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P Thaler, B Chambon, F Gay, R Lacote, PM Bosc, A Brauman H Robain, P Kasemsap, K Sajjaphan, S Sdoodee, P Chantuma

Can family rubber-farms match global challenges?

The challenges ahead to agriculture

• Feeding the planet but also feeding the farmers

• Food and non food products to meet growing demands

• Corporations investments in large-scale agriculture

• Natural resources management and environment sustainability

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Repartition of holdings by class area

in the 81-country subset of FAO-WCASource: HLPE 2013

Will family farming be able to answer to complex and interdependent challenges?

The challenges ahead to agriculture

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The planter’s bet

Immature plantation Tapped plantation Felling the trees

Conditions will remain favourable for rubber plantations during more than 20

years

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A reasonable bet?

A permanently changing environment

Climate changes

Land use changesFox and Castella 2013

Socio-economic changes

Going back to Myanmar?

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Climate changes

Not only a matter of temperature and drought

• Difficult to predict the local effect of a global increase in T°

• Most model predict a more variable climate (risk)

• Erratic and irregular rain pattern

• Higher risk of both flooding and drought

• Difficulties to know when to tap trees (risk of loss of yield)

• Consequences on trees functioning?

• How can farmers adapt harvesting systems to such irregular conditions?

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Land Uses

Sustainability in new plantation areas

• Expansion in NE and N Thailand• A drier and less balanced climate

(5 month-dry season)• Poor soils in some areas

(sandy, low fertility)• Lack of experience to assess

long-term behavior of trees

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Land Uses

Sustainability in ancient plantation areas

• Repeated planting in South Thailand• Third to fourth rubber cycle on

the same land• Export of wood / loss of minerals• Soil degradation / Decrease

in fertility?• Increase in disease hazard

(leaf and root fungi)?

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Socio-economic changes

Global uncertainties and local mutations

• Volatility of the rubber price • Global demand driven by transport

industry• Global market with major

tire companies • The issue of labor

• Population increasing and ageing • Migrant workers (Myanmar/NE)

• New investors, new challenges• Dependence of livelihood on rubber

vs diversification?9

Rubber plantations and the environment

The impact depends largely on the previous land use

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Rubber plantations and the environment

• Soil sustainability • Fertility preservation (Soil C, SOM)• Functional diversity (macro and

microrganisms) • Externalities.

• Water use (water balance and competition with other uses)

• Erosion (sloppy land)• Loss of habitat for biodiversity.

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Rubber plantations on the environment

Many adverse effects are related to the monospecific nature of plantations

Permanent intercropping up to complex agroforest may limit risk and multiply sources of income

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Context and trends

Structure Activities and strategies Performance / sustainability

LivelihoodStrategies

Specialization,Diversification, Intensification,extensification,migration,rental, combined, etc.

Naturel ressources based activitiesCultivation, cattering, livestockOthers NR based non farm activities

Non naturel ressources based activitiesWages, trade, services, manufacture, etc.

Economicalsustainability

Environmentalsustainability

capabilities and functionnings

Institutions

Organisations

Social relations

Social and humansustainabilityTangible &

intangible (claims) assets

Natural capitalPhysical capitalHuman capitalFinancial capitalSocial capital

National and international trends and context.

Shocks

Local trends and context

The sustainable rural livelihoods framework

Source: Sourisseau and al. 2012 adapted from various authors

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Thank you for your attention

The Hevea Research Platform in Partnership