An evaluation of how and in which contexts Farmers’ Hubs facilitate the dissemination of new products, practices, and services to smallholder farmers and the broader farming community as commercial service providers.

The aim of this project was to restore the viability of export pathways for taro. Fiji is currently the main exporter of taro to Australia and New Zealand, and other Pacific Island countries (PICs) also export small amounts. Samoa is rebuilding its taro production base following the development and introduction of varieties resistant to taro leaf blight (TLB).

The project developed remote sensing techniques to estimate spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall and evapotranspiration; a surface water and groundwater interaction model for the Rechna Doab to address problems of sustainable groundwater and surface water use; and an econometric model for more equitable, economically efficient distribution of water resources.

This project aimed to effectively and sustainably link vegetable suppliers in northern Vietnam with modern retailers. Vietnamese love vegetables, but Hanoi's scorching summer temperatures mean local farmers cannot grow popular crops such as tomatoes, cabbage and beans. Instead, such produce is imported from China or brought in from the south. The solution could be found in highland Moc Chau region, which is just four hours by road from Hanoi, sufficiently cool to grow temperate vegetables there in summer, and has 40,000 hectares of good farming land.

This project aimed to develop policy options for implementing 'payments for environmental services' (PES) in Lao PDR to increase smallholder livelihoods and improve environmental conditions through changed land management practices. The Government of Lao PDR has acknowledged that paying local landholders to provide environmental services can achieve environmental management goals and improving the landholders' livelihoods. Hydro-electricity suppliers and mining companies also support PES schemes.

Agriculture is a key focus of Vietnam’s economic development; however, private businesses have been reluctant to strongly engage with the agricultural sector. The number of registered enterprises operating in agriculture is disproportionally small, as is private investment into the sector. This is negatively affecting total factor productivity growth in agriculture, which is expected to decline further. The Vietnamese government has introduced a series of policy initiatives aimed at promoting private investments and business activity in agriculture.