In 1997, the biodiversity program evolved into the Sustainable Use of Biodiversity (SUB) program initiative, retaining its major objec- tives and approach: ➛ to promote the use, maintenance, and enhancement of the knowledge, innovations, and practices of indigenous and local communities to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity; ➛ to develop incentives, methods, and policies that facilitate the [...] The pioneering efforts highlighted in this book to maintain or enlarge the space for the dynamic evolution of diversity, for the improvement of agricultural productivity, and for the recognition of both farmers’ and breeders’ knowledge and skills are a great inspiration. [...] We do know that the invention of agriculture represented a sea change in the evolution of humanity leading to the social systems and structures that we call “civilization.” Over the millennia, the processes of farmer experimentation led to the domestication of an ever wider range of plants to meet specific needs, preferences, and environmental conditions. [...] This trend and the increasing industrialization of agriculture are key factors in what can only be called “genetic erosion.” The term refers to both the loss of species and the reduction of variety, and it includes not only plants but also animals and microorganisms, 2 SEEDS THAT GIVE: PARTIC IPATORY PLANT BREEDING as well as the gradual breakdown of the processes that maintain the evolution of di [...] In the words of the FAO’s 1998 report on the state of the world’s plant genetic resources for food and agricul- ture: “It may be necessary to rethink conventional breeding strategies.” Rethinking conventional breeding strategies means above all recognizing the key roles of farmers and their knowledge and social organization in the management and maintenance of agrobiodiversity.
Authors
- Bibliography, etc. Note
- Includes bibliographical references: p. 86-92
- Control Number Identifier
- CaOOCEL
- Dewey Decimal Classification Number
- 631.5/2
- Dewey Decimal Edition Number
- 21
- General Note
- Distributed by the Government of Canada Depository Services Program Issued also in French under title: Les semences du monde; and Spanish under title: Semillas generosas Issued as part of the desLibris books collection
- Geographic Area Code
- n-cn---
- ISBN
- 9781552501979 1552500144
- LCCN
- SB123
- LCCN Item number
- V477 2003eb
- Modifying agency
- CaBNVSL
- Original cataloging agency
- CaBNVSL
- Physical Description | Extent
- 1 electronic text (x, 93 p.)
- Published in
- Canada
- Publisher or Distributor Number
- CaOOCEL
- Rights
- Access restricted to authorized users and institutions
- System Control Number
- (CaBNVSL)gtp00521759 (OCoLC)228136877 (CaOOCEL)405849
- System Details Note
- Mode of access: World Wide Web
- Title proper/short title
- Participatory plant breeding
- Transcribing agency
- CaBNVSL
Table of Contents
- Contents 6
- Preface 8
- Part 1. The Issue 12
- Mega-crops and genetic erosion 12
- Why diversity matters 14
- Dynamic conservation and improvement 16
- A decade of research 18
- Part 2. The Approach 22
- A focus on community 22
- The right questions 25
- Seeking the answers 27
- Part 3. Experiences from the Field 30
- Participatory barley improvement in North Africa and the Middle East 31
- Local agricultural research committees in Latin America 34
- Reshaping agriculture in Cuba 39
- Enriching maize and rice in Nepal 42
- Maize improvement in southwest China 47
- The global program on Participatory Research and Gender Analysis 51
- What has been accomplished? 54
- Part 4. Learning from Experience 58
- Participatory plant breeding 58
- Agrobiodiversity 60
- Successful spin-offs 63
- Seeking policy and legal alternatives 68
- Summing up 70
- Part 5. Recommendations 74
- 1. Increase relevance 75
- 2. Create new partnerships 76
- 3. Pay attention to quality interaction and reward cooperation 76
- 4. Ensure good practice 78
- 5. Assess results through participatory monitoring and evaluation 79
- 6. Nourish a new generation of practitioners 80
- The challenge 81
- Part 6. A Vision for the Future 82
- Increased relevance 83
- New partnerships 85
- Quality interaction and cooperation 86
- Good practice mainstreamed 87
- Quality participation 88
- An active new generation of practitioners 89
- Appendix 1. Glossary of Terms and Acronyms 90
- Appendix 2. Sources and Resources 96
- The Publisher 106
