Agriculture plays an important role in sustaining rural
\nlivelihoods. Eighty-three percent of\u00a0rural people are engaged in agriculture (NIS and MAFF 2014). An
\nemerging problem facing\u00a0agriculture is climate change. The anticipated impacts of
\nclimate change and variability on\u00a0agriculture include changes in rainfall patterns, higher
\ntemperatures, increased frequency and\u00a0intensity of flood and drought, and increased incidence of
\npests and disease (MOE and UNDP\u00a02011). These serious problems emphasise the critical need for
\nclimate-smart agriculture (CSA)\u00a0(FAO 2013). Among CSA techniques, the system of rice
\nintensification (SRI) is already being\u00a0practised in Cambodia. SRI is a set of best practices that can
\nincrease rice yield on infertile soil\u00a0to as much as 15 tonnes per ha, reduce the amount of irrigation
\nwater required, and use only\u00a0local inputs (Willem 2002; Norman 2007; Kassam, Stoop and
\nUphoff 2011).This study identifies local knowledge and SRI practices in the
\nTonle Sap and Mekong delta\u00a0agro-ecological zones. It looks at gaps in local practices and suggests
\nways of closing those\u00a0gaps to enable farmers to cope with the effects of climate
\nchange. Primary data was collected\u00a0from key informant interviews, focus group discussions and
\nin-depth interviews with various\u00a0institutions and individuals concerned.The selection of improved varieties is the most common SRI
\npractice adopted to date. Marketdriven\u00a0varieties are the most popular. Other SRI practices have been
\npartly adopted and adapted\u00a0to local conditions. Local people choose only the practices
\nthey think beneficial and feasible\u00a0for them. The study also identifies various factors affecting
\nthis selection: socioeconomic,\u00a0agronomic, physical, technological and institutional.Local communities need to mobilise local resources. Collective
\naction is therefore required to\u00a0share technical information, foster local innovation in dealing
\nwith weeds and adapting new\u00a0practices, improve access to markets and inputs, identify local
\nwater storage options and share\u00a0risks and labour.NGOs should collaborate more closely with departments involved
\nwith climate change\u00a0adaptation
\nand SRI to expand coverage of CSA. They should also focus more on local\u00a0innovations and consider the
\ncomplexity and technical requirements of each practice.NGOs and government extension agents should provide advice and
\nservices to help farmers\u00a0connect to local and distant markets. Specialist departments and
\ninstitutions also have to be\u00a0engaged in research and development. The government should not
\nonly increase the number of\u00a0village agents but also mobilise local people to work as local
\nextension workers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Agriculture plays an important role in sustaining rural livelihoods. Eighty-three percent of\u00a0rural people are engaged in agriculture (NIS and MAFF 2014). An emerging problem facing\u00a0agriculture is climate change. The anticipated impacts of climate change and variability on\u00a0agriculture include changes in rainfall patterns, higher temperatures, increased frequency and\u00a0intensity of flood and drought, and increased incidence of pests and disease (MOE and UNDP\u00a02011). These serious problems emphasise the critical need for climate-smart agriculture (CSA)\u00a0(FAO 2013). Among CSA techniques, the system of rice […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33055","publications","type-publications","status-publish","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n