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PGP-ABM III Term/2002 - 2003 One Unit
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MANAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
Anil K Gupta
Indian agriculture has made spectacular gains since mid sixties, thanks to the green revolution. However, the growth achieved earlier is becoming difficult to sustain. The declining productivity of various inputs. has become a major constraint. One has to use more water, fertilizer, pesticides, energy, and other inputs to get the same amount of output. The crisis in agriculture sector has become even more serious in the post GATT phase of increased global competitiveness and reduced ability of state to subsidize various inputs. The nature is also finding difficult to continue to bear with all the negative externalities. And yet biotechnology and other newer technologies in the field of precision agriculture are opening new avenues of possible growth. In some cases, these technologies also raise ethical dilemma, which we need to confront and deal with adequately.
It is often argued that since the average level of consumption of chemical inputs in developing country is much lower than in developed countries, there was no cause of concern. It is also assumed that decline in productivity was inevitable as a ’normal’ natural resource function. These assumptions are questioned in this course.
Although the growth processes in agricultural sector have been affected by several factors, including declining public and private investment, and supply of credit, in this course we have focused only on the technological and ecological factors. What are the challenges before research planners and corporate leaders engaged in technological change in making a transition to sustainable agriculture? This course provides to the participants, an understanding and appreciation of not only difficulties lying ahead but also concrete alternatives that are emerging from alternative agriculture movement with in India and abroad ( particularly the Honey bee experience). The course also tries to highlight the potential that exists for organic and non-chemical agriculture in European as well as domestic markets. Experience with regard to linkage between consumers and producers of alternative agriculture in various countries will also be shared.
Case studies based on innovations by farmers as well as ecopreneurs will particularly be highlighted to understand the emerging technological frontiers. The role of the low external input technologies in making Indian agriculture globally competitive will be discussed in the light of post GATT and CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity) agreements. The role of Intellectual Property Rights, Farmers’ Rights (under FAO Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources) and other provisions of WTO dealing with non-actionable subsidies for making transition to sustainable agriculture, will also be discussed. The implications of discussions on trade and environment in Committee on Trade and Environment under WTO will be reviewed with specific reference to IPRs, Biotechnology and environmental standards. The issues related to biosafety protocol, precautionary principle, risk in transgenic crops for environment and human safety will also be dealt with.
Pedagogy and evaluation:
The course participants will evolve initiatives that corporate leaders and research managers can take in making the transition through project work. In addition, students will be encouraged to make class presentation on at least one topic aided by the faculty. Each session will be of two hours duration unless otherwise specified. Evaluation will be based on following outputs:
OUTPUTS WEIGHTAGE Class presentation 25 per cent Quizzes 15 Project Report 35 Final Test 25
SESSION WISE OUTLINE
Session 1 & 2 THE CRISIS OF MODERN AGRICULTURE
Why has modern agriculture led to erosion of the stocks of natural capital in a way that future growth of agriculture sector is seriously compromised? Several dimensions have to be looked into:
a) Soil fertility and structure, erosion and conservation b) Treadmill effect due to intensive use of chemical pesticides c) Declining ground water and problems of water logging, salinity and alkalinity d) Declining biodiversity in agriculture and forests with implications for diffusion of pest and diseases, soil nutrient management and micro-climatic variabilities e) Decline of common property resources such as grazing lands, area for manure pits, drainage lines, water bodies, etc.
What are the pathways through which inter-linkages between different sub-systems of farming system can be studied?
Essential Readings:
www.cnie.org/NLE/CRSreports/Agriculture/ag-80.cfm Desirable Reading:
www.hortnet.co.nz/publications/nzpps/proceedings/97/97_520.htm
Session 3 & 4 SOCIAL PRESSURES FOR TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES
a) Consumer preference for safe food in the export markets b) Environmental regulations in the post-GATT phase c) Ecological movements in developing as well as developed countries d) Farmer movements for sustainable as well as non-sustainable agriculture e) International organic agriculture movement
Essential Readings:
1. Diver Steve, 2000, Towards a Sustainable Agriculture, New Renaissance, 6 (2), p.6 2. 2001. Alternative Agriculture related internet sites and documents, the Alternative Farming Systems Information Centre. http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/afslinks.htm.
