Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. Box 88, 6700, AB, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Knowledge, Technology and Innovation Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8130, 6700, EW, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
World Agroforestry Centre, China & East Asia Node, Kunming 650204, China; Centre for Mountain Ecosystem Studies, Kunming Institute of Botany (CAS), Kunming 650204, China.
Sci Total Environ. 2017 Feb 15;580:1475-1482. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.126. Epub 2016 Dec 28.
The rubber boom across much of Southeast Asia has led to environmental destruction, and the resultant crash in the price of rubber has destabilised livelihoods. We investigated the necessary factors required to enable a transition towards a more sustainable model for rubber cultivation in Southwest China (i.e. the 'greening' of rubber cultivation), using a framework for the integrative study of multiple aspects in complex land use issues. We present findings from stakeholder interviews and a stakeholder workshop, and discuss their relevance within and beyond Southwest China. The current focus of researchers and development practitioners tends to be on finding technical solutions to address unsustainable rubber cultivation practices. However, stakeholder consultations revealed that the key barriers were more social: low levels of trust and knowledge exchange between stakeholder groups and fragmented visions about the future of the landscape. It is very important to continue the economic prosperity initially brought by rubber, but, without improved communication between government and researchers and smallholder farmers, this will be very difficult to achieve. A wider landscape perspective is needed to address issues in rubber cultivation to avoid repeating the same problems of cash crop boom and bust experienced with other crops, most notably bananas. We conclude that more effort should be put into developing mechanisms that integrate technical knowledge, enhance social relationships, and present a forum for reconciling - or at least acknowledging - the differing needs, knowledge, and objectives of different groups, and transcending the power dynamics between smallholder farmers and government and researchers.
整个东南亚大部分地区的橡胶热潮导致了环境破坏，橡胶价格的暴跌破坏了生计的稳定。我们使用综合研究复杂土地利用问题的多方面的框架，研究了在中国西南地区实现橡胶种植向更可持续模式转变（即“绿化”橡胶种植）所必需的因素。我们展示了利益相关者访谈和利益相关者研讨会的结果，并讨论了它们在西南地区内外的相关性。研究人员和发展实践者目前的重点往往是寻找技术解决方案来解决不可持续的橡胶种植做法。然而，利益相关者协商显示，关键障碍更多是社会方面的：利益相关者群体之间信任和知识交流水平低，以及对景观未来的看法分散。继续保持橡胶带来的经济繁荣非常重要，但如果政府、研究人员和小农户之间没有改善沟通，这将很难实现。需要从更广泛的景观视角来解决橡胶种植问题，以避免重蹈其他作物（尤其是香蕉）经历的经济作物繁荣和萧条的同样问题。我们的结论是，应该投入更多的努力来开发整合技术知识、增强社会关系的机制，并为不同群体的不同需求、知识和目标提供一个调和——或者至少承认——的论坛，并超越小农和政府与研究人员之间的权力动态。
