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Vol.1 , No. 1, Publication Date: Jul. 7, 2014, Page: 13-23
, is a source of income for collectors and a growing number of ethnic minority households in Luang Namtha province. It is collected from the forest and also cultivated as a domestic plant and is one of the most significant NTFP exports from northern Laos. Because of the development of roads and bridges in the region, mobility of NTFP traders have greatly improved in tandem with the rapidly growing economy of China. The main aims of this study are (1) to study the potential of “peuak meuak” in poverty alleviation and sustainable rural development under conditions of increased resource scarcity in northern Laos, (2) to study the socio-economic impacts for growers and collectors, (3) to identify the steps in the supply chain of “peuak meuak” and (4) to provide a general view of the “peuak meuak” industry in northern Laos. This study showed that the supply mechanism is reliant upon specific ethnic minority relations as well as different forms of capital that together sustain economic advantages for particular players. Rising demand in China provides sound income opportunities for all actors in the “peuak meuak” supply chain. Growing improved varieties has become a boon for farmers endowed with relatively large land areas with suitable agro-ecological conditions. However, land-poor and landless collectors of wild “peuak meuak” are facing increasing difficulties due to overharvesting, lower prices offered by middlemen, and the rapid conversion of remaining forests into monoculture plantations, especially rubber, which has reduced the natural habitat of “peuak meuak” and other non timber forest products. Currently, farmers increase production of “peuak meuak” through cultivation of “peuak meuak” on plantations under the rubber and teak trees as well as reducing soil erosion and bringing improving land productivity. Due to fast economic changes in Laos, some critical gaps have emerged concerning the sustainability of wild “peuak meuak” and their domestication. Much information is required to enable local users to improve harvesting techniques, and help them in making decisions regarding management and marketing of “peuak meuak”.&picture=http://www.aascit.org/aascit/decorators/img/journal/923.jpg)
| [1] | Latsamy Phounvisouk, Department of Development and Management, College of Humanities and Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China. |
| [2] | Zuo Ting, Department of Development and Management, College of Humanities and Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China. |
Peuak Meuak (Boehmeria malabarica), is a source of income for collectors and a growing number of ethnic minority households in Luang Namtha province. It is collected from the forest and also cultivated as a domestic plant and is one of the most significant NTFP exports from northern Laos. Because of the development of roads and bridges in the region, mobility of NTFP traders have greatly improved in tandem with the rapidly growing economy of China. The main aims of this study are (1) to study the potential of “peuak meuak” in poverty alleviation and sustainable rural development under conditions of increased resource scarcity in northern Laos, (2) to study the socio-economic impacts for growers and collectors, (3) to identify the steps in the supply chain of “peuak meuak” and (4) to provide a general view of the “peuak meuak” industry in northern Laos. This study showed that the supply mechanism is reliant upon specific ethnic minority relations as well as different forms of capital that together sustain economic advantages for particular players. Rising demand in China provides sound income opportunities for all actors in the “peuak meuak” supply chain. Growing improved varieties has become a boon for farmers endowed with relatively large land areas with suitable agro-ecological conditions. However, land-poor and landless collectors of wild “peuak meuak” are facing increasing difficulties due to overharvesting, lower prices offered by middlemen, and the rapid conversion of remaining forests into monoculture plantations, especially rubber, which has reduced the natural habitat of “peuak meuak” and other non timber forest products. Currently, farmers increase production of “peuak meuak” through cultivation of “peuak meuak” on plantations under the rubber and teak trees as well as reducing soil erosion and bringing improving land productivity. Due to fast economic changes in Laos, some critical gaps have emerged concerning the sustainability of wild “peuak meuak” and their domestication. Much information is required to enable local users to improve harvesting techniques, and help them in making decisions regarding management and marketing of “peuak meuak”.
Keywords
Northern Laos, NTFPs, Peuak Meuak, Supply Chain, Ethnic Minority Livelihoods, Poverty Alleviation
Reference
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