International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability

International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 2 (2005) 118–132

A Participatory Simulation to Facilitate Farmers' Adoption of Livestock Feeding Systems Based on Conservation Agriculture in the Uplands of Northern Vietnam

Cedric Martin1, Jean-Christophe Castella2, Hoang Lan Anh2, Yann Eguienta1 and Tran Trong Hieu2 1Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Av. Agropolis, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, France, 2Mountain Agrarian Systems Programme, Vietnam Agricultural Science Institute (VASI), Thanh Tri, Hanoi, Vietnam, 3Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), 213 rue Lafayette, 75480 Paris Cedex 10, France, and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), DAPO 7777, Metro Manila, Philippines and 4Centre National d'Etudes Agronomiques des Régions Chaudes (CNEARC), 1101 Av. Agropolis, BP 5098, 34033 Montpellier Cedex 1, France

In the mountain areas of northern Vietnam, extensive husbandry of large-ruminants is limited by the lack of natural forage. Since 2000, the Mountain Agrarian System Program has been concerned with this issue and has evaluated technical alternatives aimed at sustainable integration of crop-livestock systems. One alternative consists of feeding systems for large-ruminants based on cropping systems with plant cover. Diffusion of information about the new system is supported by a set of interactive communication tools for use between farmers and researchers. A participatory simulation method was developed that combines a compartmental model of the village territory with five technical innovations. Farmers simulate the adoption of the innovations they choose among food-forage cropping systems in rotation or in association, and urea-treated straw. They evaluate the quantity of forage that can be grown for their herd using the chosen set of techniques.

Simulations revealed farmers' constraints and objectives in adopting sustainable cropping systems on the hillsides while maintaining a small animal husbandry system. The results obtained by each farmer provide a useful basis for discussion about the implementation of innovation. This participatory simulation method could be more widely used to facilitate the diffusion of innovations such as integrating livestock feeding systems with conservation cropping practices.

Keywords: conservation agriculture, livestock systems, mountain areas, participatory simulation, Vietnam

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