Evaluating Integrated Pest Management Dissemination Using the Flexible SAP-LAP Approach: A Study of Rice Production in Soc Trang Province (Mekong Delta/Vietnam)

The excessive use of chemical pesticides remains a persistent challenge to sustainable agriculture. While integrated pest management (IPM) offers a viable alternative by promoting pesticides as a last resort (Isman in Front Agron 1:2, 2019), its adoption has remained limited—largely due to the neglect of social dimensions in agricultural transformation. In particular, the dynamics of knowledge dissemination, farmer behavior, and multi-stakeholder coordination have not received sufficient attention from either practice or research. This reflects a broader disciplinary gap noted by Mansfield et al. (Agric Hum Values 41:395, 2023), where the rising global use of pesticides has not been matched by a corresponding engagement from the social sciences. This study applies the SAP-LAP (Situation–Actor–Process and Learning–Action–Performance) framework (Sushil in Glob J Flexible Syst Manag 2:51, 2001; Theory building using SAP-LAP linkages: An application in the context of disaster management. Springer Science+Business Media New York, 2017) to analyze the scaling and adoption of IPM in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, a region facing the dual challenge of sustaining rice productivity and reducing environmental risks. SAP-LAP enables a systems-based understanding of how technical, social, and institutional dimensions interact in shaping pesticide use. The empirical analysis is based on a 2015–2016 IPM dissemination program in Soc Trang Province, covering approximately 9% of the Delta’s rice area. Two dissemination models were compared: SG-1, which involved farmer field schools and peer training, and SG-2, which emphasized participatory collaboration between trained farmers and extension agents. Findings show that SG-2 achieved the greatest pesticide reduction (34% compared to baseline), and that the SAP-LAP framework was effective in capturing the adaptability and feedback loops necessary for improving implementation strategies. Key outcomes include enhanced pesticide governance, improved farming practices, greater conservation of natural enemies, and stronger institutional linkages. The study concludes that SAP-LAP is not only a flexible and context-sensitive tool for agricultural innovation, but also a promising framework for managing other complex, multi-actor systems such as disaster risk reduction and public health.