Desirable Reading: 3. Nadkarni, M.V., “Farmer Movements in India, New Delhi: Allied Publishers, 1987, p.237. 4. FAO. 2002. Safe food and Nutritious Diet for Consumers. World Food Summit five year later 10-13 June, 2002 www.fao.org/worldfoodsummit/sideevents/ papers/y6656e.htm
. Session 5 & 6 CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
a) Historical basis of sustainability in traditional agriculture and challenge of increasing food demand b) Sustainability of production systems, lifestyles, values and institutions of resource management: eco-institutional perspective c) Ethical basis of sustainability: six principles of bio-ethics
Essential Readings:
Desirable Readings:
http://www.iied.org/agri/gatekeepers/gatekeep.html 7. Sustainaibility: Agriculture and Society www.aces.uiuc.edu/~asap/resources/pdf/AE90-6.pdf
Session 7. MODELS OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE
a) Theory of induced technological innovation b) Eco-political economic model c) Models of technological diffusion (lab to land) d) Farmers knowledge system (land to lab to land or farmer to farmer)
Essential Readings:
1. Farmers’ Innovations and Agricultural Technologists: Building Sustainable Links, Presented at International Symposium on Strategies For Sustainable Mountain Agriculture, September 10-14, 1990, ICIMOD, Nepal. Published in Sustainable Mount Agriculture, entitled, “Farmer’s Innovations and Agricultural Technologies” (Eds.N.S.Jodha, M.Banskota and Tej Partap), Oxford & IBH Publishing Co.Pvt.Ltd., New Delhi. pp. 393-412., 1992. 2. Cowan, Tadlock, 2000, Precision Agriculture: A Primer, Washington DC, CRS, Washington: The National Council for Science and the Environment. www.ncseonline.org/NLE/CRSreports/ Agriculture/ag-97.cfm 3. Gupta, A. K. and Bansal, Y. 1988. Model of Technology generation and diffusion: A Review.
Desirable Reading: 4. Gupta, A. K. 1990. Scientist’s view of farmers’ practices in India: Barriers to effective interaction. In “Farmer First, Farmer innovation and agricultural research” edited by Robert Chambers, Arnold Pacey, and Lori Ann Thrupp. pp 24-30, 1989. A slightly abridged version is published in Rural Finance, 1990, 3 (1), pp. 24-31. 5. Lele, Sharachchandra, “Sustainable Development: A Critical Review”, World Development, Vol. 19, No. 6, 1991, pp. 607- 621. 6. Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development… Concept, Canada: IISD, www.iisd1.iisd.ca/ic/info/ss9507.htm 7. Srinivasan , A. Relevance of Precision farming Technologies to Sustainable Agriculture in Asia and the Pacific. Ph. D. Research work. www.geocities.com/ancha_s/thaipaper.html 8. Rhoades, R. Contextualising Sustainability for Mountain Agriculture. www.panasia.org.sg/nepalnet/socio/rhoades.htm 9. 2000. Sustainable Agriculture and Globalised Economy. Report for discussion at the Tripartite Meeting on Moving to Sustainable Agricultural development through the Modernization of Agriculture and Employment in a Globilized Economy. Geneva, 18-22 September, 2000. www.ilo.org/public/english/dialogue/ sector/techmeet/tmad00/tmad-r.pdf
Session 8. TECHNOLOGICAL APPRAISAL FROM THE INSTITUTIONAL PERSPECTIVE:
a) The concept of externalities over time, space, sector and species b) Attributes of externalities c) Ex-ante and ex-post transaction costs to internalize externalities d) Options for private resource use e) Options for common property resource management f) Linkage between the private and CPR resources g) Self-design institutions for resource management
Essential Reading: 1. Gupta, A.K., and Prakash Aseem, “On Internalization of Externalities, IIMA Working Paper No.1126, August 1993. 2. Gupta, A.K 2001. Criteria and Indicators of Sustainability An Introduction in Criteria and indicators of sustainability: A Natural Resource Perspective.Eds . Anil K. Gupta. Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi.
