M. S. SWAMINATHAN RESEARCH FOUNDATION 1998-99 NINTH ANNUAL REPORT Centrefor Research on Sustainable Agricultural andRural Development, Chennai. 2 4 Front Cover 1 First ever primary school for Irula children in a mangrove hamlet, MGR Nagar near Chidambaram. 2 Culture of Azolla in the field trenches : green manure for lowland rice culture. Keelamanakudi, Chidambaram. 3 Selection by a tribal young woman of earheads of Italian millet at Binnampatti village in Kolli Hills, Tamil Nadu. 4 Dry leaves of Baubinia vablii Wight & Am, used as a rain coat by a tribal woman in Jeypore, Orissa. Back Cover 1 Members of the Malayali tribal community discussing the use of remote sensing data for biodiversity conservation. Kolli Hills, Tamil Nadu. 2 Kulavai '99 - theatre for networking on gender, social issues and cultural activism. A 3 group ofwomen volunteers who manage the Village Knowledge Centre at Embalam, Pondicherry. 4 A successful woman practitioner of mushroom cultivation imparting training to other women at the Biocentre in Pillayarkuppam village, Pondicherry. ORC . Ub.. Ninth Annual Report 1998 - 99 M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation Centre for Research on Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development Chennai, India ,H 1 5i—, Li ' M. S. Swaininathan Research Foundation Centre for Research on Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development Third Cross Road, Institutional Area, Taramani, Chennai 600 113, India. Telephone +91 (44) 2351229 +91 (44) 2351698 Fax +91 (44) 2351319 E-mail [email protected] Visit us on the World Wide Web at http://www.mssrLorg Cover Design : The Frontline, Chennai Printed at Reliance Printers, Chennai Citation Ninth Annual Report : 1998-99 M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Chennai, 1999. Table of Contents Introduction 2 Programme Area 100 Coastal Systems Research 16 Area 200 . Programme Biodiversity and Biotechnology 39 Programme Area 300 Ecotechnology. and Sustainable Agriculture 94 Programme Area 400 Reaching the Unreached 148 Programme Area 500 Education, Communication, Training and Capacity Building 167 Programme Area 600 Special Projects 190 Publications 197 About the Foundation 205 The Foundation Staff 209 List of Donors 218 Sources of Project Support 219 Chairman's Introduction The 20th century will soon end with remark- production and security indicate that able achievements in every area of science progressin overcoming chronic social ills can and technology. In addition to impressive be rapid, provided appropriate blends of progress in physical and life sciences, we political will and action, social mobilisation, are ending this century with significant ac- and technology development and dissemi- complishments in social evolution. Particu- nation can be promoted. It is to foster such lar attention may be drawn to the follow- a movement at both the macro- and micro- ing: levels that the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) began its work ten • End of colonialism and spread of demo- in the areas of cratic of years ago strategic, participa- systems governance tory and anticipatory research, education • Growth of free and independent media and training, human resource development, information and skill empowerment, net- • Emphasis on human rights including the working, policy advocacy and dialogues. rights of the generations yet to be born The research and community development of MSSRF were built on a • of skin-colour based programmes pro- Eclipse apartheid nature, pro-poorand pro-womenfoundation • National and International movements with a view to ensuring that development is not for gender equity and justice only environmentallysustainable but also socially equitable. Thanks to the knowledge and information 2000 scientists from all of the revolution,there are now uncommonoppor- Nearly parts tunities for providing every child, woman earth, who participated at a World Confer- ence on Science convened and man with an opportunity for a produc- by UNESCO and the InternationalCouncil for Science tive and healthy life during the 2Pt century. (ICSU) Accomplishing this task will not however at Budapest, Hungary,from 26June to 1 July, declaration be easy, since economic, social and gender 1999, adopted a which points the inequity are not only widespread but also way to mobilising science and technology increasing. According to UNDP's Human for meeting the basic needs of every single DevelopmentReport (1999), the richest 200 member of the human family. The Budapest people in the world have a net worth of $ Declaration on Science and the Use of Sci- 1032 billion, the of the wealth of entific Knowledgestates, "We all live on the equivalent same and 41% of the global population.A yearly con- planet are part of the biosphere. tributionof 1 percent of their wealth by these We have come to recognise that we are in a 200 persons alone would be adequate to give situation of increasinginter-dependence and every child in the world free access to pri- that our future is intrinsicallylinked to the mary education. preservation of the global life-support sys- tems and to the survival of all forms of life. Achievements during this century in im- Science should be at the service of human- proving human health and longevity, food ity as a whole, and should contribute to 2 Chairman's Introduction providing everyone with a deeper under- velop some basic ground rules for ensuring standing of natureand society, a better qua!