December, 1995 21122 No. 13 Agriculture * Technology Notes The Agricultural Technology and Services Division (AGRTN) The World Bank Sustainable Agriculture Combining Human and Ecological Needs with Economic Development Sustainable agriculture (SA) is an economically feasible approach that maintains the viability of soil, water, and air wnile promoting social equity and community well-being. Combining sustainable farming practices with incentives for economic growth is necessary for food security and poverty reduction in the developing world. This note discusses what these practices are along with ways to engage the local people in the process. Farm operators and local institutions must participate in any technology developments, or agricultural innovations will not be used. High- And Low-input Agriculture i Where the "green rexvolution" has been successful, it has been with high-external- input-agriculture (HEIA). Where agricul- ture has depended nmainly on the use of local resources-and wnhere agro-chermti- cats, improved varieties and mtodern s equipngEIAt are either too expensive or not n ai p available-it can be characterized as low- SAis external-input-agriculture (LEIA). LEbA ft is founid in most regions withi rainfed agri- culture, but especiallv in so-called diverse, st . conmplex, risk-prone, and remote regions, aied where farmpers haive beien isolated or neglected. Both types of agriculture face serious ecological and economic problems. For IEIA, the problemis relate to exces- sive and unbalanced use of agro-chemi- 1H cals, salinization from inigation, and loss of Lovl roincfal or marginal forming areas are often especially suitable to sustcinrble agriculture plant dliversitvvwhich can in the long nin tecrmniques harmn humanis, animals, and the soil. Increasingly, HEIA areas are experiencing Alternative Approach nat-inpuit, or sustainable approach seeks to a decrease in the effectiveness of these ex- SA is a new, paradigm for agricultural pro- optimize the use of organic and inorganic ternal inputs because of biological factors duction under both high- and low-input inputs. Hereafter, 'sustainable agricul- and also because of a loss in profitability as systems. This -alternative approach is vari- turn" (SA) will be used to) cover develop- input subsidies are being withdrawvn. By ously referred to by such names as biolog- mnent approaches that focus on optimnal use contrast, in LEIA areas, the problenis are ical, niatulral, organic, initegrated, Ioxv-ex- of loc-al resouirces and, where necessary' related to loss of protective bio-mass and ternal-iiiput-sustainable-agriculture, or and feasible, use of modemn external in- soil fe'rtilitv. This moakes farming even simiply sustainable agriculture. Biological, puts. mnore vulnerable to climiatic risks and de- natural, or organic usually, refers to prac- SA practices are often perceived as being creases the productivity of the natural in- tices th-at significantly reduce or eliminate associated wNith reduced technology inputs. source base. (Reijntjes and others 1992. the use of iniorganic fertilizers anid synitlet- However, the opposite is die ofteni the This Note drawvs heavily on this souirce.) ic pesticides. The integrated, low-exter- case. Suistainable agriculture can be a AGRTN Technology Notes for recycling organic waste. Compost An SA prject in en.n drmaticall increaed maizeyields.is a slowv release organic fertilizer which stimulates soil life and improves Ino1986,dthe-internasional pr ntituteo ofnTropical Agriculture (IITA) and Beninais sci- soil structure. Other important tech- entists ustrthe mon- farmdresearnhein enuinpon- methods to restn solan frtriity an lalty Mnaiques of organic waste management thent slame varetimes, t d e anc agefarmersnto participate ind nuthientflow expi proe, are biogas productio e and composting aroacmens, justoas deelop practit stehnologs. Onle such technology, the cultivation ofof night soil. adground agricvere live mulch,amountthe imal prurieessvar tis, enr dich ases th soil-withan - Cover cropping. Cover crops can he gafe and cleanwatersupplyinbays,men. throumanaged in various ways to enhance Farmerms acceptedlsa Mesiaafter seeingt how *Effecitivenitgwasin com batiengtwo ofd soil fertility,., replacing fallow vege- their main widlfe,armi pblems: restoricongsoi fertiligy so that mze y s g timpresovred, a tation with cover crops, alley cropping, halting the rampant supe.Agricsstuby covenong the groundand ventf pnth whemsed s fm Wintegration of trees into cropland, relay regeriving adsequatoaew sunlight. foarmers' contributiron overfourgyes of fuuna orfallowing by sowing hush legumes tresa gnderave thdem f a sstake ionsthereats