Desirable reading 3. Gupta, A. K. 1986. Socio Ecology of Stress: Why do common Property Resource Management Projects Fail?: A Case Study of Sheep and Pasture Development Project in Rajasthan, India -, in Proceedings of Common Property Research Conference, 1984, National Research Council, Washington, D.C. USA,, pp. 305-322. 4. Gupta, A. K. and Sinha, R. Criteria and indicators of sustainability: An Executive Summary. Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi.
Session 9.PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS FOR TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE
a) Scientists’ perception of farmer’s problems b) Designing agenda for research c) Research-industry-trade linkages influencing technological change d) Feedback process for technological changes: missing links
Essential Readings: 1. Gupta A. K. “Transferring Science for Development and diffusion of Technology: Agenda for Recasting Extension Science Research for Drylands/Rainfed Regions 2. Gupta, A. K.; Gaikwad, V. R.; Khandwalla, P. N.; Pandey, I. M. and Srivastava, U. K. 1991. Reorganization for Revitalization: Issues and Perspectives. CMA, IIM, Ahmedabad.
Session 10.FROM PROBLEM SOLVING TO SOLUTION AUGMENTING STRATEGIES:
a) Farmers innovations for sustainable agriculture b) Ecopreneurship at grassroots level c) Networks of innovators: case of Honey Bee network
Essential Readings: 1. Biggs, Stephen D., “Informal R&D”, Ceres Vol. No. 76, July- August, 1980. 2. Gupta, A. K.1989. Maps drawn by farmers and extensionists. In Chambers, Robert et. al. (Ed), Farmer First: Farmer Innovation and Agricultural Research, London Intermediate Technology Publication, 1989, pp. 86-92. 3. Gupta, A. K. 2000. Grassroots Innovations for Survival, ILEIA Newsletter, Vol.16, No.2
Session 11. TRANSITION TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE:
Case of Sustainable Pest Management (SPM)
a) Conceptual and operational framework for SPM including biotechnological alternatives b) Heuristic for creative problem solving c) Policy context for technological transition
Essential Reading:
Desirable Readings:
Session 12. CASE OF LIVESTOCK FEED, BREED AND HEALTH MANAGEMENT
a) Biotechnological alternatives and their sustainability b) Indigenous animal husbandry and veterinary care c) Drought and livestock management policy
Essential Readings:
www.cnie.org/NLE/CRSreports/Agriculture/ag-94.cfm
Session 13. CASE OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION IN DRY REGIONS AND HILLS
a) Harnessing traditional Wisdom in Watersheds b) Watershed management and institution building
Essential Readings: 1. Harnessing wisdom for watersheds (Akg and others, 2000 forthcoming)
Desirable reading:
www.newsroom.wri.org/newsrelease_text.cfm?NewsReleaseID=76
Session 14. INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT FOR LOW EXTERNAL INPUT AGRICULTURE
a) Models of organic certification b) Emerging consumer consciousness in India: findings of a survey by PGP students c) Challenges in transition, linkages with biotechnology and biosafety
Essential Readings:
www.acsh.org/publications/priorities/ 0804/agriculture.html
Countries. Nadia Scialabba http://www.fao.org/organicag/doc/BaselSum-final.doc Essential Readings:
www.un.org/esa/sustdev/csd8/ecn172000-bp4.pdf
www.iucn-ero.nl/whatsnew_files/pdf/ifoam.PDF
Session 15. ECOPRENEURS: AGENTS OF CHANGE - FOUR CASE STUDIES
Vermiculture: Case of Concept Selling (H. Jambhekar) Kunup Jal and Vrukshayurveda: Harnessing socio-cultural motivations (G.L. Atara and Vallabhbhai Gothi) Indiara: Overcoming bureaucratic hurdles (M.N. Sukhatme) Uplenchwar formula: An innovative diffusion strategy (P.D.Uplenchwar)
