Ecological Economic Evaluation of Traditional Farming Technology in Asian Developing Countries

本研究的目的是从生态经济学的角度来评价传统农业技术在亚洲国家的重要性。实地调查发现了尼泊尔加德满都盆地、斯里兰卡罐灌系统、巴基斯坦信德邦涝渍和盐碱化地区、孟加拉国Gher农业系统、梅孔河沿岸洪水地区的“小型”电泵灌溉系统和老挝的沟槽和谷仓农业的特点。通过对研究区时间序列卫星数字图像和GPS地图的分析，明确了研究区的生态变化，有助于对研究结果进行概括。通过估算全要素生产率（TFP）来发现生产力变化对生态可持续性的影响。传统耕作制度的全要素生产率远低于现代集约耕作制度。考虑到大型灌溉系统中天气条件的不确定性和灌溉用水有效性的风险情况，农民在几天的步行距离内保持传统的粗放种植方式，利用自然放牧资源。生态农业的互补特性对农场的经济可持续性仍然很重要。虽然全要素生产率在现代农业体系中增长较快，但如果没有额外的公共和私人投资，有时会造成环境不经济。通常小农场无法承担更多的投资。在集约化农业地区由传统耕作制度向现代耕作制度过渡的过程中，应重视农民组织在控制环境不经济中的作用。

The aim of this research is to evaluate the importance of traditional Farming Technology in Asian countries from the point of ecological economics. The field survey was conducted to find the characteristics of cropping intensification in Kathmandu Basin in Nepal, Tank Irrigation system in Sri Lanka, water logging and salinity area in Sindu state in Pakistan, Gher farming system in Bangladesh, and ‘small' electric pump irrigation systems in flood area along the Mekon River and slash and barn farming in Laos. The analysis of time series satellite digital image and GPS map of the research field makes clear the ecological change of case study area and help to generalize the results.Total Factor Productivity (TFP) is estimated to find the effects of productivity change on ecological sustainability. TFP of traditional farming system is much lower than that of modern intensive farming system. Considering the uncertain weather condition and risky situation of irrigation water availability in the large irrigation system, farmers keep the traditional extensive cropping pattern and utilize the natural grazing resources at a distance of several days walk. Complimentary characteristic of ecological farming is still important for economic sustainability of farms. Although TFP increase faster in modern farming system, it sometimes causes environmental diseconomy without additional public and private investment. Usually small farms can not afford to invest more. The role of farmer's organization to control the environmental diseconomy in intensive agricultural area should be emphasized in transition process from traditional farming system to modern farming system.