Open Access and Natural Resources Conservation

Workshop on “Open Access to Agricultural Knowledge for Inclusive Growth and Development”

ICAR- National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad- 500030

October 29-30, 2014

Sonali BishtInstitute of Himalayan Environmental Research and Education

Natural Resources Conservation

What is useful Now and in the future

Will be Conserved

Natural Resources• Forest and wilderness• Water • Plant diversity• Fauna • Livestock• Crop diversity• Crop and Livestock wastes• Plants, shrubs and grasses litter

Traditionally agriculture has relied onnatural resources for• Seed protection and storage• Nutrients and growth promoters• Pest and disease control• Food and nutrition supplements• Herbs and Medicines• Plant domestication• Varietal improvement

Natural resource based agriculture even today is• Within reach of smallholder and poor farmer• Can use and build on traditional knowledge

base and innovation of the farmer• Enables site specific solutions• Is sustainable• Saves farmer from debts• Gives wider base for knowledge creation• Risk resilient in times of climate change

when used appropriately.

Open Access and Closed Doors• Natural resources based agriculture practices are

traditionally freely shared.• Seeds, agronomic practices and recipes using

natural resources are freely shared and exchanged among farmers, especially women farmers.

• Open access and common property are hallmarks of our agriculture tradition.

• Organised agriculture research and extension needs to become a part of this culture and time tested system.

Voluntary Efforts

• Efforts to conserve natural resources and knowledge use have been largely voluntary at local, national and global levels.

For example:• Honeybee network, Prolinnova India, Centre for Indian

Knowledge systems etc in India • Agrobiodiversity Community of Practice, movements for

ecological agriculture, organic agriculture, global Prolinnova network etc

Mainstreaming natural resource conservation requires

• Conserving and opening up peoples knowledge.• Giving tested natural resource based options to farmers in addition to solutions from

synthetic based products with complete information for informed decision making.• Natural resources utilization research for improving agricultural production and

productivity.• ICT tools used for cost effective natural resource based options and solutions which

address site specific needs of farmers.• Measuring solutions on economic , social and environmental parameters before

dissemination• Timeliness

Mainstreaming natural resource conservation also requires

• Recognizing that the young smallholder farmer – man or woman is educated and tech savvy.

• Has social, economic aspirations and wants intellectual challenges.

• Is aware of environmental issues and food safety issues.• Wants to be treated as an equal professional.• Respected, recognized and involved in natural resource

conservation and agriculture development as an equal partner.

Thank You!