motivationg dies themtoencoure oth o uystem camn te formedod crops, live mulceing, (tOas'aConsult of92). theiroerperienshaded cover crops, and use of azolla The eshults for farmers who hadelopmenta Muanwere dramatic. Thy recoarded oing tand blue-green algae in flooded rice pvroage, atnfold princreasor prons maiz hyeld(ro 200d efeto vl 2,00 k logramsperthecarmer.) systems. t Use of inorganic fertilizer. Applying inorganic fertilizers in balanced com- binationel with organic fertilizers can grea ty enhance soil productivity. knowledge-intensive production system logical life and may use the most advanced equip- a Optimizing plant nutrient availability Managing flows of solar radiation, ment, plant varieties, and management ap- and nutrient flow through the soil pro- air, and water-Techniques or factors proaches, just as in high-input systems. file that can help in this area include: But while the goal of profitable and pro- o Minimizing losses due to plant and an- Mulchiing crates a shallow layer at the ductive agriculture is paramount the imal pests and diseases by means of soil-air interface .ith properties that achievement of SA, it requires a focus on prevention and biologically safe treat- enhance the original soil surface layer safe and clean water supply in bays, ment through influences on temperature, streams, and wels, a desirable habitat for l Exploiting complementarv and syner- light penetration, and moisture reten- fish and vildlife, a viable rural economy, gy in the use of genetic resources, both tion. and a safe food supply Agriculture can no in the genome of plants themselves n Windbreaks improve the microchmate longer limit itself to a few narrow goals and and through the management of func- or decrease wind erosion. Windbreaks treat undesirable side effects as constraints tional diversity in the fandning sstem can be formed by living hedges, trees, (O'Connell 1992). or physical structures and are posi- SA should be seen as a development ap- Many promising SA techniques are being tioned around fields, gardens, or farm proach and a participatory process rather used effectively by low-input farmers. comporinds. than a hard set of techniques and criteria. WVhile some involve traditional practices, * Water harvesting includes a wvide vain- Ideally, farmers and other development others have been improved by farmers or ety of techniques to catch water and actors, extension workers, researchers, scientists. These techniques fall into promote percolation rather than policyg akers, bankers, and others need to roughly three categories. runoff. Water harvesting is of great work together on a equal and participatory importance in rainfed agriculture to basis. SA Techniques conserve th-e available water and/or Soil and nutrient management- guide excess water safely from the Basic Goals Techniques for managing the soil and its field. Scientific understanding of SA is still in its nutrients include: *Strip cropping, where the crop is sown infancy. However, the insights and experi- Manure handling. Improved collec- in narrov.,, tilled rows along contours. ence gained thus far through agro-ecologi- tion, composting, storage and trans- The str-ips of land between the rows, cal research and indigenous agriculture port of dung and urine can reduce nu- w,hich are left untilled in natural grass- suggest some basic goals that can guide trient losses. The quality and quantity es, slowv the flowN of rainwater dow,n the the process of SA. The ecological goals of manure depenids on the animal slope and promote percolation. can be grouped as follows: species, the protein anid energy con- *Permeable contour-line barriers, in *Securing favorable soil conditions for tent of feed and the choice of bedding -which ridges of stone, stalks, branches, plant growth, particularly by managing material and housing for livestock, trunks or other organic material, as organic matter and enhancing soil bio- *Composting. An important technique well as the planting of hedges, grasses page 2 Decenmber, 1995 or shrubs along contour lines at regu- lar intervals can promote percolation World Bank Projects in China, Mali, and improved soil structure. and India incorporate SA goals. Small ponds or dams are traditionallv used in many parts of the world to In the Bank's current China Loess Plateau project, the objective is to increase store water for livestock and domestic agricultural production and income in nine tributary watersheds of the Yellow purposes. River and reduce soil losses with various conservation practices. These practices include terracing on slopes between 5 and 25 degrees, expanding forest cover from Pest and disease management-Aside 