Farmers in rice field in Laos
vegetables at an organic market, Cambodia
Mountain view, northern Laos

Knowledge Hub on Agroecology in Southeast Asia

A digital gateway to data, information and knowledge on agroecology and food systems transformation in Southeast Asia.

A Knowledge Hub on Agroecology in the Mekong Region

The ALISEA Knowledge Hub is a digital platform for agroecology and food systems transition in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar. Explore our technical resources in English and national languages and regional expertise to support agroecology transition, food systems transformation and sustainable agriculture.

Latest Insights

All Insights

Latest Library Entries

Report on the Current Status of Forestry and Agroforestry Cooperatives in Vietnam

This document provides a comprehensive assessment of the current status, operations, and management capacity of forestry and agroforestry cooperatives in Vietnam. The content analyzes both opportunities and key challenges faced by these cooperatives, including limited access to finance, technology, sustainable forest certification, and the capacity to participate in global value chains. Based on these findings, the report proposes solutions for sustainable business partnerships, digital transformation, and enhanced business capacity, while contributing to climate change adaptation and greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.

From theory to paddy: translating the Sustainable Rice Platform in Cambodia

Although Voluntary Sustainability Standards have gained traction in promoting more sustainable food production and value chains, their impacts are not always conclusive. Building on actor-network theory, our aim was to analyze the translation of sustainability ideals promoted by the Sustainability Rice Platform (SRP) proponents into grounded agricultural practices and their outcomes on various dimensions of sustainability. To this end, we used a mixed-method and multi-scale approach that combined analysis of SRP governance documents and implementation tools, and a detailed case study conducted in Kampong Thom province, Cambodia. Fieldwork included participant observation, in-depth interviews with SRP proponents, semi-structured interviews with farmers and local stakeholders (n = 57), and quantitative assessment of SRP sustainability outcomes based on a randomized controlled survey of households (n = 275). Our findings underscore exclusionary outcomes in SRP processes, namely the consolidation of hegemonic positions within the supply chain and the limitation of smallholder farmers’ autonomy in decision-making and implementation. Additionally, the paper reveals the absence of impacts of SRP farming practices on the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability. We argue that sustainability, or the lack thereof, is instead a contingent outcome of local agrarian circumstances shaped by historically embedded agrarian dynamics. Our paper contributes to ongoing discussions on agricultural innovations and cautions against solutions that do not tackle the political cause of unsustainable development.

All Library Entries

Latest Agroecology Experts

SORITH HOU

Royal University of Agriculture (RUA)
ECOLAND
Natural resources governance
Economy and income
Sustainable food system
Input reduction and recycling

Ou CHHENG

DCA
Phnom Penh
Equity
Climate
Collaboration
Economy and income

Wah Wah Lwin

OWSD-Myanmar National Chapter
Nyung U
Equity
Seed management
Water management
Natural resources governance
Climate
Collaboration
Biodiversity
Economy and income
Sustainable food system
Soil health
Integrated systems
Knowledge and values
Input reduction and recycling

Phyu Sin Thant

OWSD-Myanmar-NC
Nyaung U
Equity
Climate
Collaboration
Biodiversity
Economy and income
Integrated systems
Input reduction and recycling
All Experts