Rapporteur's synopsis

摘要

Agricultural development policy for rice-based farming systems in South-East Asia is based on the three strategies of intensification, diversification and commercialisation. This session examined the drivers of, options for and constraints to diversification, and its role and importance relative to the other two strategies. The discussions explored ways to achieve diversification, and the balance, synergies and trade-offs between different approaches. Diversification occurs at multiple scales. At the farm scale, livestock and non-rice crops are introduced as part of production systems accompanying or replacing rice. At a sectoral scale, the shift from semi-subsistence to commercial production, and the increasing importance of remittances and other sources of off-farm income, can also be seen as a form of income and livelihood diversification within rice-based systems.