Author : Prasit Wangpakapattanawong; Thomas, D.E.

Summary : The forest-fallow system of shifting cultivation of upland rice and other food plants practiced by the Karen people of Mae Hae Tai village, Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand, is changing due to increasing population and a resulting decrease in per capita arable land base. This has resulted in a reduction of the fallow period, which was 10 or more years in the past. The fallow is traditionally believed to act to restore and sustain soil fertility and control weed populations; it may also be important for enhancing upland rice productivity by maintaining soil structure and in other ways. Presently, this system involves 1 year of cropping, followed by 5 years of crop-free fallow. The national Thai government is trying to change shifting cultivation to fixed field agriculture under the assumption that all forms of shifting cultivation are destructive and are sustainable. Some ecologists and social scientists oppose the idea using arguments about the ecological and cultural integrity of this traditional farming practice. There has been little empirical research to examine the advantages and disadvantages of the system. One of the main reasons for not having empirical research done about shifting cultivation is that the Thai government fails to recognize it as a legitimate form of agriculture. In addition, the situation is complicated by the land-right issue of whether ethnic minorities do legally possess land ownership titles. Therefore, they cannot prevent outsiders from encroaching upon their lands, resulting in land scarcity.