Skip to main content

Currently Skimming:

Appendix B: Sustainable Agriculture, International Agricultural Research, and Strategies for Effective Collaboration
Pages 47-65

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.


From page 47...
... on SANREM to be established by the Agency for International Development (AID) will be an important contributor to the effort to promote sustainable agriculture and This discussion is based on two background papers prepared for the Forum on Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Research Management held in Washington, D.C., on November 1316, 1990: "Contributions of International Agricultural Research Centers, Agency for Intemational Development, Food and Agriculture Organization, and U.S.
From page 48...
... To understand better the function of the program, the institutional context in which it will operate, and the special role it can play, it is worthwhile to review how other institutions have taken on the challenge of research on sustainable agriculture. NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS The growing recognition that human welfare, environmental concerns, and development strategies are fundamentally interconnected is reflected in the greater attention that established agricultural research institutions are devoting to sustainability.
From page 49...
... International Agricultural Research Centers The international agricultural research centers contribute significantly to the development of production systems and the technological base critical to sustainable agriculture. The IARCs were established in the 1960s and 1970s to complement NARS research on crops, commodities, and farming systems.
From page 50...
... The increased emphasis on research in the second category is especially prominent in those IARCs established to serve marginal ecosystems (for example, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics) and among nonaffiliated centers that were established to study particular production factors (for example, the International Board for Soil Research and Management and the Indian Council on Agricultural Research)
From page 51...
... In the future, the CGIAR centers plan to give greater emphasis to components of sustainable agriculture and to address the more complicated, multidisciplinary issues of agroecosystem management, long-term measurement of sustainability, and interactions between technology and institutional policy (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, 1990~. More broadly, their contributions to sustainable agriculture will likely concentrate on activities they have always done well: (a)
From page 52...
... assisting national agricultural research systems through cooperative research, training, and information exchange— in contributing to and creating conditions for national sustainable agricultural development. FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Recently, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has undertaken a number of initiatives that will have a major influence on its future programs on the environment and sustainable development.
From page 53...
... Examples include the development of cultivars adaptable to stress conditions, soil and water management practices that enhance plant growth, and farm management systems that minimize erosion and environmental degradation. The Agency for International Development has also been the primary source of funds for U.S.
From page 54...
... A major underlying cause of natural resource degradation in the developing world is human poverty. Thus, efforts to achieve sustainability must encompass increased economic returns as well as increased productivity (Agency for International Development, 1987~.
From page 55...
... The Office of Agriculture also manages AID's technical and scientific relationships with the international agriculture research centers within the CGIAR and with the International Fertilizer Development Center, a nonaffiliated center (Agency for International Development, 1990c)
From page 56...
... , in many different regions, and with many different emphases. Many of the land-grant universities have been actively involved for decades in sustainable agriculture research through their colleges of agriculture, but research efforts germane to sustainability issues are just as likely to be found in universities and university departments that have not traditionally been involved in basic agricultural research (for example, geography and anthropology departments, regional studies programs, environmental focus programs, and interdisciplinary institutes)
From page 57...
... , production potential, development constraints, and risks—and do so in a manner that provides guidance for achieving sustainable agriculture in that area. In evaluating these features, researchers must not only identify natural characteristics of the landscape, but also provide information on the limits to sustainable agriculture in the given area and the level of risks to be expected when the development process is undertaken.
From page 58...
... Providing management options that are based on sound, complete information and that are communicated in an understandable manner will always be the most practical way to fit proper decisions to individual circumstances. THE CRITICAL CHALLENGE: REACHING THE FARMER The above review of agricultural research institutions suggests not only the desirability of, but also the need for and effectiveness of, broad-based collaboration in sustainable agriculture research.
From page 59...
... National and regional NGO networks and agencies are able to articulate and advocate research priorities. Organizations that exemplify these roles include the Committee on Agricultural Sustainability in the United States, the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition in the Philippines, and the Latin American Consortium on Agroecology and Development in Latin America.
From page 60...
... Although authoritative case studies and standardized guidelines are generally lacking, a number of conditions and criteria that appear fundamental to successful and viable agricultural research collaboration can be identified. Build Consensus Through Outreach and Consultation Collaboration grows from a process of dialogue and negotiation.
From page 61...
... In this program, farmers are brought into the research and extension process as equal partners. According to Rodale, the national agricultural research system in Senegal has the technical and financial resources to generate viable alternative agricultural practices.
From page 62...
... Both programs have attracted ongoing farmer involvement by addressing their immediate priorities. The Rodale program mentioned above combines on-farm cropping systems and soil fertility research with village-based demonstrations of practical soil conservation and livestock improvement techniques.
From page 63...
... This review of the activities, strategies, and plans of institutions engaged in agricultural research and development reveals clearly that much has been done, is being done, and will be done to contribute to achieving sustainability in agriculture. Much of the current work is targeted toward the components and principal determinants of sustainability; as this work continues, it will broaden and deepen the information base.
From page 64...
... 1989. Farmer First: Farmer Innovation and Agricultural Research.
From page 65...
... 1990. Overview of the Organization and Structure of National Agricultural Research Systems in Asia.


This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More information on Chapter Skim is available.