Unpacking the Processes that Catalyzed the Adoption of Best Management Practices for Lowland Irrigated Rice in the Mekong Delta

Abstract

Vietnam is supportive of the transition to sustainable rice production in the Mekong Delta. The national program promoted best management practices for rice production through “1 Must Do and 5 Reductions” (1M5R). This review traces the technological development and uptake of 1M5R in national policies and by end-users. We highlight the outcomes from various policy-supported initiatives and unpack plausible pathways that generated the widespread adoption of 1M5R in eight provinces in the Mekong River Delta: at least 104,448 smallholder rice farmers were reached, and 1M5R practices adopted on 113,870 hectares. The scaling of 1M5R was enabled through a convergence of different socio-technical systems with varied foci, including sustainability certification, contract farming, consolidation of production, and improved use of inputs, aside from the development of sustainable technologies. In addition, 1M5R was promoted with incentives generated by a World Bank project and other initiatives in line with a national policy of increasing the quality of rice production for national and international markets. The interconnections of varied socio-technical systems, enacted by different intermediaries, catalyzed the spread of 1M5R. The widespread adoption by smallholder farmers increased their profits and raised awareness across diverse stakeholder groups of the higher marketability of rice produced with sustainable practices.

Rural development and transformation of the rice sector in Myanmar: Introduction of best management practices for sustainable rice agriculture

“…Other factors impacting socioeconomic development that were not included in this study could be evaluated in future research on rice systems in Myanmar. For example, network effects, the quality of the extension services, and farmers’ inclusion in the rice value chain, particularly regarding the role of the private sector, could be investigated further (Flor et al, 2021; Raitzer et al, 2015). Considering the aforementioned arguments, this does not reduce the efficacy of the CORIGAP project.…”

“…It has been shown that the quality of advisory and extension services is an important determinant for knowledge transfer (Cawley et al, 2019;Danso-Abbeam et al, 2018;Mtega and Ngoepe, 2018) and that adoption is the basis of technical change (Connor et al, 2021a;Glover et al, 2016). The element of time is considered crucial in the context of adoption and diffusion of agricultural best management practices (BMPs) (Rogers, 2003;Sunding and Zilberman, 2001) and adaptive research strategies with participatory approaches can support the reconfiguration of farmer practices (Flor et al, 2017(Flor et al, , 2021Palis et al, 2016). However, limited information on the overall development of rice farmers and agrarian change in Myanmar is present compared to other Southeast Asian countries.…”

“…However, limited information on the overall development of rice farmers and agrarian change in Myanmar is present compared to other Southeast Asian countries. In Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam, longitudinal studies on farmer development using household surveys, adoption surveys, and market studies have been realized (Connor et al, 2021b; Flor et al, 2021; Moeis et al, 2020; Molle, 2020; Stür et al, 2013). The little existing research on farmers in Myanmar is based on field data, onetime surveys, or were realized before the political reforms in the 2010s (Kabir and Uphoff, 2007; Linn and Maenhout, 2019; YuYu and Hye-Jung, 2015).…”

“…Finally, analysing the effect of the introduction of sustainable farming practices through the CORIGAP project on farmers’ rice yields will determine the long-term development potential of the project's interventions. As the body of literature suggests, long-term adoption is necessary for advancing agricultural development (Flor et al, 2021; Rogers, 2003; Wehmeyer et al, 2020; Zilberman, 2008).…”

An assessment of irrigated rice cultivation with different crop establishment practices in Vietnam

“…In the Mekong River Delta (MRD) of Vietnam, rice farmers have been adopting a set of best management practices named “1 Must Do, 5 Reductions (1M5R)”, which promotes six core principles: 1 Must Do = Use certified seed; 5 Reductions = Reduce seed rate, fertilizer use, pesticide use, water use and postharvest losses. In addition, a model, “Small Farmers, Large Field,” has been introduced to improve land use efficiency and productivity of rice production in the MRD and elsewhere in Asia 14 – 16 . The 1M5R approach applied in Vietnam increases nitrogen, water and pesticide use efficiency without compromising productivity and profitability 7 , 8 .…”