DOCSLIB.ORG

The Complete Permagarden Manual

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Complete Permagarden Manual The Complete Permagarden Manual Growing Household Nutrition and Agroecological Resilience in the Face of Global Hunger, Poverty, Climate Change and Chronic Disease A Step-by-Step Guide To Create and Teach Home-Based Climate-Smart Nutrition-Focused Permanent Gardens using the Terra Firma Method The Complete Permagarden Manual April 2017 Page 0 Acknowledgements Climate Change, Poverty, HIV/AIDS, and Nutrition Insecurity are inextricably linked. This cycle of insecurity contributes to the spread of poverty and HIV where hungry people may turn to unsafe health and environmental practices, in order just to feed themselves a meager diet. Once infected, chronic undernutrition increases susceptibility to opportunistic infections and hastens the onset of AIDS. As people living with HIV become sick, they are unable to engage in normal livelihood activities, including agriculture, thus threatening the nutritional and economic security of themselves, their families and their communities. Within the global context of climate change, economic downturns and insecure land tenure, especially amongst women and the rural poor, this situation becomes even more acute and demands a more appropriate, locally driven, cycle of resilient living. In response to these critical issues, beginning in 2006, the Peace Corps embarked upon an agroecological garden program for all Volunteers and their local counterparts in Permaculture and Bio-Intensive Home Gardens. By 2007, they became known simply as “Permagardens”. The continuing goals of the program are to provide all vulnerable families, including PLWHA, with an attainable, practical and adaptable method that helps them to increase their own household food, nutrition, health, income and environmental security through “climate smart” gardens. Results have proven the method’s effectiveness to significantly increase household resilience with a high probability of replication by other organizations and individuals. The method helps families build skills to locally adapt to and mitigate the impacts of these major global issues on their own terms. These gardens can fill the gap between available crops in the market and the need for daily food in the family kitchen. As they require the use of only what is already accessible, they strengthen the local environment in an economically viable manner acceptable even to the most marginalized families. The initial funding for these efforts came in 2006 from Peace Corps Tanzania, through a grant from USAID and PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. These funds allowed time for investigation of past actions in nutrition utilization for those living with HIV and lead to the livelihood security and gardening approach that follows in these pages. Ongoing funding to bring these concepts to the broader Peace Corps and International NGO community has been provided by Feed the Future, the Food Security program of USAID. All due thanks are hereby acknowledged. As you read through this manual you will come to fully understand the statement: If you prepare for the climate you can stop worrying about the weather. In these days of great climate insecurity we have a chance to adapt to the new reality and mitigate against its impacts. We cannot sit back and remain as victims requiring rescue from outside forces but rather strive to become victors over the very destruction we are witnessing. The answers lie within the local environment and its people if we simply open our eyes, walk, talk, work and learn together. As the photo on the cover exemplifies, the spark for the fire of change now rests in your hands. If our desire is to end hunger we must feed the soil; letting plants feed themselves, the earth, and its many citizens, large and small…including us. You are the one who can make change happen. Start small, slow the water, feed the soil, and eat well, while teaching others how to move from being a ‘Weather Worrier’ to a ‘Climate Conqueror’! Peter Jensen Agroecology and Permagarden Training Specialist Addis Ababa, Ethiopia April 2017 All opinions expressed within this document are my own and do not necessarily reflect the policies nor opinions of the United States Government, USAID or the Peace Corps. The science that is found within this manual, however, is fact and thereby not under dispute. The Complete Permagarden Manual April 2017 Page 1 Table of Contents Executive Summary 5 How To Use This Manual 6 Session 1: Overview and Rationale for a New Paradigm 8 Defining a Permagarden 8 Vision Goals and Tasks 9 Defining Empowerment and Resilience 9 Defining our Targets 10 Why Garden Projects Fail 11 Overcoming the Barriers to Adoption 12 The Rule of CLOSE 13 Climate Smart allows Nutrition Focus 15 The Cycle of Better Living 17 Training Exercise: Teach Two 18 Training Exercise: Roll Crumple Fly 19 Terra Firma: Putting it all Together 20 Plan for Success: Train & Visit 22 Training Exercise: Go, Grow and Glow 22 Section 2: Key Technical Topics 23 An Overview of the Key Steps 23 The Circle of Sustainability 24 The Basic Needs of Life 24 Deep Soil Preparation 24 Close Spacing 25 The Garden Map 26 Create the Healthy Microclimate 26 Compost for Continuity 26 The Values of Local Soil Amendments 27 Protective Berms and Swales 27 Water Management “Six S” 28 Water off a Roof 29 Soil Health – The key to Sustainability 30 Understanding Your Soil 30 Soil Texture 30 Soil Structure 31 Soil Acidity 31 Soil Fertility 31 Dealing with Problem Soils 31 Training Tip: The Basic Needs of Life 32 Compost : Benefits 33 Making Compost 34 Materials to Use 34 The Complete Permagarden Manual April 2017 Page 2 Materials NOT to Use 34 Step by Step Instructions 34 Garden Seasonality 36 Making Biochar from Crop Residues 37 Making Vegetable Compost ‘Tea’ 39 Crop Rotation 40 