ATTITUDE AND PERCEPTION OF LOCAL FARMERS TOWARD AGROBIODIVERSITY IN HOME GARDEN. CASE STUDY: BUOT VILLAGE, CHIENG YEN COMMUNE, VAN HO DISTRICT, SON LA PROVINCE, VIETNAM

Abstract

One of today’s key challenges is how to increase production to meet the growing demand for food, feed, and bioenergy while conserving biodiversity and reducing the pressure on natural resources and ecosystems. Agrobiodiversity is not only the key to food security and nutrition but also to conserving the ecosystem foundations necessary (e.g. of water quality, nutrient cycling, soil formation and rehabilitation, erosion control, carbon sequestration) to sustain life and rural livelihoods. This study examined the perception of farmers on agrobiodiversity and the factors behind the farmers' decision to adopt agrobiodiversity through applying syntrophic farming (food forest) in their home gardens. A semi-structured interview approach was used to gather information from 39 local farmers in Buot village, Son La province, Vietnam. The survey found that 14 households of the total households have been adopting agrobiodiversity. Most of the farmers asked understood the importance of agrobiodiversity and were willing to adopt syntrophic farming. However, challenges in capital, market access, and no irrigation systems are barriers that hinder their adoption of syntrophic farming. The findings of the study will provide information for policy-makers in providing enabling conditions to facilitate agrobiodiversity in the study area.