Working Group 4

The mountains of continental Southeast Asia and the Himalayan foothills are home predominantly to ethnic groups who are economically marginalized to the rest of the country. Many of these farm families depend heavily on upland rice for subsistence. On steep hillside fields, the rice crop is planted alone or in association with other crops. Farmers use an area for 1-3 years until soil fertility declines and pest infestations increase. Then they abandon the land and return to previously idled farmland or start on other available fallow land. Meanwhile, road development is increasing access to lowland marketing opportunities. Food security continues to be crucial to highland peoples, while cash income and sustainable natural resource use are emerging issues for highland research.