Paper short abstract:

Food security,Indigenous people, Wild food, Ethnobotany, Indian desert,Tribal people,Famine food, Nutritive value,Traditional knowledge, Rajasthan, Tribal diet, Folk wisdom,Deciduous forests, Aravalli and Vindhyan hills.

Paper long abstract:

Indigenous people throughout the world possess knowledge of their surrounding flora and fauna. People's knowledge and perceptions of the environment and their relationship with it are often important elements of cultural identity. Wild foods are a part of tribal people's diet not only during periods of food shortages but also on a daily basis. It is this daily consumption of wild food products, which contributes overall nutritional well being of tribals.

The state of Rajasthan has a sizable tribal population existing in the still surviving deciduous forests of the Aravalli and Vindhyan ranges. Though having undergone varying degrees of change, a substantial population even today can be seen thriving in primitive conditions with the preserved traditions. Living close to nature, the tribals have acquired unique knowledge about the properties and uses of wild food plants, most of which are not known to the outside world. Exhaustive field work in tribal villages with a macro-level perspective brought forth interesting revelations from the panorama of their lives. The present work highlights useful ethnobotanical information about the uses of wild plants as food by the tribals of Rajasthan. Wild foods are not only important to food security in extreme cases, they often make up a portion of the tribal diet in other times too. This folk wisdom, if subjected to scientific scrutiny, could benefit humankind in many ways.

Paper Download (71 KB)

Paper short abstract:

Satisfactory white fly control (> 50% mortality) in ladysfinger field was achieved with extract of Polygonum plants and spinosad. Polygonum was effective achieving more than 60 % mortality at 3 and 7 days after spraying. Bio-pesticides, safer to environment can be incorporated in organic farming.

Paper long abstract:

Ladysfinger (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) (Moench) is an annual vegetable crop grown in tropical and sub-tropical areas of the globe. The crop is susceptible to various pests of which white fly (Bemisia tabaci Genn.) causes heavy damage. It is very difficult to control this pest because the fruit is consumed after little cooking. This practice could lead to human health hazards arising from toxic residues in the fruit. This field study evaluated the efficacy of extracts from plants such as Polygonum hydropiper L. and Pongamia pinnata L., microbial insecticides like spinosad 45 SC (Saccharopolyspora spinosa Mertz & Yao) and Beauveria bassiana against B. tabaci infesting ladysfinger during post-kharif season. Methanol was used as solvent for extract. The plant parts are used in different ways for pest control in tribal areas under the sub-Himalayan region of north-east India. Imidacloprid 17.8% SL was used as check. Four sprays at 12-day intervals were made, starting with the initiation of infestation. Total white fly numbers per leaf were counted at 3, 7 and 11 days after treatment (DAT). Satisfactory white fly control (> 50% population suppression) was achieved with extract of Polygonum plants (5% concentration) and spinosad. The Polygonum extract was very effective, achieving more than 60 % mortality at 3 and 7 days after spraying. Plant extracts and microbial insecticides are biopesticides having less or no hazardous effects on human health and environment. Thus they can be incorporated in organic farming in vegetable cultivation.

Key words: Bio-pesticides, vegetables IPM, organic farming

Paper short abstract:

This paper attempts to integrate high yielding high research PPP oriented research activity in India into a location specific indigenous knowledge based system for developing pro-poor agricultural production system.

Paper long abstract:

Sustainability of food and agricultural systems has come under threat due to profit oriented agro industrial production and research approaches that manifested implications for agricultural bio diversity, health, consumption and production structures.

This paper attempts to integrate high yielding high research PPP oriented research activity in India into a location specific indigenous knowledge based system for developing pro-poor agricultural production system.

The basis characteristic of this new technology is application of complementary inputs into a consumption oriented location specific agricultural system defined within a coherent ecology with a export-market specific warehousing and supply chain design.

The time and cost effectiveness in lab-to land transfer of research output for ecological absorption testing provide the keynote for PPP effort in agricultural production, transgenic research, consumption oriented indigenous production system.

