Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
oriented regression modeling of farmer decision-making patterns, or through
analysis of the local factors influencing agro-forestry innovation and diffusion
(cf. Mahapatra and Mitchell 2001; Mercer 2004). Overly abstracted or formalized
understandings of market opportunities and the competitive advantage of small-
holders in national or regional forest product industries should also be treated
with caution (cf. Scherr 2004). While such approaches contain their insights, one
cannot separate smallholder forestry from a broader political-economy of aid and
development. As White (1999: 251) indicated in the introductory quote to this
chapter, it is also important to locate smallholder agro-forestry within the “…
actual function and substance of real relationships, which reflect the nature and
exercise of power in rural society.” Lastly, and at minimum, a 'do-no-harm' prin-
ciple could be adopted for smallholder agro-forestry programs. Indeed, publicly
funded donor agencies such as the Asian Development Bank should be held to
much greater account for documented instances of funded projects which leads
not to livelihood improvement and poverty alleviation, but directly to intractable
debt and impoverishment.
References
Asian Development Bank (ADB) (2005a) Laos industrial tree plantation project completion
report, November 2005
Asian Development Bank (ADB) (2005b) Sector assistance program evaluation for the agriculture
and natural resources sector in the Lao Democratic People's Republic. ADB Operations
Evaluation Department, December 2005
Asian Development Bank (ADB) (2005c) Proposed loan and Asian development fund grant. Lao
People's Democratic Republic: Forest Plantations Development Project. Report to the board
of governors, November 2005
Asian Development Bank (ADB) (2005d) Model for the proposed Lao Plantation Authority for
the Forest Plantations Development Project, October 2005
Asian Development Bank (ADB) (1993) Report and recommendation of the President to the
Board of Directors on a proposed loan and technical assistance grant to the Lao People's
Democratic Republic for the Industrial Tree Plantation Project. Asian Development Bank,
Manila, December 1993
Barney K (2005) At the supply edge: Thailand's forest policies, plantation sector and commodity
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forests and livelihoods. Forest Trends, Washington, DC
Evans G (1995) Lao peasants under socialism and post-socialism. Silkworm Books, Chiang Mai
Ferguson J (1994) The anti-politics machine. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, MN
Foppes J, Ketphanh S (2000) Forest extraction or cultivation? Local solutions from Lao PDR.
Paper presented at the workshop on the evolution and sustainability of intermediate systems of
forest management, Lofoten, Norway, 28 June-1 July 2000
Hart G (1989) Agrarian change in the context of state patronage. In: Hart G, Turton A, White B
(eds) Agrarian transformations: local processes and the state in Southeast Asia. University of
California Press, Berkeley, CA
Hodgdon B (2007) No success like failure: policy versus reality in the Lao forest sector. Watershed
12(1): 37-46
Lang C (2001) Asian Development Bank subsidizing deforestation in Laos. World Rainforest
Movement Bulletin 43, February 2001. Available at http://www.wrm.org.uy. Cited 15 July 2007
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