Native edible herbs are being tested as an alternative component of farms historically dominated by cassava in Po E commune, Kon Plông district, Kon Tum, Viet Nam. Led by the Social Policy Ecology Research Institute (SPERI), this 2025 action-research initiative explores how locally adapted plants can contribute to agroecological transition by diversifying production, restoring biodiversity and creating livelihood opportunities. The work combines ethnobotanical research with practical experimentation on farms.

A social cluster approach brings farmers together with researchers and other local actors to identify and test native species. Nurseries and pilot farms provide spaces for propagation, cultivation and learning, while knowledge co-production draws on farmers’ experience and scientific inputs. The initiative also considers market access, recognizing that the contribution of native edible herbs to household livelihoods depends not only on successful cultivation but also on viable economic opportunities. Its expected benefits include greater farm diversity and reduced dependence on cassava monoculture, although these outcomes will depend on the longer-term development of the tested systems.

Authored by Kien Dang and involving SPERI, GRET, CIRAD and ALiSEA, the research emphasizes collaboration among communities, scientists and public authorities. Available in English and Vietnamese, it illustrates an approach in which local knowledge, biodiversity conservation and on-farm experimentation are combined to support the gradual development of diversified agroecological farming systems.