Research institutions and development-support organizations increasingly need staff equipped with both state-of-the-art disciplinary knowledge in agriculture and the ability to consider social, economic, and environmental factors in relation to production. To find sustainable solutions for agriculture, more attention needs to be given to interactions between environmental resources and the social and economic capacities of stakeholders in each region.

• Evaluating the environmental impact of agricultural practices, and assessing the conditions for their extension, raise questions regarding sustainable access to natural resources and the biodiversity to be mobilized, including in soils;
• For smallholder plantations to be sustainable, it is essential that they generate direct economic benefits. However, other factors also play a role in their ability to withstand challenges. These factors include effective management, labour requirements, and the risks faced within value chains resulting from climate and market fluctuations;
• Diverse social conditions, especially within societies based on smallholder agriculture, can increase or decrease various stakeholders’ access to resources.

 
Real-world situations

The Summer School “Dynamics of Change in Sustainable Agriculture - Improving the Assessment of Farming Systems for the Efficient Transfer of Innovation” will provide a better understanding of innovation and change at the level of smallholders, especially when targeting the economic profitability of farms while increasing the sustainability and resilience of farming systems.

During the Summer School, students will have the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge gained in the classroom to real-world situations. Specifically, they will conduct a practical assessment of innovations being developed – or being promoted – in southern Thailand, particularly in Khuan Ka-Long district in Satun Province, where a large part of the Summer School will take place. While the price of rubber (the most important cash crop in the province) has plummeted over the past ten years, plantations have been maintained in the province, and some have been renewed. Meanwhile, farming systems also have diversified, including by growing new crops that had not been considered before. Even more innovative practices, like mixed cropping of rubber trees with other species, and different modes of tapping, are being tested at the farm level.

Active approach to learning

The Summer School will take an active approach to learning through practical fieldwork, participatory assessments of smallholders, interactive lectures, and on-farm surveys. The practical fieldwork will consist of assessing local innovations that are being proposed or extended spontaneously in Amphoe Khuan Ka-Long, Satun Province.

The Summer School is open to Thai and international students and professionals working in sustainable agriculture or agricultural extension and planning.

The training will be delivered in English.

More information and application procedures