role of family farming in 21st century
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Intarmingernational Year of family farmingTRANSCRIPT
Role of Family Farming in the 21st Century
Prof M S SwaminathanFounder Chairman, MSSRF, Chennai
Chennai, 7 August 2014
A New Deal for Family Farmers
International Year of Family Farming
The United Nations declared 2014 the International Year of Family Farming (IYFF) to recognise the importance of family farming in reducing poverty and improving global food security. According to the UN, the IYFF aims to promote new development policies particularly at the national but also regional levels that will help small holder and family farmers eradicate hunger, through small scale sustainable agricultural production. Family farming involves about 500 million families consisting of over two billion people.
UN International Years
Such Years generate awareness – analysis - action
• 2013 was commemorated as the Year of
Quinoa
• 2014 is being observed as the International
Year of Family Farming
• 2015 is the International Year of Soils
• 2016 is the International Year of Pulses
United Nations Secretary-General’s
Vision (2012)
Source: www.un.org
2025 : Target Year for Achieving Zero Hunger Challenge
Prevention of Food Losses
and Waste – an important
component of the Zero Hunger
Challenge
South Asian Enigma
o Extraordinary economic growth in South Asia
o Population largely dependent on agriculture
o Yet, 2 out of 5 children stunted
39% of children are stunted in South Asia
UNICEF 2013
61.711 9.6 8 7.5 6
Top 6 countries with highest number of stunted children
(millions)
UNICEF 2013
o Region with the largest number of children with stunted growth
o First 1000 days critical. Low Birth Weight Babies 1 in 4
o Under-nutrition reduces a nation’s economic advancement by 8% (Lancet 2013)
South Asian Enigma
CALORIE DEPRIVATION
PROTEIN HUNGER
HIDDEN HUNGER(Micronutrient deficiency)
Picture Source: Google images
Three major dimensions of hunger
Comparison of woo-gen (right) and dee-geo-woo-gen strains, the latter containing
the sd1 mutation
The effects of different Rht alleles on plant height in wheat (cv. April Bearded). The wild-type contains Rht-B1a and Rht-D1a, which are
homoeologous (corresponding) genes on the B and D genomes. Rht-B1c is a more severe allele at the Rht-B1 locus
Source: http://5e.plantphys.net/
Overcoming Under-nutrition: The Green Revolution in Wheat and
Rice
Green Revolution Symphony (1968)
o Technology
o Services
o Public Policies
o Farmers’ enthusiasm
Indian farmers achieved as much progress in wheat production in four years (1964–68), as during the preceding 4000 years.
Major Components
Synergy among Scientific skill, Political will and Farmers’ toil
“Man has lost the capacity to foresee and to forestall. He will
end by destroying the earth”
- Albert Schweitzer
Rachel Carson 1962 : Silent Spring
Origin of Integrated Pest Management Methodologies
Evergreen Revolution is the Pathway
o World requires 50% more
rice in 2030 than in 2004
with approximately 30% less
arable land of todayo Mainstreaming ecology in
technology development and
dissemination is the road to
sustainable agriculture
Green Revolution : Commodity-centred increase in productivity
Change In plant architecture, and harvest indexChange in the physiological rhythm-insensitive tophotoperiodismLodging resistance
Evergreen Revolution : increasing productivity in perpetuity without associated ecological harm
Organic agriculture : cultivation without any use of chemical inputs like mineral fertilizers and chemical pesticides
Green Agriculture : conservation farming with the help of integrated pest management, integrated nutrient supply and integrated natural resource management
From Green to an Ever-green RevolutionPathways\
Goal : To provide food and nutritional security by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices
Special Features :
Life Cycle approach with emphasis on the 1000 days of a child’s life
The senior most woman in the household will be designated the Head of the Household from the point of view of food entitlements
Enlargement of the Food Basket by including nutri-millets and other orphan crops in the Public Distribution System
Entitlement : Every person belonging to priority households shall be entitled to receive five kilogram of foodgrains per person per month at subsidised prices.
Fighting Poverty induced Chronic HungerNational Food Security Bill of India, 2013
From “Ship to Mouth” to “Right to Food”
Pulses Panchayat committed to the promotion of Pulse Production
Overcoming Protein Hunger : Pulses Revolution
Biofortification and Hidden Hunger Challenge :3 Major approaches
1. Naturally occurring biofortified plants like moringa,
sweet potato, nutri-millets and fruits and vegetables.
