The Bangkok case : contribution of applied research to peri-urban agriculture. Kasetsart University - CIRAD research programme

For many decades now, the Central Plain of Thailand has been the framework of rapid and deep changes in natural resources (land, water) management. Urbanisation process led to the development of tentacles-like cities and villages, all connected through very dense traffic ways criss-crossing traditional rice paddy fields, which progressively gave way to more intensive production systems, first signs of estates development. This phenomenon is particularly important in the surroundings of Thailand capital, Bangkok. Pollution hazards as well as declines in agricultural productivity raised the concern of all together producers, consumers and city policy makers. In a quest for quality (life, food, landscape) and for environment preservation, many actions have been initiated in order to better manage city development, agricultural potential and natural resources. Research is part of this process, and the paper outlines the main features of programmes that are carried out along three main axis : - elaboration of agricultural techniques susceptible to increase food quantity and food quality; - implementation of techniques able to insure agriculture sustainability in periurban environment; - elaboration of information tools as support for decision process, devoted to increase urban policymakers knowledge in city development and management. These programmes are jointly run within Thailand Kasetsart University, by a team of Thai and French researchers, in DORAS Centre (Development Oriented Research on Agricultural Systems). Partnerships with producers, private enterprises, governmental agencies, international research, development and training institutes, are the key-features of programmes engaged and need to be extended. At present, major achievements concern the use of light structures for protecting crop against pests, the of characterisation of major constraints to vegetable production, knowledge on producers' techniques and their relevance in peri-urban environment, the incidence of city development on farmers' strategies and cropping systems evolution. Many other research and development actions still have to be implemented in order to address the numerous difficulties encountered by agricultural sector in peri-urban areas. (Résumé d'auteur