Protecting riparian areas using Cardamom

Cardamom (Amomum spp.): a highly profitable product underlining the multi-benefits of agroforest systems in Lao Uplands

Medicinal cardamom spontaneously sprouts anywhere in Lao PDR under the cover of the forest canopy at elevation upwards of 700 m. The cardamom fruit, in particular the domesticated Guangdong variety of cardamom, contains an essential oil of high medicinal value, which accounts for over 80% of all official medicinal cardamom used in China. Cardamom production has decreased about 40% over the past 10 years due to ecosystem degradation and replacement of natural forests by rubber and banana plantations. However, the demand for medicinal cardamom remains high. Producers of domesticated cardamom and collectors of natural cardamom in Northern Lao PDR have thereby benefited from the rising farm-gate price of dry cardamom, which increased from about 100,000 Lao kip/kg in 2011, to about 450,000 kip/kg in 2014. However, many farmers are complaining about irregular and hazardous fruit production, cardamom plants flowering but producing limited to no fruits.

In 2015, EFICAS project supported on-farm experiments in 3 villages to assess the impact of weeding and clearing practices on cardamom fruit production.