Seeds That Give : Participatory Plant Breeding

by Vernooy, Ronnie

• ISBN13: 9781552500149
• ISBN10: 1552500144
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-07-01
• Publisher: Stylus Pub Llc

Summary

Today's agriculture is like a huge inverted pyramid; globally, it rests on a precariously narrow base. Less than 3% of the 250 000 plant varieties available to agriculture are in use today. The top-down system of agricultural research, where farmers are seen merely as recipients of research rather than as participants in it, has contributed to this dependence on a relatively few plant varieties. This trend and the increasing industrialization of agriculture are key factors in what can only be called "genetic erosion". A new approach to agricultural research and development is needed to conserve diversity, improve crops, and produce quality food for all. This publication examines one such approach: participatory plant breeding. Drawing from a decade of IDRC research support in agricultural biodiversity, this book examines the key issues, from the design of on-farm research to farmers' and plant breeders' rights. It argues for the development of new, supportive policies and legislation. It presents a series of project stories that illustrate how farmers and plant breeders are working together in remote regions from the Andes to the Himalayas and beyond. In analyzing the results -- both the successes and the shortcomings -- the author presents a series of specific recommendations for governments and organizations involved in agricultural research and development. Finally, the author takes a speculative look 10 years into the future of participatory plant breeding. This book serves as the focal point for an IDRC thematic web site on participatory plant breeding: www.idrc.ca/seeds. The full text is available online and leads the reader into a virtual web of resources that explores a decade of research on agrobiodiversity and participatory plant breeding.

Author Biography

Ronnie Vernooy is a senior program specialist at Canada's International Development Research Centre.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
Part 1. The Issue	1	(10)
Mega-crops and genetic erosion	1	(2)
Why diversity matters	3	(2)
Dynamic conservation and improvement	5	(2)
A decade of research	7	(4)
Part 2. The Approach	11	(8)
A focus on community	11	(3)
The right questions	14	(2)
Seeking the answers	16	(3)
Part 3. Experience from the Field	19	(28)
Participatory barley improvement in North Africa and the Middle East	20	(3)
Local agricultural research committees in Latin America	23	(5)
Reshaping agriculture in Cuba	28	(3)
Enriching maize and rice in Nepal	31	(5)
Maize improvement in southwest China	36	(4)
The global program on Participatory Research and Gender Analysis	40	(3)
What has been accomplished?	43	(4)
Part 4. Learning from Experience	47	(16)
Participatory plant breeding	47	(2)
Agrobiodiversity	49	(3)
Successful spin-offs	52	(5)
Seeking policy and legal alternatives	57	(2)
Summing up	59	(4)
Part 5. Recommendations	63	(8)
Increase relevance	64	(1)
Create new partnerships	65	(1)
Pay attention to quality interaction and reward cooperation	66	(1)
Ensure good practice	67	(1)
Assess results through participatory monitoring and evaluation	68	(1)
Nourish a new generation of practitioners	69	(1)
The challenge	70	(1)
Part 6. A Vision for the Future	71	(8)
Increased relevance	72	(1)
New partnerships	73	(1)
Quality interaction and cooperation	74	(1)
Good practice mainstreamed	75	(2)
Quality participation	77	(1)
An active new generation of practitioners	78	(1)
Appendix 1. Glossary of Terms and Acronyms	79	(6)
Appendix 2. Sources and Resources	85