14 per cent to 28 percent of the land area, and the construction of sediment con- from the techniques of intercropping trol dams. (growing two or more crops at the same The objective of the Mali Natural Resource Management project is to introduce time in the same field) and the use of a land use system which seeks to reverse natural resource degradation in 150 farn traps, other technliqucs incluide: communities. The nature of resource-enhancing investments are being defined by * Use of trap and decoy crops. Pests can local committees and include such practices as stone contours, water harvesting be attracted by certain plants. WVhen and improved forest and wildlife habitat management. these are sown in the neighborinig The India Watershed Plains project seeks to contribute to the reversal of ecolog- field, insects will gather on them and ical degradation in a variety of agro-ecological zones in the rainfed and dryland can be more easily controlled. areas in the states of Gujarat, Orissa,and Rajasthan. The area covers 265,000 ha. * Biologic-al control. In biological con- The project will introduce rephcable soil conservation practices such as planting of trol, pests are suppressed bv predators, vetiver grass and reforestation. virus, or fiungi that may be natural to the area or specifically introduced for Source: World Bank documents. pest/weed control. * Use of pesticides. At times, the use of pesticides may still be required. They of joint experimentation to improve the siders for improved methodologies. can sometimes be prepared from local farmiiers situation. PTD essentially is a Experimental groups need to be devel- plants or other materials (e.g., neem, process of purposefutl and creative interac- oped, and fanner-experimenters need to urine, ashes, minerals). Where these tion between local communities and out- be trained. plants or the knovledge of how to use side facihtators, in order to understand the Implementation-Carrying out experi- them correctlv are not available, the main characteristics and dynamics of that ments by farmers is done together with use of synthetic pesticides may be nec- particular agro-ecological system, to define monitoring and evaluation of results. essary. priority problems, and to experiment local- Sharing results-Results can be shared lv with a varietv of tecbnological options. with local and scientific networks to seruti- Choosing, conserving, and improving The options are based on ideas and experi- nize and interpret, and to encourage fur- genetic resources-Many species that ences derived from both indigenous ther testing to adapt results for particular are cultivated or collected are not knowsn knowvledge and fornal scien)ce. circumstances. to formal science or have been underesti- Experiences xworking wvith farms to pro- Sustaining and consolidating PTD- mated in their potential. mote PTD suggest the following steps: This involves creating favorable conditions Also, using in-situ conservation (collect- Getting started-Taking a PTD ap- for participation of farmers' organizations ing, evaluating, safeguarding, improving. proach requires studying existing informa- and local institutions. Establishment of multiplying, and distributing indigenous tion, building a relationship with farmners infrastructure and educational facilities is genetic resources in their place of origin) and networks of fanrners, participatory di- needed to strengthen local experimental can improve local genetic resources in the agnosis of problems, and a joint analysis of capacities and local maniagement of the long run. needs based on the farming situatioll. process of imnovation. Identifying options-This involves PTD gives a consistent framework for Participatory Technology identifying indigenoims technical knovl- methods and teclniques covering the Development edge as well as scientific knoxwledge. whole process of technology development Research is often seen as the monopolv of Topics for further developmemit need to be at the village level. PTD is labor-intensive scientists. However, through farmer ex- screened and selected according to criteria in the initial stages, and PTD practitioners pemimentation and farner-to-farmer com- for optimal use of local resources and sus- iieed to remain open to farmers' needs and munication, most agricultural innovations tainable systems of production. their practical knowledge of agriculture. continue to evolve. Participatory technol- Organizing the experiments-The de- ogy development (PTD) is an approach sign and planning of experiments should Conclusions that comhbines the research capacities of be based on farmers' criteria and measur- SA is being promoted by NGOs