Towards Sustainable Food Systems: Pulses Production System in the Myanmar Delta Region
The research report ‘Towards Sustainable Food Systems: Pulses Production System in the Myanmar Delta Region’ is the result of a pilot research project by ICCO (Part of Cordaid), MOSS Consultancy and TunYat. This research applied innovative system thinking analysis to the context of the pulses and beans production systems in Myanmar, focusing on ways to build pulse system resilience.
Pulses, rice and fisheries are key sources of agricultural incomes for Myanmar farmers in the Delta Region. These products are important market exports but also drivers for ecosystem change in the Delta Region. Climatic conditions in this region are shifting, as rainfall becomes more erratic, occasions of flooding increase and average temperatures increase. Rather than responding to symptoms, it is important that coalitions of change address root causes and key dynamics affecting the pulses system, whether social, economic or environmental. This strategic research focused on identifying leverage points, where focused interventions can offer a significant push toward supporting more resilient farming households within a more resilient ecosystem. Three promising leverage points were explored:
1. Cash in hand for farming households
2. Access to timely loans
3. Government support
Building on these findings, ICCO, together with our local partners and key stakeholders in Myanmar, will seek to enhance collaboration and cross-sectoral collaboration to further develop actions to build pulses food system resilience.
Research paper
Civic Engagement Alliance
This research was conducted under the Civic Engagement Alliance, a collaboration between Dutch and southern civil society organisations that advocated for the position of excluded groups, such as women, youth, smallholder farmers, workers, people living with disabilities, and indigenous people.