Organic Pest Control 41 Live Fencing 42 Planting the Fence 43 Pruning the Fence 43 Starting Seedlings 44 Planting Seedlings 44 Seedling Creation 44 Seed and Plant Spacing Chart 45 Section 3: Creating the Permagarden Step by Step 46 1. Community Resource Walk 47 2. Preparing the Planting Area 49 3. Garden Layout for Water Management 50 4. Creating Protective Swales 52 5. Double Digging Production Beds 54 6. Bio-Intensive Plant and Seed Spacing 56 7. Garden Management 58 8. Permatainers 60 Continuity: Moving from Weather Worrier to Climate Conqueror 61 Section 4: Walk and Talk Topic Extension Guidelines 62 How to Use the Garden Dialogue Method 62 Building Sustainability 63 General Barriers and Problem Statements 64 Dialogue Topics 1. Household Nutrition 65 2. Identifying Garden Spaces 68 3. Nurturing the Soil 69 4. Local Soil Amendments 70 5. Compost 71 6. Bed Location and Preparation 72 7. Household Water Management 74 8. Surface Water Management 76 9. Mulching 78 10. Plant Timing and Spacing 79 11. Plant Fertility Needs 81 12. Disease and Pest Control 82 13. Crop Rotation and Continuation 84 The Complete Permagarden Manual April 2017 Page 3 Appendix 1. Peace Corps Approach to Nutrition 85 2. The Outreach Plan 86 3. Progressive Productive Behavior Checklist 87 4. Permagarden Teaching Checklist 88 5. Training Flipsacks 90 6. Permagarden Stories of Change 91 7. Overcoming Stunting: Our Window of Opportunity 93 8. The Agroecological Vision: Building Intersectoral Resilience 94 9. The Garden Map 95 Notes: 96 Climate-Smart, Nutrition-Focused Permagardens: From Weather Worrier to Climate Conqueror. Why do we need this alternative method? Isn’t larger- scale farming more efficient than small, family gardens? From a purely economic perspective, this can be argued. But within the harsh tropical climates and the even harsher, evidence-based, climate change, neither families, nor their ecosystems, can afford NOT to take on a new agroecologically-sound approach. So much is happening; seemingly all at once. We see weather extremes and loss of previously dependable cycles; devastating floods and long droughts. When coupled with the ever decreasing availability of arable land due to erosion and overpopulation, and the loss of labor force due to urbanization and chronic disease, there is a huge need to adopt a new approach. Climate-smart gardening shows us how WE can take control; how WE adapt, mitigate and thereby intensify production from small spaces that our children, and our economies, require for empowering, self-development. The Complete Permagarden Manual April 2017 Page 4 Executive Summary Hunger, malnutrition and early childhood stunting are huge problems across the developing world. The root causes have been debated for many years as being linked to poverty, illness, lack of sanitation and hygiene, early marriage, low birthweight babies and climate change. These causes can be overwhelming. Mitigating the problems at the source is, of course, one solution; but a very difficult and costly one. What is needed is a simple solution of adaptation to the new realities; one in which all those impacted can participate; techniques that will bring resilience to each household, one small adjustment at a time. It is this small, step-by- small-step approach that is best exemplified by the creation of nutrition-focused, climate- smart, home gardens. The garden IS the long sought after link between seasonal agriculture and the daily need for sound nutrition. These small, high-yield, daily-accessed gardens, embody all three Climate Smart approaches of adaptation, mitigation and intensification allowing even the most marginalized family the chance to be an active part of their own solution rather than being the perennially disempowered victims of the problem. While acknowledging the important role of agriculture in providing crops to market and food to family table, we must also note that this is seasonal. We all require food on a daily basis and crops in the market do not necessarily translate to food on the table. This is true around the world, but most readily apparent in the developing world where high rates of childhood stunting are the norm rather than the exception.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • From Field to Fork: the Value of England's Local Food Webs
    Click to enter > From field to fork: The value of England’s local food webs <Previous Next > Contents Foreword by Monty Don 1 Summary 2 Introduction 6 About the research 7 National map of locations surveyed and main local supply chains 8 Defining local 10 Context 12 Characterising local food webs 20 Main findings 36 Local food and the local economy 37 Local food and the local community 49 Local food and the local environment 55 Local food and local planning policies 58 Main recommendations 60 Conclusion 64 Endnotes 66 Summary of mapping locations 69 <Previous Next > Return to contents Foreword 1 Foreword by Monty Don It is a sign of our increasing separation from nature that we are losing sight of where food comes from and how it is produced. The way we buy it adds to this alienation. Food, once at the heart of towns and communities, integral to their rhythm and reason, is often now a side show. It is sold in big boxes on the edge of town. Much of what we buy is highly processed, over- packaged, branded but anonymous, transported from anywhere available at any time. It is hard to remember that these ‘food products’ come from plants and animals, and are a result of myriad complex interactions of seasons and soil, and from the toil of real people. An important message of this report, and its companion reports from across England, is that this direction of travel isn’t complete. It doesn’t have to be a final destination. There still remain networks of producers, store and stall holders established in their communities supplying the best fresh, local and seasonal food.
