Grassroot Initiatives for Sustainable Livelihood

TitleGrassroot Initiatives for Sustainable Livelihood
Publication TypeBook Chapter
Year of Publication2017
AuthorsAnilKumar N., Parameswaran P., SMITHA K.P
Book TitleBiodiversity for Sustainable Development
Pagination235-248
PublisherSpringer International Publishing
KeywordsConvention on Biological Diversity, Nagoya Protocol, Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, Sustainable Livelihood
Abstract

On-farm management of agrobiodiversity in the Western Ghats, the biodiversity hotspot and a UN-accredited World Heritage Centre has become difficult due to an array of reasons. In rice paddy ecosystem, the conversion of ricefields and dwindling diversity of rice landraces are found to be the biggest challenge. This chapter describes the case of Wayanad District of Kerala, India, where, recognising the importance of paddy fields in terms of ecological, food and livelihood security provided by them, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) launched a rice conservation programme in 1998 and a Seed-Care movement. This movement has been facilitated since 1998 by involving the major farming groups of Wayanad, especially the tribal communities of Kurichya, Kuruma, Pathiyar and Wayanadan Chetty, to promote the conservation and sustainable use of the indigenous crop varieties. This case study illustrates a movement that has promoted conservation of seeds of indigenous varieties in smallholders’ family farms in Wayanad District of Kerala. The active integration of agrobiodiversity into the overall issue of sustainable development is necessary, giving equal consideration to all the three dimensions of it: economic, ecological and social sustainability. Efforts have been made to integrate conservation issues, cultivation knowledge, consumption awareness and commercial aspects into one overarching policy strategy.

URLhttps://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-42162-9_15
Publisher Category: 
Department: