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P Thaler, B Chambon, F Gay, R Lacote, PM Bosc, A Brauman H Robain, P Kasemsap, K Sajjaphan, S Sdoodee, P Chantuma
Can family rubber-farms match global challenges?
The challenges ahead to agriculture
• Feeding the planet but also feeding the farmers
• Food and non food products to meet growing demands
• Corporations investments in large-scale agriculture
• Natural resources management and environment sustainability
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Repartition of holdings by class area
in the 81-country subset of FAO-WCASource: HLPE 2013
Will family farming be able to answer to complex and interdependent challenges?
The challenges ahead to agriculture
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The planter’s bet
Immature plantation Tapped plantation Felling the trees
Conditions will remain favourable for rubber plantations during more than 20
years
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A reasonable bet?
A permanently changing environment
Climate changes
Land use changesFox and Castella 2013
Socio-economic changes
Going back to Myanmar?
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Climate changes
Not only a matter of temperature and drought
• Difficult to predict the local effect of a global increase in T°
• Most model predict a more variable climate (risk)
• Erratic and irregular rain pattern
• Higher risk of both flooding and drought
• Difficulties to know when to tap trees (risk of loss of yield)
• Consequences on trees functioning?
• How can farmers adapt harvesting systems to such irregular conditions?
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Land Uses
Sustainability in new plantation areas
• Expansion in NE and N Thailand• A drier and less balanced climate
(5 month-dry season)• Poor soils in some areas
(sandy, low fertility)• Lack of experience to assess
long-term behavior of trees
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Land Uses
Sustainability in ancient plantation areas
• Repeated planting in South Thailand• Third to fourth rubber cycle on
the same land• Export of wood / loss of minerals• Soil degradation / Decrease
in fertility?• Increase in disease hazard
(leaf and root fungi)?
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Socio-economic changes
Global uncertainties and local mutations
• Volatility of the rubber price • Global demand driven by transport
industry• Global market with major
tire companies • The issue of labor
• Population increasing and ageing • Migrant workers (Myanmar/NE)
• New investors, new challenges• Dependence of livelihood on rubber
vs diversification?9
Rubber plantations and the environment
The impact depends largely on the previous land use
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Rubber plantations and the environment
• Soil sustainability • Fertility preservation (Soil C, SOM)• Functional diversity (macro and
microrganisms) • Externalities.
• Water use (water balance and competition with other uses)
• Erosion (sloppy land)• Loss of habitat for biodiversity.
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Rubber plantations on the environment
Many adverse effects are related to the monospecific nature of plantations
Permanent intercropping up to complex agroforest may limit risk and multiply sources of income
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Context and trends
Structure Activities and strategies Performance / sustainability
LivelihoodStrategies
Specialization,Diversification, Intensification,extensification,migration,rental, combined, etc.
Naturel ressources based activitiesCultivation, cattering, livestockOthers NR based non farm activities
Non naturel ressources based activitiesWages, trade, services, manufacture, etc.
Economicalsustainability
Environmentalsustainability
capabilities and functionnings
Institutions
Organisations
Social relations
Social and humansustainabilityTangible &
intangible (claims) assets
Natural capitalPhysical capitalHuman capitalFinancial capitalSocial capital
National and international trends and context.
Shocks
Local trends and context
The sustainable rural livelihoods framework
Source: Sourisseau and al. 2012 adapted from various authors
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Thank you for your attention
The Hevea Research Platform in Partnership