Objective ASORD together with the farmer scholars mutually developing technologies for transforming farming systems, improving livelihoods and increased household income Introduction 98% of the farmers in Raipur district are small scale producers. They have been bypassed by services offered by the extension worker including extension and education and research and left to use their weather beaten wisdom. They were made to believe that their wisdom is not good and only western based research was useful in agriculture. This created dependence on institutions which were not responsive and information not very relevant. However, ASORD recognized the traditional methods of preserving seeds, protecting the environment and managing water and soils and decided to revive these and other technologies in collaboration with the farmers. The participatory action oriented research makes the farmer a researcher and user of own technologies hence the principle of ownership which ensures sustainability. Strategy 1. By using alternative energy like biogas and improved stoves, there has been reduction of stress on environment for fuel wood 2. Removal of garbage and refuse from village and homes for making organic manure has ensured environmental health sanitation 3. Improved nutrition and food security in 80% of the homes 4. Improved household income by 20% per annum 5. Improved soil productivity and farm yield 6. Good animal husbandry practices have increased supply of animal proteins 7. Farmers recognizing and living a symbiotic relationship with nature 8. Increased on farm research and local technology exchange 9. High farmer confidence and self esteem 10. Technologies have reduced womens workload hence time for leisure and relaxation Primary problems 1. Poor and unreliable extension services from service sector agents 2. Information flow to and from research stations for improvement in agricultural systems is very weak and in some instances non-existent 3. Low levels of technology transfer and adoption 4. Environmental degradation due to poor farming practices like continuous mono cropping, slash and burn 5. Marginalization of endogenous knowledge and wisdom in agriculture 6. single issue based technologies rather than integrated technologies 7. Low or lack of appreciation of value addition chain 8. Low innovations due to dependency on other institutions 9. Optimization by the practice of economy of utilization of resources 10. Low appreciation of interdependence of systems in nature i.e. crop, animal, wildlife and humans Steps that our organization is taking to make our project successful. 1. Mobilization of scholar farmers 2. visioning what they want out of agriculture 3. identifying needs in their farming practices 4. recognizing the gaps between what they want and what the situation they practice their farming is 5. Designing interventions 6. Identifying technologies needed to make work easy and improve on their production 7. Conduct training and research on the field 8. Raise funds for procurement of resources not locally available 9, Strengthen systems for good governance 10 Documentation and accounting for resources used 11. Ensure ownership of the projects at the farm level 12. Prepare for technology diffusion
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 10:37:44 +0000
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