Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Legitimacy Of My Ethnographic Gaze: Context, Methodology And Insights From In The Field, Lao Pdr, K Alexander, D H R Spennemann

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Rural development in the uplands of Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) presents many challenges for farmers and their communities. Swidden cultivation has long been the traditional farming system providing subsistence livelihoods for generations. The Lao government has based development policy on the reduction in swidden cultivation of upland rice and this is having a profound effect on food security, biodiversity, land degradation, and productivity. The research gives voice to community opinions and concerns about the impact of government policy and the influence of the emerging market economy on their capacity to modify their farming practices. The practical implications of …