2. Biofortified varieties selected by breeding and
selection, eg, iron rich pearl millet and zinc rich rice
3. Genetically biofortified crops like Golden Rice and
iron rich rice (after appropriate regulatory clearance)
Cultivate and Consume
25 x iron in spinach17 x calcium in milk15 x potassium in bananas10 x vitamin A in carrots9 x protein in yogurt
National Geographic, November 2012
Role of Agro-forestry in BiofortificationMoringa Oleifera
Biofortification through breeding:High-iron Pearl Millet
ICTP 8203ICRISAT-bred OPV
(70-74 ppm Fe)With 10% Higher Yield
86M86Pioneer hybrid (54-64 ppm Fe)
Marketed by NIRMAL SEEDS
Back cross derived lines in Swarna background using Kaybonet-GR2-R event as donor
Swarna Golden Swarna
Source : IARI, New Delhi
Genetic Modification : Golden Rice
Golden Rice : Trial Site Vandalized in Bicol, Philippines
Source: Rice Today, IRRI, Oct-Dec 2013, Vol.12, No.4
Establish Regulatory system which inspires public, professional, political and media confidence
Rich in Nutrition; Climate SmartCulinary Diversity
Gene Bank Seed Bank Water BankGrain Bank
Conservation - Cultivation – Consumption - Commerce
Pathway to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goal of Eradicating hunger &
poverty
Community Food and Water Security System
Farming System for Nutrition (FSN)*
“FSN involves the introduction of agricultural remedies to the nutritional maladies prevailing in an area, through the mainstreaming of nutritional criteria in the selection of the components of a farming system involving crops, farm animals and where feasible, fish. While finalizing the components of a farming system, the gender and age dimensions of human nutritional needs should be kept in view, such as the special needs of pregnant women and nursing mothers, and new born babies during the first 1000 days after conception and birth”
Agric Res DOI 10.1007/s40003-014-0119-5, 5 August 2014
Kolli Hills
Mixed Cropping in Family Farming
Nearly 75 million women and 15 million men are involved in Dairy Enterprises in India.
Ownership of Livestock is more egalitarian
Crop-Livestock Integrated Farming System
TRIBE DISTRICTMedicinal
Plants used
Bhatra Nawarangpur81
Bhumia Koraput 69
Bonda Malkangiri 55
Gadaba Koraput 83
Gond Nawarangpur67
KandhaKoraput + Rayagada
124
Koya Malkangiri 48
Paroja Koraput 74
Saora Rayagada 59
9 tribes 4 districts660 MPs
Women andCultural & Curative Diversity
Farmers’ Rights :Conserver, Cultivator, Breeder
Genome Saviors - Tribal Families of Koraput, Odisha
Women in Family Farming
Non
-far
m E
nter
pris
es
Household Mushroom Production
Multiple Micro-enterprises for Livelihood Security
Community Hunger Fighters
o Become well-versed on the causes and cures for the endemic and hidden hunger prevailing in the village / town through a nutrition literacy programme
o Identify and introduce agricultural remedies to nutritional maladies based on gender and age
o Introduce in the farming system biofortified crops and varieties
A bill to provide for the gender specific needs of women farmers, to protect their legitimate needs and entitlements and to empower them, with a view to carrying out the aforesaid purposes, of establishing mechanisms, authorities, powers and functions relating thereto and for matters connected therewith
Women Farmers’ Entitlement Bill 2011(Private Members’ Bill introduced by Prof M S Swaminathan, MP (Rajya Sabha)
Women, who first
domesticated plants over
10,000 years ago, have
been the saviours of
biodiversity throughout
history
Dr Sara Ahmed
Engendering the Curriculum in Agricultural
Universities
Contribution by
RICE BIOPARK
IN Nay Pyi TawMyanmar
Rice Biomass provides opportunities for additional income
Biopark being developed under the
guidance of Hon’ble Mr U Myint Hlaing, Minister
of Agrticulture and Irrigation, Myanmar
Anticipatory Research to checkmate the adverse impact of unfavourable climate
Climate Smart Cereals
Innovations in below sea level farming in KuttanadCOCONUT - RICE - FISH
Punja seasonNovember- February
Low chemical input or OrganicYield- 4.2 t/ha
April- OctoberMonoculture – Giant Prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii)Polyculture*- Indian major carps or common carps or Silver carps and grass carps and Giant PrawnYield- Rice: 4.2 t/ha Fish- Prawn: 480 kg; Carp : 300 kg.
* Recommended practice
Sea Water Farming(Sea water constitutes 97% of the world’s
water resource)
No Time to Relax : Major Challenges Ahead
o Avoiding Food losses and Food Waste
o Adverse change in climate, temperature, precipitation,
and sea level
o Shrinking per capita land and water resources
o Expanding biotic and abiotic stresses
o Adverse cost-risk-return structure of farming
o Market volatility
o Reluctance of youth to take to farming : Lack of
Demographic Dividend
Source : FAO, US Energy Administration and www.indexmundi.org and http://quotes.post1.org/historical-crude-oil-price-chart/ (data updated as on July -2014)
The Future
Belongs to
Nations with
Grains and
not Guns
Price Volatility
Family Farming is the pathway to Sustainable Food Security
India has made huge progress in agriculture from what was known as a “ship to mouth” existence to the status of conferring the right to food with home-grown food. This was possible only because of public procurement at a remunerative price. Unfortunately, there is a controversy in the World Trade Organisation about the support extended to Indian farmers for achieving Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of a “Hunger Free India”. Providing family farmers with adequate financial and scientific support to ensure food security should be the bottom line of all food and agriculture policies of developing countries. Food and income Security should remain non-negotiable, particularly in countries where over 50% of the population depend on farming for their livelihood.
WTO and Food Security
Zero Hunger Challenge
Challenge Response
1. Calorie deprivation Ever-green Revolution
2. Protein Hunger Pulses Revolution
3. Hidden Hunger Biofortification Revolution
Family farming based on gender, nutrition and climate sensitive agriculture is the pathway for food for all and forever
Winning the War against Hunger