    [Show full text]
  • A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Choosing the Best Chicken and Turkey
    A DO-IT-YOURSELF GUIDE TO CHOOSING THE BEST CHICKEN AND TURKEY Free range! Pasture raised! Vegetarian fed! Shopping for chicken and turkey can be confusing when the farm is not certified organic. Use this guide to fill your bag with the most nutritious poultry, while supporting producers who care for farm animals and the environment. ocal farm stands, CSAs, and farmers with your food dollars, and you’ll be getting the most nutritious, delicious, fresh food, while supporting markets can provide access to some environmental health and your community’s economy. of the freshest and most nutritious If you do not have access to certified organic farms in Lseasonal food directly from the people your area, you can often still find options produced in who produce it. These community anchors the spirit of organic. Many smaller, direct-marketing farms forgo organic certification because they are able advance the good food movement while to build face to face relationships with their consumers, contributing to the vitality, health, and explaining their production practices in person. economic resilience of your neighborhood. The following questions will help you determine whether a farmer’s production practices meet your However, simply shopping at a farmers market does not individual needs and expectations for poultry. guarantee that all of your purchases were grown locally or responsibly. If you are looking for fresh, nutritious, and environmentally friendly local food, the first step is to ask a farmer at the market if their farm is certified organic. Real organic farms practice humane animal husbandry, steward the soil and watershed, and do not use synthetic agrichemicals.
    [Show full text]
  • Seasonal Food Availability
    Pasqualino, M., Kennedy, G. and Nowak, V. Bioversity International SEASONAL FOOD AVAILABILITY Barotse Floodplain System 16 July 2015 Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 2 Methodology .............................................................................................................................. 2 Discussion................................................................................................................................... 4 Energy ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Protective ............................................................................................................................... 5 Vitamin A-rich food ............................................................................................................. 5 Dark green leafy vegetables .............................................................................................. 5 Other vegetables ................................................................................................................ 6 Other fruits ......................................................................................................................... 6 Body-building ......................................................................................................................... 6 Animal-source food ...........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Food Security in the Face of Disaster A
    Rachel Mentzer Oberlin Senior High School Oberlin, OH Madagascar, Factor 17 Madagascar: Food Security in the Face of Disaster “Living things have been doing just that for a long, long time. Through every kind of disaster and setback and catastrophe. We are survivors,” said Robert Fulghum. This quote directly relates to Madagascar; the nation has survived numerous catastrophes, but the citizens still survive and continue to live on the diverse island. Madagascar has enormous agricultural potential with over two-thirds of the population involved in subsistence farming. For years many Malagasy have survived on their land and the surrounding waters, however, the low agricultural productivity limits food availability for both consumption and for generating income. The most vulnerable populations are affected by many reoccurring natural disasters, which affect all aspects of food security: infrastructure, integrity of land, crops, and the livelihood of the population. As Fulghum said, disasters will continue in Madagascar, but the Malagasy are survivors. The man who has saved over a billion people, Norman Borlaug, believed, “The destiny of world civilization depends upon providing a decent standard of living for all mankind.” Poverty is one of the major causes of food insecurity in Madagascar. Over three quarters of the twenty million Malagasy live below the national poverty line of less than one U.S. dollar per day. Poverty remains overwhelming in rural areas where eighty percent of the population lives and depends on sustainable agriculture. Malnutrition remains a major problem in Madagascar. The World Food Program (WFP) reports over fifty percent of children under the age of three suffer retarded growth due to a chronically inadequate diet.