Data is to be taken from Directorate of Economics and Statistics, NSS, RBI Bulletin on Currency and Finance, International Council of Agricultural research for types of crop yields and its application in consumption specific areas in Goa in India. Moreover, whether primary exports and lab crops interact to impact the nature of food grains absorption is to be studied.

This paper argues for assessing institutional weaknesses of extension specific outcomes of 1st green revolution having paved way for a new thinking into green and agricultural reforms. The larger new challenges of change in consumption orientation of mass of people along with world- wide growth in transgenic research and its role on sustainability of food security systems is the focus of study.

Paper short abstract:

Traditional knowledge is constantly evolving to support lives and livelihoods which supports food security and food sovereignty for peoples and communities across the world and it is the very foundation of our food supply.

Paper long abstract:

The fundamental roles of indigenous knowledge in sustaining the livelihoods of people have often been neglected in the agricultural and rural development sector. There are no formal interventions that seek to encourage people to use the local knowledge to improve agricultural crop production. The seasonal nature of food production and gathering in the country creates a need to store and preserve foods during periods of massive food production Studies on the role of indigenous knowledge in food security could provide important information for development of policies that support such knowledge for human sustenance. The traditional knowledge of peasants has enabled them to survive difficult and often changing environments throughout history. This vast reserve of knowledge has potential to contribute to scientific knowledge and development, but it has not been given the recognition it deserves. Traditional knowledge is constantly evolving to support lives and livelihoods. It supports food security and food sovereignty for peoples and communities across the world and it is the very foundation of our food supply. Indigenous knowledge system relating to the sustainable management and utilization of biological resources in the environment is not yet thoroughly explored in accordance with the holistic understanding of the indigenous structures and institutions of the culture, traditions, beliefs and practices of the tribe.

Paper short abstract:

We need to get food security and ecological balance through ITK which has been by a research for ways to make agriculture sustainable and methodology for finding the sustainability. The indigenous people still stick to traditional technology and those technologies will maintain ecological balance.

Paper long abstract:

This paper argues that we need to get food security and ecological balance through ITK in a sustainable fashion. There is a research for ways to make agriculture sustainable; it is because the fantasy built up around industrial agriculture over decades has been rudely shaken. A methodology for finding the sustainability through ITK is discussed. It is observed that the indigenous people still stick to traditional technology for their food security and those technologies will maintain ecological balance too. The farmers use wood ash to kill the soil borne insects, they lit the fire at the corner of their rice field to get rid of gundhi bug; for treatment of wounded fish they apply turmeric paste on them; dry neem leaves, contain Azadirachtin, are used in storage of pulses; these are few among many of eco-friendly practices which farmers follow and are sustainable as well. From prehistoric time Indigenous peoples have depended, upon local environments for the provision of a variety of resources; they have developed a stake in conserving, and in many cases, enhancing the biodiversity. They are aware that biological diversity is a crucial factor in generating the ecological services and natural resources on which they depend. It is thus crucial that the ITK of a given locality forms the substrate on which food and ecological balance measures are developed to meet the economic and environmental challenges of the modern world.

Paper short abstract:

S.E. Asian shifting cultivators are changing farming practices as access to markets improves, abandoning some fields and cultivating others. Their vulnerability to market prices, fertiliser costs and soil degradation is increasing. Conservation schemes requiring additional labour.

Paper long abstract:

Throughout the hilly and mountainous areas of S.E. Asia former shifting cultivators are abandoning some of their fields and cultivating others on an almost permanent basis. Those with access to roads and thus to urban markets are often concentrating on the production of one or two commercial crops and are ceasing to grow the hill rice that was the mainstay of their family's nutrition. Thus even in these economies the problem of "food miles" is growing and local crop diversity is decreasing. This leads to greater community vulnerability to both vagaries in market prices and environmental change. Continuous cultivation in areas of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo,has degraded soils and reduced yields, requiring expensive fertilisers to be used. In the Lao PDR, migration following war and conflict has forced people into areas with which they are unfamiliar and their traditional cultivation methods are unsuccessful. Efforts to introduce improved soil conservation to enhance crop yields are often unsuccessful because the work required to maintain such systems is far greater than the effort required in tradition shifting cultivation. Economic returns mean a lot to small farmers and if conservation methods are too expensive, either in the labour cost or the cost of hiring tractors to plough, they tend to be abandoned. Nevertheless there are some community schemes with appropriate leadership that have successfully adapted indigenous knowledge to enhance production and have reduced degradation and waste of water resources.

