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Socioeconomic Aspects of Traditional Agroforestry Practice in Two Villages in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
Abstract:
Agroforestry is a general concept for a land management system combining trees and agricultural crops or livestock and is being practiced in a number of ways or techniques. Each of these techniques is adjusted to a specific set of socioeconomic factors. Agroforestry cultivators or managers belonging to varying social strata and institutional grouping may practice different forms of agroforestry even within the same general region. Agroforestry is a traditional practice in almost all of Asia. It has been practiced in Lao PDR for hundreds of years. However, it has not been organized and managed in a systematic and scientific manner. The objectives of the study were to (1) describe some agroforestry practices being practiced in two villages in Vientiane Province, Lao PDR; and (2) examine the biophysical and socioeconomic aspects in relation to agroforestry practices in the two villages.
The study was conducted through a survey of 100 families in two villages. Data were collected from primary and secondary sources. Primary data were gathered from personal interviews with the head of household using a structured questionnaire. Secondary data were collected from published reports available at the Department of Forestry and relevant agencies.
The study described some general structural and functional characteristics of traditional agroforestry systems practiced by the two communities in the villages. These systems included rice cultivation, home garden, livestock grazing, shifting cultivation, and off-farm activities.
The results of the regression analysis showed that farmers’ income from agroforestry activities was affected by age and land size. The income and age relationship showed a quadratic relationship. However, there was no significant difference in income between the two villages. The relationship between income of farmers from non-agroforestry sources and its determinant was analyzed using Tobit analysis. The results showed that only the variable education was significant at the 0.05 level. The implication of the results are that the government should consider these factors (age, land size, and educational level) when implementing an agroforestry project to increase farmers’ income.
Understanding of these traditional agroforestry practices and non-agroforestry activities, as well as the rationale behind their management and income are important considerations toward the development of appropriate agricultural technologies for Lao PDR.