1) The document outlines results from projects promoting sustainable intensification of rice production systems in Asia through farmer field schools and case studies from Lao PDR. 2) Key findings include increased rice yields and incomes alongside reduced input use through diversified rice-fish and rice-vegetable systems. 3) Effective communication of results to policymakers is needed to facilitate scaling out of climate-smart practices and rice sector transformation through enabling policies and investments in smallholder farmer training.

1. Green Rice Landscapes:
Communicating results and policy advice for more productive,
resource use efficient, resilient and climate-smart rice farming
systems for food and nutrition security in Asia
Jan Willem Ketelaar, Alma Linda Abubakar, Avakat Phasouysaingam
Final SRI-LMB Project Workshop,
Bangkok, 2 November 2018

2. Outline:
• Save and Grow: FAO policy advice for
Sustainable Intensification of Rice Production
• Regional Rice Initiative: Save and Grow Case
Study from Lao PDR
• Communicating Results and Policy Advice
• Video: Green Rice Landscapes

3. Take home messages:
• Save and Grow in practice makes good
agronomic and ecological sense, enhances
profitability and sustains local food and
nutrition security!
• Quality education for smallholder farmers
through Farmers Field Schools is essential!
• Enabling policies, extension services,
investments and inclusive partnerships are
needed for scale out and rice sector
transformation towards greater sustainability!
• Effective and Strategic communication for
development can facilitate such efforts!

4. Sustainable Intensification of Crop
Production, promoting Climate-Smart
practices while optimizing multiple
ecosystem goods & services
A POLICYMAKER’S GUIDE
TO THE SUSTAINABLE
INTENSIFICATION
OF SMALLHOLDER CROP
PRODUCTION
www.fao.org/ag/save-and-grow/
www.fao.org/publications/save-
and-grow/maize-rice-wheat/en/
(FAO, 2016)

5. Regional Rice Initiative (2013-18/19)
Rice-fish/duck
Rice-vegetables
Soil Health
Ecosystem Goods
& Services
Trees in rice
landscapes
Climate Smart
Agriculture
Mechanization
Value Chains
Policy and strategy
formulation and
implementation
• National rice
strategy/policy
strengthened
• Farm input policy
review/reduce
subsidies
• Investments in
farmer training
for up-scaling at
landscape level
• Contributions
towards
achieving SDGs
Evidence
Knowledge
• - Inputs
• + Yield
• + Income
• + rice
ecosystem
goods &
services
Producing
more and
better with
less inputs in
a sustainable
way

6.  Capacity building on
Sustainable
Intensification of
Rice Production
through Farmers
Field Schools (FAO, 2016)

7. Rice Landscapes and Farming Systems –
more than just rice!

8. Lao PDR: Fish (and other aquatic biodiversity
resources) for a balanced diet and good health
(Halwart, 2013)
• Source of
micronutrients that are
not or not adequately
found in rice
– fatty acids!
– calcium
– iron
– zinc
– vitamin A
Photo: E. Meusch
Photo: DLF-Laos

9. Economic importance aquatic biodiversity in
rice-based landscapes in Lao PDR
(FAO & DLF, 2016)

10. Case Study: Save and Grow Lao PDR
Implementation Details (2015-18/19)
• Assessments and Field Trials
(e.g. rice-fish)
• Curriculum Development
• Training of Trainers
• 63 FFSs implemented in 18
Districts in 6 Provinces
• 1,838 (47% women) farmers
trained
• Results/Adoption
Assessments (National
University of Laos)
• Communication material
development (2018-19)

11. Case Study: Lao PDR
Adoption Results (2016-17)
• Rice yields increase
(4.3 ton/ha versus 2.9
(control)
• Reduced input use,
seeds (74kg/ha versus
121 (control)
• Higher income
(1,304 US$/ha versus
742 (control)
• Diversified farming
systems (e.g. rice-fish)

12. Case Study: Lao PDR
Green Rice Landscapes:
Communication Strategy (2018/19)
• Formulating key results-based communication
messages for all relevant stakeholders
• Connecting to key Lao development policies and
strategies (e.g. Green Growth)
• Development of case studies, posters and videos
(in both Lao and English)
• Communicating results to policy makers and
development partners
• Proposal development for scaling out

13. FAO-WFD 2018 Lao Model Farmer Award
Mrs Phonexay Thammavong

14. http://www.fao.org/asiapacific/perspectives/re
gional-rice/en/
http://www.fao.org/asiapacific/news/detail-events/en/c/1158566/