    [Show full text]
  • Cultivating the Capital Food Growing and the Planning System in London January 2010
    Planning and Housing Committee Cultivating the Capital Food growing and the planning system in London January 2010 Planning and Housing Committee Cultivating the Capital Food growing and the planning system in London January 2010 Copyright Greater London Authority January 2010 Published by Greater London Authority City Hall The Queen’s Walk More London London SE1 2AA www.london.gov.uk enquiries 020 7983 4100 minicom 020 7983 4458 ISBN This publication is printed on recycled paper Cover photograph credit Paul Watling Planning and Housing Committee Members Jenny Jones Green, Chair Nicky Gavron Labour, Deputy Chair Tony Arbour Conservative Gareth Bacon Conservative Andrew Boff Conservative Steve O'Connell Conservative Navin Shah Labour Mike Tuffrey Liberal Democrat The review’s terms of reference were: • To assess how effectively the planning system supports and encourages agriculture in London, with a focus on land use for commercial food growing; and • To establish what changes could be made to the planning system to foster agriculture and encourage more food to be commercially grown in the capital. Assembly Secretariat contacts Alexandra Beer, Assistant Scrutiny Manager 020 7983 4947 [email protected] Katy Shaw, Committee Team Leader 020 7983 4416 [email protected] Dana Gavin, Communications Manager 020 7983 4603 [email protected] Michael Walker, Administrative Officer 020 7983 4525 [email protected] 6 Contents Chair’s foreword 9 Executive summary 11 1. Introduction and background 13 2. The importance of agriculture 16 3. Agriculture and the planning system 21 4. Other measures to promote economic viability 32 5.
    [Show full text]
  • Permaculture/Agroecology System in Timor-Leste National School Curriculum for Basic Education
    52 Best Practices on Agroecology: Permaculture/Agroecology system in Timor-Leste Permaculture/Agroecology system in Timor-Leste National School Curriculum for Basic Education Introduction Timor-Leste is a half Island country with a total population of 1.2 million people; it is geographically situated between Asia and the Pacific region. It is a tropical country and 80 per cent of its population live in rural areas. Agriculture, fishery and forestry are the main economical mainstays. Figure 1. Students working in the garden during school garden classes (photo: Ego Lemos) In 2013, the Ministry of Education of Timor-Leste decided to reform its national curriculum for Basic Education from grade one to six. Permaculture/Agroecology school gardens had been part of the discipline of Arts and Culture. The organization behind this movement of Permaculture/Agroecology is Permatil (Permaculture Timor-Leste), which was established in 2002. This school garden program now became part of formal education of Timor-Leste. 1415 schools have been targeted to introduce school gardens across the territory of Timor-Leste. The main reason for introducing school gardens is to help teachers and students learn how to grow a variety of seasonal food crops that can contribute to the school feeding program, shifting from passive learning inside classrooms into activities outside the classroom, while providing beauty to the school landscaping. School students and communities learn how to copy the model into their home garden to improve health and nutrition of the wider family. Description of the Agroecology system The Permaculture/agroecological system is a system that increases the production of agriculture without harming nature; it is culturally appropriate and makes communities more resilient to climate change.
    [Show full text]
  • The State of Food and Agriculture 2016 (SOFA): Climate
    2016 THE STATE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE CLIMATE CHANGE, AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. ISBN 978-92-5-109374-0 FAO encourages the use, reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product. Except where otherwise indicated, material may be copied, downloaded and printed for private study, research and teaching purposes, or for use in non-commercial products or services, provided that appropriate acknowledgement of FAO as the source and copyright holder is given and that FAO’s endorsement of users’ views, products or services is not implied in any way. All requests for translation and adaptation rights, and for resale and other commercial use rights should be made via www.fao.org/contact-us/licence-request or addressed to [email protected]. FAO information products are available on the FAO website (www.fao.org/publications) and can be purchased through [email protected]. © FAO 2016 COVER PHOTOGRAPH ©FAO/D. Hayduk KIROKA, UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA. Hand weeding a rice paddy forms part of the System of Rice Intensification method in this climate-smart agriculture project.