- that science serves public good in an era of ity of life and a sustainable and healthy expanding IPR. Such a paradigm shift from environment for present and future genera- a materialistic to a humanistic scientific era tions". will call for international cooperation in adopting a package of measures such as the The Declaration further "Science and states, following: should be directed Technology resolutely funds for towards prospects for better employment, • Enhance support from public research to basic human needs improving competitiveness and social jus- relating tice". The Declaration calls for special atten- and environment protection. tion to the expansion of scientific literacy • Make a distinction between discovery and skills among women and families liv- and invention with reference to patent- in ing poverty. ability. For example, make patenting of DNA in human and plant The Science Agenda-Framework for Action, sequences adopted at Budapest calls for scientific ad- genomes ineligible. vicebecoming an essential factor in informed • Introduce compulsorylicensing of rights policy making. It also recommends that "all in the case of patents of relevance to the countries should protect intellectual prop- food and health security of the poor and erty rights (IPR) and recognise that access the ecological security of the planet. to data and information is essential for sci- • Reduce the life span of patents particu- entific progress". larly in the field of information techriol- Thus, the World Conference on Science, ogy. ef- while recognising the need for greater • Revise the Trade-Related Intellectual for basic forts in harnessing science meeting of also notes that the Property Systems (TRIPS) component human needs, expansion the World Trade so as to har- Pro- Agreement of IPR—controlled science is inevitable. monise the of Article 27.3 and research provisions (b) prietary science is expanding with those of the ethics and for and equity pro- designed public good supported by visions of the Convention on funds is The earlier slo- Biological public shrinking. Diversity (Articles 8(j) and 15 of CBD). gan, "publish or perish" is getting replaced Such revision of TRIPS will to The veil a help by a new one, "patent or perish". foster and of in scientific work is rap- symbiotic biopartnerships secrecy getting eliminate fears of biopiracy. idly enlarged. The scientific problems relat- ing to the health and livelthoods of the poor • Incorporate in the World Trade Agree- may tend to get neglected under a market- ment a provision which enables member driven scientific regime, where orphans are nations to adopt import policies which likely to remain orphans. will enhanceand not erode the livelihood security of the poor. As a follow-up to the Budapest Conference, it is necessary for every nation and for the For assisting governments to ensure that international scientific community to de- trade and developmentpolicies result in en- 3 Annual Report 1998-99 hancing ecological security and livelihood of Conduct was also to ensure for developed opportunities women and men living in that symbiotic biopartnerships, and not a World Trade poverty, Agreement Contract biopiracy, govern the relationships h'tween FacilitationService comprising social scien- the primary conservers and holders of tists, environmental gender specialists, and knowledge and the commercial companies, employmentexperts should be established. who use their knowledge and material. A Such an independent contract facilitation consultationwas organised in '98 service should be September mandated to assist in con- to assist the World Intellectual Property Or- verting the "trade and not aid" concept ganization (WIPO) in developing methods of poverty alleviation from rhetoric to real- for recognising and rewarding traditional ity. knowledge,innovations and culture. If such steps are taken, conservation and commer- An ecology of hope movement will become cialisation can become mutually reinforcing. a reality only if principles of ethics and eq- uity govern all areas of human endeavour. Article 27.3(b) of the TRIPS provision of the Nowhere is this