The growing awareness of the adverse
impact of indiscriminate pesticide use in agriculture has led to a shift towards
eco-friendly practices in Pest Management.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies
have been evolved which focus on an appropriate mix of practices, which not only regulate
pest population but are also sustainable and non-polluting. The focus of this issue of the
Digest is IPM strategies, experiences in India and other countries with IPM and how joint
efforts among farmers, non-governmental organization and governmental organizations are
helping replace chemical intensive farming with eco-friendly practices, around the globe.
Abstract
More and more public and private
Organizations,non-governmental organizations(NGOs),Universities and farmers groups are
engaging in joint efforts to move towards sustainable agriculture.
Partnerships between research
institutions ,extension agencies,non-governmental organizations and farmers have proved to
be a viable alternative to the down approach for developing sustainable
agriculture.Partnerships give the comparative advantage of all partner's and help in
dealing with heterogeneity,finding solutions to location specific problems,and in synergy.
Some of the earlier issues of the
Extension Digest have also focused on Partnerships under various themes.The current issue
has focus on issues surrounding partnerships and documents experiences where different
actors have found ways to forge partnerships leading to sustainable practices.
The Farming Systems Approach
evolved because of increased awareness on the part of the researchers that farmers had a
right to be involved in the process of technology development as they stood to gain or
lose most from technology adoption.Moreover ,it was recognized that farmers could
productively contribute to development of appropriate technology As they were aware of the
complexity,diversity and variability of their farming systems.
The farm family functions with
its limitations of capability and resources of which the scientist is not fully aware
often leading the recommendations which are not appropriate to farmers needs.
This issue of the
Extension Digest focuses on the farming systems approach to research,extension and
development,documents some successes and ways of monitoring and ensuring sustainability of
farming systems.
Abstract
Farmers often depend on natural
resources beyond the farm,like,grazing land,forests,wasteland,waterbodies,rivers and
banks.These Common Property Resources(CPR) comprise a sustainable part of the resource
base of the economy and play a crucial role in providing goods and services to the rural
population.Currently these natural resources are becoming scarce and degraded and it is
necessary that these are managed properly and their productivity maintained sat a high
level,Privatization and nationalization of CPRs,have been resorted to as solutions to
arrest degradation.However,according to evidence,these have helped preserve the
environment nor helped the poor gain control over their resources.Collective Management is
now advocated as an appropriate strategy for managing CPRS,the argument being that
effective arrangements can be developed only if they grow out of indigenous resource
management practices and involve communities who depend on these resources.
This issue shows how rural
communities organize the use of natural resources to ensure that they can continue to live
off their land.