Paper short abstract:

Water harvesting technique followed by the farmers of Koraput district under eastern ghat high land zone, reflected the engineering mind of the local people who constructed stone bedded bench terrace for raising paddy, and other vegetables over and above its use for domestic purpose .

Paper long abstract:

A study relating to water harvesting technique followed by the farmers of Koraput district under eastern ghat high land zone for farm and non-farm use was made by the scholar, reflected the engineering mind of the local people who constructed stone bedded bench terrace for making use of the water coming from the perennial source at hill top through mid-hills and foot hills area for raising paddy, and other vegetables over and above its use for domestic purpose like washing clothes and utensils and taking bath.Indigenous knowledge, which is developed over years of observations, experiences and experimentations of both tribal and non-tribal farmers of the study area speaks volume about their hidden talents and concerned for conserving water for its judicious use. The technique used in this harnessing procedure can very well be exploited for other field crop like wheat requiring more water at six critical stages of growth. The heading up and the idea of drainage channel will help immensely for controlling water for its proper use.

Paper short abstract:

This paper is going to focus on Food Processing by Rajbanshi Indigenous People of North Bengal, India.

Paper long abstract:

Rajbanshi social fold comprising of both caste and communities constitute 18% of total population of North Bengal, India. They are in favour of irrigation (small and broad scale), sacred grove, fencing and lattice, highland and marshland, river basins and valleys, kitchen garden, etc. They are too good with the complex production systems of crops, cereals, vegetables, rapeseeds, honey, bamboo, liquor and sugar yielding varieties, medicinal herbs, fruits, mushrooms, lichen, livestock, fish, crab, small fish, mud fish, prawn as well as fiber, silk, silk cotton, drinks, areca, betel and tobacco. They are fond of meat, milk, egg and fish. These flora and fauna are again source of fuel, fodder, natural dye, and pesticides.

Rajbanshis is traditional life used to go through barter and reciprocity. Women are involved in preserving fish, paddy, fruit and milk items. In fish and paddy preservation, they use arum. Fruits are preserved in dried or as pickles. They do not waste their organic waste and use them as manure associated with ash, light trap, food-web and natural insecticides. They have developed crop rotation, legume plants and mixed cultivation. They still remember shifting cultivation and bush-fallow cultivation. Further, they have produced complex production systems involving varieties of flora and fauna (such as mango-pineapple, areca-betel nut, rice-fish, and duck-snail-fish).

Alternative food sources that Rajbanshis do not put in priority are toad/frog, eel, snails and boar. They do not eat cow for religious reasons. But in traditional life, they once consumed deer, bison, buffalo, rabbit, wild birds, turtle and lamb.

Paper Download (123 KB)

Paper short abstract:

We must find out some preventive mechanisms to keep our population at a replacement level. This will eventually allow us to revert back to our indigenous food production system, which seems to be essential for making the world more natural and habitable for future.

Paper long abstract:

It is reported that agricultural land which extracts food and cereals contains only 12 per cent of the total land which does not seem to be sufficient to cover the subsistence of a huge incumbent population. In this context, I formulate a clear statement that due to an excessive demographic pressure, the farmers around the world go for a mechanized cultivation by making an abrupt shift from their indigenous traditional food production system. The resulting effect is the degradation of the soil which keeps land fully dependent on chemical fertilizer and uncontrolled irrigation, putting the environment in a vulnerable situation. To exemplify this situation, the paper will incorporate ethnographic evidences in global context and to make it more intensive, the paper will include a few case studies from South Asian communities. Based on the above contention, I formulate a conclusive statement with a modest caution saying that we must find out some preventive mechanisms to keep our population at a replacement level.

