Detailed Plan

Topic: The change of farming system: socio-economic implications for smallholders in Northwest Vietnam
Main Issue: What is the households capacity to withstand the change of farming system (FS) proposed by ICRAF? How can ICRAF support the adoption and enhance the sustainability of this change? Objectives: - Identify the conditions of this change, its socio-economic impacts and the conditions of its sustainability - Enable AFLI team to develop appropriate actions to facilitate the transition phase and the sustainability of the project - Participate to the assessment of the proposed systems (trial plots) by highlighting some of their potential socio-economic impacts

Site selection:
o 3 elevations, 3 provinces, 3 ethnics:
>800 masl: Co Ma Commune Son La province (14.420ha 5.605 people) 600-800 masl : Quai Nua Dien Bien province (5.029 ha 6.047 people) <600 masl : Son Thinh Yen Bai province (3.169ha 8.979 people)

Global approach:
o Part 1: Farming systems analysis
Activity Landscape comprehension Historical analysis Further analysis of cropping/animal rearing systems Data -Landscape units -Cropping systems distribution -Past and actual changes, dynamic of agrarian system -Crop mana (operations, calendar) -Inputs, tools and equipment -Production -W organization -Economic performance
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Means -Bibliography (transects, maps) -Observation Interview with old farmers (possibly on the field) -Bibliography -Semi-structured interview with farmers (non-cooperators and cooperators) -Observations

Farming system analysis

-Inputs organization (working calendar/ cash flow calendar, flow chart) -Economic performance (Agricultural family income) -Farmers long-term prospects and limiting factors -Family needs -Opportunity costs (considering main working opportunities) -Comparative analysis of the systems -Typology of farming systems -Verification and rectifications of the analysis with the farmers

Regional diagnosis

-Semi-structured interview with poor households -Final meeting

o Part 2: Socio-economic implications of the change

Activity Data/Objectives -Long-term prospects and projects of the farmer co-operator -Limiting factors -Opportunity cost of ASF adoption considering those activities and the main working opportunities -Farmers motivations and purpose to adopt AFS -Apprehend the strategies they will develop to adopt the AFS -Current problems they are facing during the implementation phase(that can explain the lack of motivation) Study the suitability of AFS to the farming systems (inputs, calendar) and identify limiting factors of their adoption/sustainability, if possible comparative study of the systems Identify potential socio-economic impacts of the proposed change in short, medium and long term Enable AFLI team to consider those limits and to develop appropriate actions Means Semi-structured interview with farmers co-operators

Farmers long-term prospects and opportunity cost

Farmers approach to integrate AFS

Bibliography? Semi-structured interview with farmers co-operators

AFS analysis

-Bibliography -Micro-economic comparison

Potential impacts Proposal and guideline

 Field methodology:
o
Days

Quai Nua & Son Thinh (3 weeks each)

Actor Head (vice-head) of the village Old farmers Observation Semi-structured interview Means

Activity Presentation to authorities

2 days

Landscape analysis & historical interview Preliminary typology of farming systems Understanding of cropping/animal production systems

5-6 days Understanding the farming systems Verify analysis and consider larger range of farming practices and systems Identify family needs Understanding of cropping/animal production systems Farming system and implications of AFLI project Final restitution meeting and discussion

Non co-operator farmers (5 farmers)

Semi-structured interviews (23h) Second and shorter interview (1h30) (after analysis of the first interview) Semi-structured interviews (12h) Semi-structured interviews (1h) Semi-structured interviews (23h) Second interview (2h) Meeting 1-2h (Place?)

6-7 days

Non co-operator farmers (different and larger sample) Poorest households (already interviewed)(2 households) Farmer co-operators (5-6 farmers) All people interviewed

4 days

Main tools during interviews: -Interview guides -Tables -Calendars: cultural operations calendar, working calendar, cash flow calendar