Objectives

Main objectives are to invest in soil health, taking into consideration the cost of such innovative cropping/farming systems for smallholders meaning that those systems should match with the farm structure, physical and financial asset as well as labor force. The notion of adoptability have been largely emphasized as one of the main goal when designing innovative cropping systems. This is also a question of flexibility, timelier and labor requirement should also be one of the main driver when designing new technologies. Those innovative croppin/farming systems have to be environmental friendly and target fodd safety and quality (nutritive value of the products). Besides food safety/quality, the social benefit as well as the contribution to better human health was also emphasized. Finally, those innovations should answer to the increasing needs of adaptive capacities (climate variability and change, market shocks) when mitigating/offsetting the GHG emissions.

Activities

The activities can be aggregated into different dimensions with (1) support and means to transition to Agroecology, (ii) participatory and collective learning loops, and (iii) how to enhance and benefit from a larger biodiversity at different scales.

Context and participatory process

There is a need to contextualize the intervention and to assess each context, network of actors … Participatory process should be implemented to go with successive learning loops with different actors involved assess, adapt and provide feedback on the innovations designed.

There is also a need as a first step to assess the performances and impacts of a range of agroecological cropping and farming systems using a range of indicators presented on the objectives (soil, plant health, food safety/quality, social benefits…). This is a benchmarking that will contribute to the policy dialogue, orient research activities and identify funding support to bring innovations to scale.

Support and means

New tools were emphasized such as App and others decision making tools to assess the adoptability and affordability of innovative practices and systems.

Platform of products & services were discussed to sustain adoption, to share genetic materials, knowledge and know-how on appropriate-scale mechanization.

Capacity building through strenghtening national and regional training centers were emphasized such as the Bos Khnor Center (Cambodia), Ban Poa (Laos), among others. Those training centers have to move with the design of their roadmaps, developing a portfolio of training along with a
communication strategy.

Enhancing biodiversity

Agroecology stands on an enhancement of biodiversity from soil, field, farm to landscape level.
The combination of cover/relay crops and the multifunctional benefits should be assessed. Plantto-plant interactions were also emphasized. A specific example of use of cover crops on the interrow of trees (coffee, fruit trees, rubber …) was also discussed as an example of an integrative
approach adressing soil and plant health, weed management and pests and diseases while engaging farmers into a reduction of chemical inputs (fertilizer and pesticides). Besides trees, inter-cropping was largely emphasized as a key element of an ecological intensification. R4D activities on livestock integration were also highlighted.

Advocacy and connections with markets

Advocacy to policy dialogue and others was emphasized along with connections with markets that will not address directly by ASEA but through partnership and connection with others R4D platform such as MALICA and others.

Outcomes

It is expected changes in behavior and practices, raising awareness and knowledge of a range of stakeholders including but not only policy makers.

The innovations designed and promoted will bring a higher resources efficiency (water, inputs, labor …) contributing to a reduction of synthetic inputs, generating a flow of ecosystem services, increasing adaptive capacities and mitigating GHG emissions. Agroecological systems contribute
to soil organic C accumulation and more globally to one health approach.

Increase in income and increasing farm’s resilience, attracting youth, generating job and business opportunities and new markets. A certification/recognition of agroecological practices, systems and products is expected.

An Open Source system is generated facilitating access to knowledge, know-how, products and services/expertises.