Knowledge Hub on Agroecology 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

Trichoderma as bio-control agent

This video demonstrates how to use Trichoderma as a bio-control agent to protect banana plants from Fusarium wilt (Panama disease),. The guide explains the different stages of the disease and provides a practical method for prevention,. By soaking banana suckers in a mixture of one packet of Trichoderma and 5 liters of water for 20 minutes before planting, farmers can safeguard their crops from the start,. This biological approach helps prevent the spread of fungus in the plantation and ensures healthier, more resilient banana trees.

Input reduction and recycling

Making rhizobium bio-fertilizer at home

This video guides how to produce Rhizobium bio-fertilizer at home using legume root nodules,. Rhizobium bacteria are essential for capturing atmospheric nitrogen to nourish plants, yet their natural populations in the soil are often depleted by the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers,. By selecting healthy, pink-colored nodules and culturing them in boiled milk for three days, farmers can easily multiply these beneficial bacteria,. Mixing the resulting culture with rice bran provides a cost-effective and sustainable way to restore soil fertility and promote healthy plant growth naturally.

Soil health

Input reduction and recycling

Transitioning to Organic Sesame through Agroecology and Market Linkages in Preah Vihear, Cambodia

This practice brief presents a pilot initiative supporting smallholder farmers in Preah Vihear to transition from conventional to organic sesame production through agroecological practices and cooperative-based market linkages. The model combines technical training, internal control systems, and collective marketing to improve soil health, reduce chemical inputs, and strengthen farmers’ access to stable and higher-value markets.

Collaboration

Biodiversity

Economy and income

Sustainable food system

Soil health

Input reduction and recycling

Technical Leaflet: Compost Fertilizer Recipe

This compost acts as a superfood for your garden, building rich, living soil that supports healthy plant growth. It gradually releases essential nutrients, improves soil structure for easier root development, and retains moisture reducing the need for frequent watering. Compost also introduces beneficial microbes that can help protect plants from disease and enhance nutrient uptake, resulting in stronger and more resilient plants.

Soil health

Input reduction and recycling

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Latest Library Entries

Relational values in regenerative agriculture: a systematic review and checklist for transformative potential

Modern agriculture has increased yields but degraded socio-ecological systems all over the world. Consequently, advocates of regenerative agriculture (RA) aim to regenerate land and transform food systems. We undertook a systematic literature review of 104 peer-reviewed articles to determine how relational values (RVs) might be contributing to RA. RVs are values that emerge from specific human-nature relationships or meaningful relationships between people that happen in nature. Cultivating these values could inspire mindset shifts that support agricultural transformations. This review was guided by our research questions: (1) to what extent have RVs been implicitly or explicitly examined across the RA literature? (2) What implications might RVs have for the transformative potential of RA? Building on prior research, we explored salient articulations of RVs – identity through relationships; good life; sense of place; care; and human connections through nature. The review highlighted the role of Indigenous knowledges in RA; sustaining conditions for RVs; and the valuing of life supporting processes in RA. Our results reflect a distinction between productivist framings of RA that primarily emphasise instrumental values and relational framings of RA that foreground RVs but embrace value pluralism. We propose this distinction is more significant to RA’s transformative potential than the process-outcomes distinction. We suggest that conceptualisations of RA are more likely to contribute to sustainability transformations if they mobilise the (often latently held) RVs evident in the RA literature. Based on these results we develop checking questions for RA advocates to reflexively assess whether key actors are engaged in relational RA.

Linking Farmers to Markets: Barriers, Solutions, and Policy Options

The 15 studies highlighted in this special issue collectively underscore the significant impacts of market participation on farmers’ well-being, income, poverty reduction, dietary diversity, and rural economic growth. They also delve into the importance of marketing channel choice and the role of e-commerce in enhancing farmers’ market linkages. In addition, they address farmers’ preferences for market access interventions and the examination of market power within the agricultural industry, especially in low-income countries. The key findings include: (1) Market participation is critical for improving farmers’ subjective and objective well-being, with studies demonstrating positive impacts on income, poverty reduction, and dietary diversity; (2) The choice of marketing channels significantly influences income, with evidence suggesting online sales can substantially increase farmers’ earnings; (3) E-commerce plays a pivotal role in connecting farmers to broader markets, leading to income growth and enhanced market visibility; (4) Understanding and addressing farmers’ preferences for market access through interventions like systematization policies and joint ventures can facilitate better market integration and support inclusive business models; (5) Analysis of market power within the primary foods industry reveals rising markups, particularly affecting low-income countries. These findings suggest that policies and interventions aiming to improve market access, promote e-commerce, and consider farmers’ preferences and market power dynamics can significantly impact farmers’ incomes, poverty levels, and overall rural economic development.

Farmers’ Guide to Climate-Resilient Agricultural Practices

Climate change is inevitable and global trend. This phenomenon will affect million of farmers worldwide, especially farmers in developing countries. This book aim to be farmer-friendly guide with simple and concise language along with illustration which showcase successful agricultural practices in adapting to climate change.

Youths' participation in agriculture for enhancing sustainable livelihoods: a case study of pa-o self-administered zone in southern Shan state, Myanmar

Myanmar in which 70 percent of the population is rural people relies on agricultural sector for its economy. It contributes about 37.8 percent of the country’s GDP and employs about 50 percent of the labors (FAO, 2020). However, Myanmar’s agricultural sector is not well developed and does not stand as reliable livelihood for the people, especially for the youths, in rural areas. Hence, the people in rural areas have to seek more livelihood opportunities like leaving their farmlands and moving to other places for work. This situation has impact both on youths and on the agricultural sector which needs youths’ capacities for its development. Therefore, this study focuses on the challenges for the youths in rural areas in approaching their livelihoods, their contribution to agricultural development and how to support them in enhancing sustainable livelihoods in rural areas. This study is conducted through qualitative methods with the use of case study of Pa-O SAZ located in Southern Shan state of Myanmar. The findings result that youths have more challenges for access to natural capital and less challenges for access to physical, social and human capitals. Another significant finding is that both youths and the elders have challenges for access to knowledge or information on their livelihoods. The strengths of the youths for agricultural livelihoods are having more capabilities to adapt with new techniques, innovative ways as well as to connect with varieties of people. For their livelihoods, the youths make decision depending on the factors of having experiences and exposures, support from government and organizations, education, parents and families’ background and access to finance. This study also argues that sustainable livelihood is not only about getting more wages and profit but also about having job and social security. Though agriculture is not promising and reliable work in terms of wages or profit, it can still be regarded as a main livelihood in terms of sustainability in Pa-O SAZ. Hence, diversification becomes the most preferred livelihood strategy for all of the youths participated in this study. Therefore, the study suggests to promote the youths’ participation in agriculture through financial and technical supports from government, NGOs, CSOs, CBOs and the private sector in order to enhance more sustainable livelihoods in Pa-O SAZ.

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