution” but “how to implement” …
