Connecting Upland Peasants to Markets and Socio-Cultural Change in Bolaven Plateau, Southern Part of Laos

Abstract

This article focuses on the impact of government policies to connect upland areas with markets by extensive infrastructure expansion. The upland areas in which most of peasants have long sustained their live from subsistence agriculture were exposed to the market oriented policies, and thus have to adapt to these changes. By applying concepts of political ecology, cultural ecology and peasants, this article presents a study about the socio-cultural change of upland peasants in one village at Bolaven Plateau, southern Laos. It illustrated an empirical analysis of factors of socio-cultural changes in the upland societies. Under various forces of changes, the peasant’s reactions were to shift from a traditional subsistence base into four modes of production: (1) upland rice cultivation mixed with cash crops, (2) subsistence crops with part time laborers, (3) full commercial crops and 4) wage laborers. In addition, the study found that the adaptations of peasants differed by ethnicity. Different ethnics adapted to the changes at different speeds but the trend went in the same direction from subsistence to commercial agriculture. The indigenous ethnic groups (Laven and Yaheun) preserved their subsistence-based agriculture with gradual attempts at cash crops, while the other groups (mainly new comers such as Lao, Taoi and Kmu) focused on a cash-oriented production.