Essential Reading: 1. Pastakia A. R. Grassroots Innovations for Sustainable Development: the Case of Agricultural Pest Management unpublished dissertation. Ahmedabad: Indian Institute of Management. (selected pages)
Session 16. & 17 POLICY AND ORGANIZATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR LINKING FORMAL AND INFORMAL SCIENCE
a) Corporate investment in agricultural research: a case study b) Inter-organizational networking in research c) Public policy for supporting local innovations and enterprises
Essential Reading:
Desirable Reading:
Session 18 & 19. RISK AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY IN BIOTECHNOLOGY
a. Biosafety protocol b. Risk analysis and management c. Precautionary principle Essential Readings: 1. Parish, Mickey, 1999, Science Behind the Regulation of Food Safety: Risk Assessment and the Precautionary Principle, Washington: National Council for Science and Environment, CRS www.cnie.org/nle/crsreports/risk/rsk-29.cfm 2. Segarra, E.Alejandro, 2000, Biosafety Protocol for Genetically Modified Organisms: Overview, Washington DC, The National Council for Science and the Environment, CRS, www.ncseonline.org/nle/crsreports/ agriculture/ag-93.cfm 3. Gupta , A. K. 2000. Precaution and the survival threshold : Oscillatons between the Plimsoll lines. Key note paper presented at the conference on Biotechnology in the Global Economy: Science and the Precautionary Principle, Harvard University, Boston, 22-23 September 2000 Essential Readings: 4. Mugo, S. and Hoisington, D. 2001. Biotechnology for the improvement of maize for resource poor farmers: The CIMMYT Approach. Second National Maize Workshop of Ethopia, 12-16 November, 2001. www.cimmyt.org/worldwide/CIMMYT_Regions/CIMMYT_Africa/ procee_Ethiopia/31Biotechnology.pdf 5. Persley, G. J. Agricultural Biotechnology: Global Challenges and Emerging Science. www.cabi-publishing.org/Bookshop/ReadingRoom/ 0851998164/0851998164Ch1.pdf 6. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity, 17th July, 2001. www1.oecd.org/bangkok/presjohnstone.doc
Session 20. ETHICAL ISSUES IN TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE:
Essential Readings : 1. Gupta, A. K. 1994. Social and Ethical Dimensions of Ecological Economics, Key Note Paper invited presentation at the To Earth of International Society of Ecological Economics, Costa Rica, October, 1994 2. Gupta, A. K. 1994. Suggested Ethical Guidelines for Accessing and Exploring Biodiversity - A Pew Conservation Scholars Initiative, October 21, 1994 (A collective effort of Pew Conservation Scholars based on three background notes including G 16 and G 17), published in Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 5 (Japan), March 1995, pp.38-4.
Session 21 & 22: INTERNATIONAL TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY: ENVIRONMENTAL AND IPR DEBATES IN WTO, 1995-2000
Essential Reading : 1. Gupta, A. K. 2000. Environmental Implications of Intellectual Property Protection (IPP): Can individual and community conservation ethic and creativity be rewarded through IPP, paper prepared for UNEP, Geneva, 2000. 2. Gupta, A. K.; Chandak, V. S. and Matlon, A. 2001. Competitive Strategy for Agricultural Exports Through Value addition: The Intellectual Property Rights Perspective. The draft note is prepared for the discussions in the meeting of Gujarat Government committee On WTO and Agriculture , Sept 3, 2001, IIMA campus, Ahmedabad
Session 23, 24 & 25: PROJECT PRESENTATION & OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE
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