in Africa, farmers and other professions in a process ing techniques, with suggestions from out- Asia. and Latin America. The CGIAR svs- page 3 AGRTN Technology Notes terni anti thie National AgTricultural searchers and ex- Research Systerns (NARS) as vell as the tension staff in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the world have been United Nations (FAO), and others are trained in agro- paying increasing attention to the develop- nomic concepts r ment of site-specific andl ecologically that assume the sound agriculture. Improvements can be presence of exter- made with relatively, low levels of external nal inputs, and inputs. In many cases substantial problems suggest a top- have to be overcome before sucecesses at down approach of the farm level can be acbieved: transfer of tech- Restoration-In areas xvhere over-eulti- nology. Training vation has led to a degradation of vegeta- in the principles of tive cover and soil resouirces, as is the case sustainable agri- in large parts of Africa, a transition period culture and partic- Participation of farmers and communities is a key port of developing may be necessaryv dlring xvhich consider- ipatory technology or adopting techniques for sustainable agriculture. able levels of external inputs may be need- development is a ed to restore, regenerate, and enhance the prerequisite for ef- local resources. fective promotion of SA. gy development is available. In many Incentives-Most produetion activities Agricultural policy adjustment-In cases, the incentives for enhancing SA re- have an immediate market response swhen many cases the system of land ownership, quire a conducive policy and institutional products are sold. Returns for improved policies, and research planning are not coordination. Creativity and flexibility for soil and nutrient management are general- geared toward the needs of SA. field staff and researchers are important ly a few years in the fiutuire, however. To Possibilities to enhance this approach to requirements for this approach in order to correct this gap, appropriate government farming requires an update of current develop the site-specific solutions. incentives should be explored. WNhen tenuire, research and policy positions. looking at net returns to farmers, "inte- Institutional concentration and net- grated pest management" techniquies working-NGCOs, government agencies, Recommended Additional often look qutite good, but the focus must extension agents, research scientists, and Reading shift from gross output to xvhat the farmer international research organizations each has in his or her pocket at the end of the have to play their role. Their efforts need National Research Council. 1993. Soil grow,ing season. coordination and overall leadership. and Water Quality. Wvashington, D.C.: Filling the technology gap-Since re- National Academy Press. search for SA is recent, there is a gap in ex- For SA to succeed, an approach for agri- isting technologies. In many cases, SA cultural development is required that . 1993. Sustainable Agriculture teclnologies require more labor than builds on the available bio-physical and and the Environment in the Humid under the traditional approach. Labor-re- human resources. No blueprint is recom- Tropics. Washington, D.C.: National ducing technologies may therefore be one mended here; the approach should be spe- Academy Press. of the first priorities. Longitudinal and cific to the ecological, cultural, and institu- quantitative studies on the effects of dif- tional situation. The basic ecological prin- . 1989. Alternative Agricultnre. ferent approaches are urgently required. ciples outlined above can be followed and WVashington, D.C.: National Academy Training and retraining:-Most re- a methodology for participatory technolo- Press. References O'Connell, Paul F. 1992. "Sustainable Agriculture-A Valid Alternative." Outlook on Agrculture 21. Reijntjes, Coen, Bertis Hlaverkort, and Ann Waters-Bayer. 1992. Farniing for the Future-An Iintroduction to Low-Extecal-Input Agriculture. New York: MacMillen. Agriculture Technology Notes provide up-to-date inf ion on selected agricultural topics to WoldBank prfssionals.Further in- formation about sustainable agriculture can be obtainedfriom Paul O'Connell (xS87238) or Willem Zy4p (x3245) 'To obtain copies of this or other Notes, or to inquire about Agriculture Technolog s. ir t this series are: "Reform of Seed Regulations," "Inforawion Technology and R Deopmn," "Hch " "Competitive Research Grant Systems," 'Provsion of ineral Supple Iteg" V rices," 'World Fisheries," "National Seed Syste," ent fr the Tropics," and "Biotechnology." Layout and design b P Wiani page 4