Rural communities each face a unique set of challenges, but a common theme appearing in almost all is unreliable internet. Bridging the rural broadband gap will not only assist economic recovery, but also have positive externalities that will connect people to resources related to healthcare, education, food, and infrastructure.
In January 2018, a team of Cornell University students and faculty conducted a field visit to the Shan State region of Myanmar to investigate the impact that current national agricultural policy has on increased fertilizer use. Based on insights garnered from the visit, research and a comparative analysis with the Shan Highlands of Northern Thailand, recommendations that seek to combat fertilizer misuse and its associated environmental outcomes in Myanmar are proposed.
With its limited arable land and high population density, Myanmar must prioritize a methodical response that addresses the intensification of food and land scarcity as well as redresses lagging foreign and domestic investment in agriculture. An analysis of the country’s current agricultural system illuminates the need for crucial agricultural upgrades and strengthened cooperative structures that empower smallholder farmers to actualize such upgrades effectively.