Proceedings from NAFRI Uplands Workshop on Shifting Cultivation Stablizaton and Poverty Eradication

The uplands of Laos are of key development interest for both the Government of Lao PDR and international and donor agencies. On the one hand, the uplands of Laos sustain a diverse range of ethnic groups, biodiversity and ecosystems. On the other, the highest incidence of poverty is also found in Upland areas.

Recognizing the challenges for improving upland livelihoods and stabilizing agricultural production, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has initiated a bold range of policy and institutional reforms. In response, several research and development programmes have been initiated in collaboration with international donors and aid agencies. Each has gained valuable experiences and generated a number of technical options, approaches and methods. Yet, there have been few opportunities to systematically share experiences and find joint solutions to the major livelihood crisis of the Uplands.

Five years after its establishment, NAFRI organized this workshop on upland research and development in order to bring together the range of technical knowledge and experiences that have been gained both within NAFRI and in other projects and programs working in upland areas. This was the first major technical workshop organized by NAFRI and the importance of the topic was clearly demonstrated by sheer number of participants interested in attending.

Below you can find the individual papers from the workshop. If you are interested to receive a copy of the proceedings, please contact nafri

To view the workshop summary click on either:
Workshop Summary (Eng) | Workshop Summary (Lao) | Table of Contents

Click on any of the chapters to view the papers in each chapter. To download click on the paper title.

Chapter 1: Overview of Challenges, Opportunities and Experiences in Uplands Development
Chapter 2: Understanding the complexity of shifting cultivation stabilization
Chapter 3: The social and ecological impacts of shifting cultivation stabilization and poverty reduction programs in the uplands
Chapter 4: Land Management approaches to uplands development
Chapter 5: Forest, tree and natural resource management in relation to local use and livelihood strategies
Chapter 6: Experiences in Upland Cropping and Livestock Systems
Chapter 7: Development approaches being used in the uplands