Joint Research by CSEAS Grant
"A Cultural Ecological Study of 'Swidden on the Verge of Vanishing'
in Southeast Asia"
Project Leader: YOKOYAMA, Satoshi
(Faculty of Letters, Kumamoto University)
- Joint Seminars in 2008 and 2009 Fiscal Year
- Theme of Joint Research
- "A Cultural Ecological Study of 'Swidden on the Verge of Vanishing'
in Southeast Asia"
（Term：2008 - 2009）
- Outline of Joint Research
- Shifting cultivation which is regarded as a major cause of environmental
destruction has been tried to switch to newer forms of farming by the governments
and the international organizations in the present Southeast Asia countries.
As a consequence, shifting cultivators have changed livelihood strategies
from subsistence activities into activities that are capable generating
cash incomes such as sedentary farming for commercial crops, plantation
farming and economic silviculture. Although we have the notable achievements
of fundamental studies of shifting cultivation conducted by the disciplines
of agriculture, forestry, soil science, anthropology and geography during
60s and 80s, it is difficult to explain the cause behind this rapid decrease
in the area of shifting cultivation under the globalized world. There is
a need for us to re-examine the shifting cultivation in the context of
the current political, economic, cultural, demographic and ecological conditions.
The purpose of this study, therefore, is to discuss the pros and cons of
the shifting cultivation in Southeast Asia from the cultural-ecological
aspect.
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