“From paddy field to rubber plantation”: Change in livelihood and food security of farmer households in Mekong river area, Bueng Kan province

Abstract

                            Mekong River riparian areas in Bueng Kan Province have been rapidly changed from the areas used for rice farming to Para rubber plantations. Such move results in the change in the livelihood lifestyle of famers’ family in 3 aspects which are the changes in the livelihood assets, the changes in livelihood activities and the changes in the vulnerability activities. Nevertheless, food security of farmer households is variedly different in each group which, in this respect, the household group growing rice for consumptions and making rubber plantations for sales is the household group having highest food security because they have rice for household consumption while their incomes generated from rubbers are converted to cashes for household expenses. While the household group just only growing rice is the group having food security next in line because even they have rice for household consumptions, but, the problem of increasingly high labor costs and down in the productivity have made their food security decreased. The household group making just only rubber plantation is the group having the lowest food security because of the reason that their incomes are not constantly certain from the fluctuation of the rubber price while, at the same time, they have to buy rice for consumptions.