| National Innovation Foundation |
| GIAN |
Incentives for supporting on-farm conservation, and augmentation of agrobiodiversity through Farmers' innovations and community participation:
| An international policy consultation for learning from grassroots initiatives and institutional interventions | |
| May 27 - 29, 2006 Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad |
|
| Decline of agrobiodiversity is considered an inevitable consequence of intensive growth in agriculture sector. Despite all the assumed advantages of cultivating genetically diverse local landraces, long term studies on on-farm state of agrobiodiversity in various parts of India have demonstrated an unprecedented rate of erosion of crop varietal diversity within the short span of a last decade. The dependence on fewer crop varieties for meeting food and nutritional security is obviously not sustainable. At the same time it is not pragmatic to assume that farmers will continue to maintain optimal crop varietal diversity without any institutional and policy support. To identify the feasibility of using various market and non-market based incentives for promoting on farm conservation of agrobiodiversity research programme was undertaken in collaboration with IFPRI, University of Guelph, SRISTI and IIMA, for last three years. Several innovative attempts have been made to explore the viability of both the demand and supply side incentives for conservation. The proposed international consultation aims to provide platform to share the findings of such research projects being implemented in different parts of India and elsewhere. | |
| We recognize the role farmer breeders and innovators play in not just the conservation but also augmentation of agrobiodiversity. National Innovation Foundation has recognized many such farmer breeders scouted from around the country by Honey Bee network volunteers. Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority (PPV&FRA) is seized of the responsibility and the challenge of recognizing and rewarding the contribution of such farmers as well as local communities playing pivotal role in conservation of agrobiodiversity. Likewise, private sector entrepreneurs may also see new opportunities in characterization and on farm conservation of agrobiodiversity for developing niche processed food products as well as nutraceuticals. This consultation will provide platform for new coalitions to be formed in aid of in situ (on farm) conservation as well as for forging partnerships among private, public and civil society institutions and individuals from around the world. | |
| Objectives of the international consultation: | |
| 1. To share the findings of the three year long action research and identify agenda for follow up action. | |
| 2. To identify the best practices around the world for providing market and non-market based incentives for on farm conservation and augmentation. | |
| 3. To explore the policy and procedural changes required at the level of National Biodiversity Authority, Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority and at other levels to encourage crop varietal diversity in farmers' fields. | |
| 4. To explore opportunities for dissemination of existing traditional as well as new varieties developed by farmers (for lateral exploration of existing farmers' varieties but also of new varieties developed by farmers). | |
| 5. To create an international knowledge network and an informal alliance among industrialists, policy makers, researchers and others committed to the cause of conservation, augmentation and innovations. | |
| In order to achieve above goals, the consultation will provide an unique opportunity to researchers, NGOs, entrepreneurs and policy makers to explore common ground for supporting on farm conservation. It is obvious that same incentives may not motivate people everywhere or for every purpose. The consultation will focus on taxonomy of incentives that need to be tailored according to the contingent conditions in which agrobiodiversity has to be conserved through cultivation, innovation and community conservation. | |
| Conceptual Themes and Organization | |
| The consultation plans to discuss various issues related to following themes. | |
| 1. Socio-cultural, economic factors affecting current state of on farm agrobiodiversity and triggering of innovative spirit. | |
| 2. Current policy environment influencing agrobiodiversity and required policy changes. | |
| 3. Complementarities of formal and informal seed development and supply systems for ensuring availability of crop varietal diversity. | |
| 4. Incentives for enhancing demand of locally adapted crop varieties in household as well as industrial sectors. | |
| 5. Monetary and non-monetary incentives for encouraging farmers to innovate, improve, exchange and conserve agrobiodiversity. | |
| 6. Market research on channels of procurement and preferences of industrial and individual consumers of agrobiodiversity in local as well as distant markets. | |
| 7. Potential demand from food processing, nutraceuticals, drug and other sectors and its implication for conservation and characterization of agrobiodiversity. | |
| 8. Scientific basis of on farm conservation and exploring the role of agricultural research, conservation and development institutions particularly in characterization of, and value addition in local crop and varietal biodiversity. | |
| 9. Complementarities between ex situ conservation and on farm conservation approaches. | |
| 10. Methodological approaches and tools for monitoring state of agrobiodiversity and bringing awareness among different stakeholders. | |
| 11. Farmers' perspectives and role in influencing the policy environment and institutional changes expected. | |
| 12. Linkages between conservation of crop, livestock and tree biodiversity particularly in marginal environments. | |
| Interested colleagues are encouraged to send abstract of their presentation related to any of the themes listed above. The themes would be deliberated in different technical sessions and panel discussions. The manuscripts of the presentations should not exceed four pages (A4 size) typed in double space with adequate margins on all sides (though full papers can be of ten to fifteen pages). The deadline for sending manuscripts is April 30, 2006 | |
| Expected Output: | |
The consultation aims to produce following outcome:
|
|
| Who can participate? | |
| The consultation will invite leading scholars, senior policy makers and analysts to present their perspectives on the subject and discuss opportunities for bringing policy change to encourage diversity. The participation of farmer breeders and conservators, food processing and other industrial consumers of agrobiodiversity, and NGO involved in supporting on farm diversity will be encouraged to share their experiences in the conference. Young scholars pursuing graduate studies, activists involved in conservation and NGOs as well as private sector entrepreneurs involved in any aspect of the value chain are particularly invited. In selected cases, the organizers will bear all the costs for a small a group of participants. | |
| Potential collaborators and key stakeholders | |
| · Indian Insitute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA). · Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions (SRISTI). · International Food and Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). · National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR). · Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority (PPV&FRA) |
|
| Venue: | |
| KLMDC, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad | |
| Registration fees There will be no charges for invited speakers, panelists and participants. However, registration is required for those scholars or entrepreneurs who wish to attend the conference on their own for education or business development. Such participants have to pay Rs.10,000/= to cover the cost of boarding and lodging for three days and other expenses. The fee should be sent through crossed Demand Draft drawn in favour of IIM, Ahmedabad. |
|
| Organizing Committee and Deadline: All interested colleagues in presenting their experience on subject or attending the consultation should contact at following address: |
|
|
Professor Anil K. Gupta |
|
| The organizing committee set up for this consultation will review each submission and inform the decision about the acceptance of contributions or otherwise. | |
| Sponsors: This workshop is supported by the CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) funded project on policies to enhance food security and improved nutrition through on farm conservation of crop biodiversity, Protection of Plant Varieties and farmers' Rights Authority (PPV&FRA); National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi; National Innovation Foundation and Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. |
|