Environment & Development Series 5 Putting Farmers First in Sustainable Agriculture Practices By Hira Jhamtani Publisher: TWN (ISBN: 978-983-2729-11-2) Year: 2007   No. of pages: 32 PRICE US$8.00 for First World countries US$6.00 for Third World countries RM8.00 for Malaysia Prices are inclusive of postage costs by airmail.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Given the environmental and health concerns attached to conventional agriculture and genetically modified crops, the need for an ecologically and economically sustainable form of farming is pressing.

This paper examines the key principles of sustainable agriculture, which is defined as a holistic approach to food production and community welfare, as opposed to the narrow technological approach of conventional agriculture. Drawing on local and traditional knowledge and driven by farmers' innovations, sustainable agriculture integrates technical know-how with the socio-economic and cultural aspects of the community in which it is practised.

This paper provides examples of successful adoption of sustainable agriculture practices in developing-country farming communities. The author also outlines the elements needed to effect a broad-based transition to sustainable agriculture systems which will yield economically productive, ecologically sound and socially just outcomes.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

HIRA JHAMTANI is a researcher on environment and development issues, focusing on Asia and Indonesia. She has been an environmental activist for the past 15 years. She is currently a board member of the Montreal International Forum (FIM) and the Indonesian Society for Social Transformation (INSIST), a confederation of non-governmental organizations in the field of social transformation. She has conducted studies and published articles on various issues, mainly on development, environment and globalization issues.

Contents

1    Introduction                                                                                       

2    Principles and Approaches of Sustainable Agriculture          

3    Sustainable Agriculture in Practice

      Pesticide-free village

        Adoption of SRI in Cambodia

        Experience of an organic rice farmer in Java, Indonesia

        Lessons learnt

4    The Need for a Paradigm Shift

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