 ID : 85107
Ajouté le : 2005-07-19 10:23
Mis à jour le : 2005-07-19 10:25
Refreshed: 2012-02-11 23:31
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Document(s) 2 de 38
A productive and stable agriculture requires genetic diversity, on-farm. Diverse varieties enable farmers to fit their cropping systems to varied and difficult conditions, to enhance the food security of their households and to exploit a range of plant products. But recent decades have witnessed first the erosion of that diversity in many areas with the spread of intensive, commercially-oriented production, then a growing realization, both in farming communities and in key institutions, that a resource of tremendous value is at risk of being lost. It is also increasingly realized that genebanks, far from the fields, can only imperfectly preserve that resource. From 19 to 21 June 1995, the Using Diversity workshop explored the scope for maintaining and enhancing plant genetic resources in farmers' fields by better meeting their needs for diversity, particularly in South Asia. Sponsored and organized by the International Development Research Centre, the workshop brought together three groups that, in principle, share a common interest in diversity and farmers' use of it: breeders employing participatory approaches to crop improvement; grass-roots organizations working with farming communities on the conservation and diffusion of local varieties; and scientists trying to understand the dynamics of diversity and the forces that drive it. These groups, however, do not often meet. The workshop provided a unique opportunity, therefore, to exchange varied experiences from the field and to explore possibilities for convergence among the different perspectives and collaboration among those working in different organizations. Forty-five people, from Bangladesh, India and Nepal participated in the workshop, along with resource persons from Norway, the Philippines, and Zimbabwe. In editing the papers and discussions, we have tried to respect participants' characteristic styles and vocabularies, intervening only in the interest of clarity. We would like to extend our warm thanks to Mrs. Jayanthi Balakrishnan who took charge of the logistic arrangements, to Mr. S.N. Singh for his tireless help with communications, and to Drs. Aung Gyi, Joachim Voss and other colleagues in IDRC's Delhi and Ottawa Offices for their support and encouragement. But in particular, we thank the workshop participants who, with tolerance and good humour, gave life to the meeting's objectives and made the experience, as many said, both stimulating and revealing. A special note is necessary regarding the use of the word "tribal". While the term may carry negative connotations in many parts of the world, it is used in India to describe the 54 million people who are classed as "indigenous" and who fall outside the caste system. Additional copies of these Proceedings can be obtained by contacting: International Development Research Centre, 17 Jor Bagh, New Delhi 110 003, India. Tel: (91-11) 461-9411; fax: (91-11) 462-2707; e-mail: postmast@idrc.ernet.in Louise Sperling
Michael Loevinsohn
Document(s) 2 de 38
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