Paper short abstract:

Indigenous Knowledge (IK) is a social capital for the poor and constitutes their main asset in their efforts to gain control of their own lives hence, its preservation is important particularly to ensure food security.

Paper long abstract:

Indigenous Knowledge (IK) is a key element of the social capital of the poor and constitutes their main asset in their efforts to gain control of their own lives. Utilizing IK helps to increase the sustainability of development efforts because the IK integration process provides for mutual learning and adaptation, which in turn contributes to the empowerment of local communities particularly in ensuring food security.

Indigenous vis-a-vis rural and hill communities are considered as the custodian of indigenous knowledge. They identify themselves very closely with their natural habitat and use their traditional skills in the management of ecological resources as their very existence is based on these resources. Thus, drawing sustenance as well as sustain the ecology becomes an integral part of their culture. For centuries, the tribal, rural and hill communities have been effectively managing their natural resources and maintaining ecological balance using a wide range of traditional practices and self imposed rules evolved over a period.

The paper focuses on the role of cultural practices through which communities consume, sustain and conserve natural resources for livelihood and maintain equilibrium. It also suggests the the need to keep into account the local ecology, environment and sustainability and evolve strategies which could be environmentally sustainable and based on local knowledge and practices. Local communities have their own indigenous ways to mange food grain storage and seeds. It also emphasizes that the crops which could be ecologically adaptable should be promoted.

Paper short abstract:

Standard ecofriendly technology, the cage culture, for pisciculture in abandoned OCP-lakes provides an incredible protein source and environmental security

Paper long abstract:

Abandoned Opencast Coal Pits (OCP) lakes, located at Bankola Colliery in Eastern Coalfields Limited are studied for pisciculture by adopting indigenous ecofriendly technology, the cage culture. Study of Limnological parameters, concentration of heavy metals and the subsequent impacts on the quality of this water body, fish health and production are also recorded. The results of different limnological parameters reveal some resemblance with the pisculture standards (ICAR, 2007). Average heavy metals' concentration namely for lead 0.08 (± 0.02) mg/l, cadmium 0.01 (± 0.01) mg/l, and arsenic and chromium are below the detectable limit. Rearing and stoking of fishes are made in cage (7.3 m long, 3.7 m wide and 1.8 m deep) afloat at a height of 0.3 to 0.5 m over the surface of the water. Fishes of three different ecological niches viz., Catla catla, Labeo rohita, and a catfish Pangasius pangasius are cultured in three units of cage for a typical period of 90 days. C. catla gained its body weight over 5.5 times, L. rohita 5 times, and Pangasius 3.5 times as compared with the Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA), Bhubaneswar, Orissa. This practice of pisciculture will be able to open up a new vista towards protein sources and environmental security for food production to the core group of people of this area.

Paper short abstract:

In the last decade, the explosion in population, accelerated urbanization and income growth have become unsustainable. They are generating growing and competing demands on food and on natural resources such as soil and water as well as the wider environment.

Paper long abstract:

How does one bring about social change? The obvious answer is ideally through non-violent mass-based movements, mobilized through an organization that ensures that collective wisdom is employed in goal setting, strategizing and sustaining the movement. The problem in reality is that mass-based movements are rare, and mass movements which can actually bring about changes are even rarer. Many factors other than people's consciousness and participation go into the making of the movement, and it is rare that all factors come together to capture people's imagination on a large scale and for a long time. They could may be happen once in a life time, but meanwhile, the desire for change has to be fostered, day-to-day battles have to be fought and the human spirit kept in a state of readiness; for which advocacy is the only means available.

In the last decade, the explosion in population, accelerated urbanization and income growth have become unsustainable. They are generating growing and competing demands on food and on natural resources such as soil and water as well as the wider environment. The amount of rich arable land for cultivation is diminishing, fossil (non renewable) aquifers are being depleted and desertification is spreading. This has resulted in price increase and environmental stress and leads one to ask the question how we can respond effectively at this juncture in the 21st Century.

In this context, the idea of people-centred advocacy seems an attractive and meaningful solution.