Download Heveadapt project How tree-based family farms can adapt to global

 Heveadapt project How tree‐based family farms can adapt to global changes? Acronym Funding instrument Challenge Duration Funding Titre français Coordinator Heveadapt Collaborative project
Efficient resource management and adaptation to climate change. 36 month, starting November 2014.
463 K€ Comment les plantations familiales peuvent‐elles s’adapter aux changements globaux ? Philippe Thaler, CIRAD, UMR Eco&Sols, HRPP.
Project Summary Tropical tree plantations provide indispensable renewable goods to the global market and family farms represent the majority of their surface area and production. The aim of the project is to analyze how smallholder’s tree plantations can adapt and keep sustainable whereas they face variable climatic conditions and deep changes in their socio‐economic context. Rubber tree‐based systems in Thailand will be used as a model of tropical family plantations integrated in a major global commodity channel. We will analyze the way socio‐economic factors interact with biophysical factors to determine farmers’ vulnerability or adaptability to changes. We will focus on two major socio‐
economic factors, (i) the type of holdings and (ii) the share‐cropping contracts. The main biophysical risk relate to climate changes and to the extension of plantations in new and more adverse areas. We will evaluate the risks at plot or farm levels, as well as potential externalities, in terms of soil sustainability (soil fertility related to soil physical quality and soil functional diversity) and tree adaptation to water stress. Specific ecological constraints linked to the different cultivation area will be considered. Beside the specific case of rubber plantations, a more generic output of the project is to determine, through modelling and risk framework analysis, the most significant indicators to assess the long‐term adaptation and sustainability of tree‐based family farms. The consortium The consortium gathers teams with complementary expertise in different disciplines and builds up on a well‐established Thai‐French co‐operative research platform on natural rubber (HRPP) and on the regional network ”Dynamics of Land Use changes and Soil Ecosystems Services” (LMI‐LUSES). Partner UMR Eco&Sols CIRAD‐IRD‐INRA‐M Supagro UPR Systèmes de Pérennes
CIRAD Leader
Philippe Thaler Bénédicte Chambon Localization
Montpellier Bangkok Montpellier
Bangkok UMR Innovations M Supagro‐CIRAD‐INRA Eric Penot
Montpellier
UMR MOISA M Supagro–CIRAD‐INRA‐CIHEAM UMR iEES‐Paris UPMC, UPEC, Paris Diderot, CNRS, IRD, INRA Asian Institute of Technology Hevea Research Platform in Partnership Kasetsart U, Prince of Songkla U, RRIT, CIRAD LUSES Joint International Laboratory LDD, Khon Kaen U, Kasetsart U, IRD Pierre‐Marie Bosc Henri Robain
Montpellier
Mukand Babel
Poonpipope
Kasemsap Nopmanee
SUVANNANG Paris Bangkok Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok
Coordination Coordination of the project
Task 3. Analysis of farm structure, practices and farming systems Task 4. Analysis of viability of rubber farming systems, modelling Task 1. Analysis of forms of productions and farms’ viability Task 2. Soil structure related to land management Climatic scenarios Coordination of activities in Thailand. Coordination of soil studies in Thailand Program chart and work packages 1. Socio‐economic factors and risks for rubber farmers. • Characterisation of the rubber holding structures. • Analysis of the perception of risks induced by changes and household coping strategies. • Study of share‐cropping contracts. Specific features related to rubber tapping. 2. Climatic conditions and rubber plantation ecosystem. • Downscaling global climatic scenarios at regional (N, NE, S Thailand) and at local scale • Assessment of ecophysiological indicators of water use and water stresses. • Soil bio‐functioning under water stress. • Risks of soil erosion in rubber plantations. 3. Agricultural practices, adaptation and impacts • Typology of cropping systems and multi‐criteria assessment of plantation performances. • Land management practices and soil bio‐functioning. • Land management practices soil structure and hydrology. • Adaptive latex harvesting related to climatic and farming constraints. 4. Integration of the agro‐socio‐ecosystem and vulnerability of rubber farms. • Modelling the effects of LU and CC on water stress occurrence and impact at plot scale. • Biofonctool ‐ Tree and soil parameters for agro‐environmental assessment of plantations. • Modelling effects of LU and CC scenarios on water and erosion at watershed scale. • Co‐Innovation platform with stakeholders. • Assessment of the viability of rubber holdings. Expected outputs The project will bring specific knowledge on topics such as: ‐ The behaviour of rubber trees and soil organisms together under contrasting water constraints. ‐ The specific impact of terracing on changes in soil properties in tropical tree plantations. ‐ The features of labour contract and their consequences on farm performances and adaptability. ‐ The characteristics of rubber holdings and the influence of new investors. ‐ The consequences of agricultural practices on soil bio‐functioning, structure and hydrology. A major output of the project will be adapted analytical frameworks and models that will better take into account the specificities of tree plantations to address the performances and sustainability of farming systems. More specifically, the project will improve methodologies and determine indicators and tools to assess the long‐term evolution of smallholders' tree plantation in the tropics. This will be used to develop observatory approaches such as the World Agricultural Watch and multi‐criteria assessments, such as Life Cycle Assessment.