| 1. |
- Berg, Håkan, et al.
(författare)
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An ecological economic comparison between integrated rice-fish farming and rice monocultures with low and high dikes in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam
- 2023
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Ingår i: Ambio. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 52:9, s. 1462-1474
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study makes an ecological economic comparison between three different rice farming strategies in the Mekong Delta. Interviews were made with 30 farmers with two crops of rice and low dikes (2RLd), 30 farmers with three crops of rice and high dikes (3RHd) and 18 farmers with two crops of rice and one crop of fish (2RF). 2RF farmers had the highest annual net income and benefit cost ratio, because of low production costs and high yields of rice and fish. 2RLd farmers had the lowest annual net income. 3RHd had the highest annual rice yield, but also used the highest amount of rice seeds and agrochemicals, generating the lowest benefit cost ratio. Most farmers (70%) preferred two crops because of a higher production efficiency. High dikes and frequent use of pesticides and fertilizers were seen to decrease the water and rice quality, connectivity and biodiversity in farms with three crops. It is concluded that rice farming with two crops, and especially if integrated with fish and applying IPM, provides a sustainable alternative to rice farming with three crops and high dikes, because it makes use of the high connectivity within the rice-field ecosystem for an efficient production of healthy food through increased recycling of nutrients and natural pest control mechanisms.
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| 2. |
- Berg, Håkan, et al.
(författare)
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Stakeholders assessment of status and trends of ecosystem services in the Mekong Delta for improved management of multifunctional wetlands
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Environmental Management. - 0301-4797 .- 1095-8630. ; 338
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Increased agriculture and aquaculture production in the Mekong Delta during the last two decades has improved farmers' income, national export earnings and reduced poverty, but has also impacted on the environment and ecosystem services (ES) of importance to peoples' livelihoods and well-being. Through group discussions, interviews and questionnaires, this study assesses stakeholders’ perceptions of the status and trends of ES in the Mekong Delta and how these have been influenced by agriculture development. 15 of 24 ES were assessed to be impacted negatively by agriculture intensification, and especially supporting and regulating ES (SRES). Only a few provisioning ES (PrES), related to farming, were assessed to be in a good and stable supply, because of human interventions to create favorable conditions for these ES. Among the ten highest ranked ES, eight belonged to PrES and two belonged to SRES. There was a positive correlation between rank and awareness of ES. The supply of most SRES was perceived to be in a low and declining status and assessed to be in a high need for improved management. Some ES, such as pest-control had been complemented with human-made substitutes, such as pesticides, which however sometimes weakened rather than strengthened the ES. Cultural ES (CES) were often ranked lower and of less management concern than the other groups of ES. It is concluded that future agriculture strategies need a more balanced management of ES for a long-term production of healthy food and increased resilience of the Mekong Delta to cope with future challenges, such as climate change and upstream dams.
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| 3. |
- Duy, Duong The, et al.
(författare)
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Assessment of the impacts of social capital on the profit of shrimp farming production in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam
- 2022
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Ingår i: Aquaculture Economics & Management. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1365-7305 .- 1551-8663. ; 26:2, s. 152-170
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study assesses capital assets and factors influencing on farmers’ decision to participate in social networks, and how these contribute to and affect household’s profits of small-scale shrimp farmers in four coastal provinces in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Data was collected through observations, and informal discussions and interviews with 350 small-scale shrimp farmer households. The results show that farmer’s age, education of household head, dependency ratio, village residence time, village population density are important factors influencing positively on shrimp farmers´ participation in social networks. The study also shows that contacts with fisheries association, traders, wholesale agencies, trust, household savings, labors’ education, household’s agricultural land size, post larvae quality and equipment significantly influenced on the profit variable with 1–10%. The results also indicate that a 10% increase in social capital would bring an increase in household income of 3.9%.
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| 4. |
- Livsey, John, 1983-, et al.
(författare)
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Floods, soil and food – Interactions between water management and rice production within An Giang province, Vietnam
- 2021
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Ingår i: Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-8809 .- 1873-2305. ; 320
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rapid intensification of Vietnamese rice production has had a positive effect on the nation's food production and economy. However, the sustainability of intensive rice production is increasingly being questioned within Vietnam, particularly in major agricultural provinces such as An Giang. The construction of high dykes within this province, which allow for complete regulation of water onto rice fields, has enabled farmers to grow up to three rice crops per year. However, the profitability of producing three crops is rapidly decreasing as farmers increase their use of chemical fertilizer inputs and pesticides. Increased fertilizer inputs are partly used to replace natural flood-borne, nutrient-rich sediment inputs that have been inhibited by the dykes, but farmers believe that despite this, soil health within the dyke system is degrading. However, the effects of the dykes on soil properties have not been tested. Therefore, a sampling campaign was conducted to assess differences in soil properties caused by the construction of dykes. The results show that, under present fertilization practices, although dykes may inhibit flood-borne sediments, this does not lead to a systematic reduction in nutrients that typically limit rice growth within areas producing three crops per year. Concentrations of total nitrogen, available phosphorous, and both total and available potassium, and pH were higher in the surface layer of soils of three crop areas when compared to two crop areas. This suggests that yield declines may be caused by other factors related to the construction of dykes and the use of chemical inputs, and that care should be taken when attempting to maintain crop yields. Attempting to compensate for yield declines by increasing fertilizer inputs may ultimately have negative effects on yields.
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| 5. |
- Scaini, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Pathways from research to sustainable development: Insights from ten research projects in sustainability and resilience
- 2024
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Ingår i: AMBIO. - : SPRINGER. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Drawing on collective experience from ten collaborative research projects focused on the Global South, we identify three major challenges that impede the translation of research on sustainability and resilience into better-informed choices by individuals and policy-makers that in turn can support transformation to a sustainable future. The three challenges comprise: (i) converting knowledge produced during research projects into successful knowledge application; (ii) scaling up knowledge in time when research projects are short-term and potential impacts are long-term; and (iii) scaling up knowledge across space, from local research sites to larger-scale or even global impact. Some potential pathways for funding agencies to overcome these challenges include providing targeted prolonged funding for dissemination and outreach, and facilitating collaboration and coordination across different sites, research teams, and partner organizations. By systematically documenting these challenges, we hope to pave the way for further innovations in the research cycle.
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