    [Show full text]
  • Lesson 2 Your Local Food System
    Getting to Know Lesson 2 Your Local Food System Farm TO School Lesson 2 Farm to School Youth Leadership Curriculum: 11th & 12 Grades Authors: Erin McKee VanSlooten, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) and JoAnne Berkenkamp with Natasha Mortenson, Agriculture Education Instructor and FFA Advisor, Morris Area High School and Vanessa Herald, Great Lakes Region Farm to School Coordinator, University of Wisconsin – Madison’s Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems This curriculum was published with the support of the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, the John P. and Eleanor R. Yackel Foundation, the Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Published March 2014 The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy works locally and globally at the intersection of policy and practice to ensure fair and sustainable food, farm and trade systems. More at iatp.org L2- 2 FARM TO SCHOOL YOUTH LEADERSHIP CURRICULUM Farm to School Youth Leadership Curriculum The high school level Farm to School Youth Leadership Curriculum is designed to empower youth, teach them about their local food system, engage them in meaningful, hands-on learning activities that also strengthen their school’s Farm to School program and link them directly with farmers in their community. Implementation of the curriculum in a high school setting simultaneously gives students ownership and commitment to their school’s Farm to School program, while reducing the amount of legwork and research required of teachers or food service staff to establish or expand a farm to school program. The curriculum is comprised of 6 Lessons, each containing a lesson summary, a list of lesson activities, lesson outcomes, facilitator preparation notes, a materials and equipment list, additional resources, detailed facilitator descriptions of core activities, additional recommended activities, a chart of the lesson’s alignment to national and Minnesota academic standards and worksheets and handouts for students.
    [Show full text]
  • Food Seasonality
    Food Seasonality Historically, diets in Native communities consisted of foods available through traditional agriculture, foraging and hunting. Native people introduced many of the world’s healthiest foods and an exciting movement is underway to embrace food seasonality and promote our traditional foods in restaurants, schools, hospitals and other institutions. Our traditional foods provide a variety of nutritious and healthful options like beta-carotene- rich pumpkins, berries with antioxidants and beans, which provide complex carbohydrates and healthy fiber. We know that our traditional foods are healthy and give us the nutrients we need to live long, happy and purposeful lives. Further, when our food is local and fresh, it tastes better and is environmentally sustainable. Did you know? Locally-grown produce travels an average of 56 miles from farm to point of sale, compared to an average of 1,494 miles for 30 types of produce from conventional sources, according to the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. By eating locally and seasonally, you obtain the freshest food and reduce your carbon footprint. Through its farm-to-school program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is encouraging schools to buy locally and seasonally to promote better health for children. Starting in January 2014, they will make available two webinars each month to highlight the variety of ways in which school districts can purchase local foods. To learn more, visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool/webinars. Many Native communities are initiating programs to ensure that our youth learn about traditional food systems and sustainable environmental practices to embrace seasonal foods and promote healthy lifestyles.
    [Show full text]
  • A Guide for Early Years Settings
    Eating Well Sustainably: A Guide for Early Years Settings Eating Well Sustainably: A Guide for Early Years Settings. Page 0 Eating Well Sustainably: A Guide for Early Years Settings ISBN 978-1-908924-10-0 Originally published by First Steps Nutrition Trust in 2013 and updated in 2016. Written by Georgia Machell, Emma Taylor and Helen Crawley This resource is provided for information only and individual advice on diet and health should always be sought from appropriate health professionals. First Steps Nutrition Trust 112 Queens Road London SW19 8LS E: [email protected] Registered charity number: 1146408 First Steps Nutrition Trust is a charity which provides clear, evidence-based and independent information and support for good nutrition from pre-conception to five years of age. For more information, see our website www.firststepsnutrition.org Acknowledgements Thank you to the settings that we have used as examples of good practice. Illustrations by Helena Little at Brave Design. Eating Well Sustainably: A Guide for Early Years Settings. Page 1 Contents Page Introduction 4 What is in this guide? 5 Key principles of sustainable food provision 6 Planning menus 7 Shopping for food 9 Reducing food waste and storing food wisely 12 Cooking and serving food 14 Growing food 16 An example sustainable menu and recipes 18 Sustainable food checklist 24 Sustainable food planning tool 26 Resources 27 Eating Well Sustainably: A Guide for Early Years Settings. Page 2 Key terms for sustainable food Environmental damage Destruction of naturally occurring plant and animal ecosystems. Food chain The system that describes how food gets from a natural state (for example in the ground) to the plate.
    [Show full text]
  • Lessons from Organic Farming in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area
    sustainability Article The Transition of the Agro-Food System: Lessons from Organic Farming in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area Isabel Salavisa *, Maria Fátima Ferreiro and Sofia Bizarro DINAMIA’CET-Iscte, Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal; [email protected] (M.F.F.); sofi[email protected] (S.B.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: The paper presents a study on the transition of the agro-food system in Portugal through the analysis of case studies in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. The theoretical framework draws on the literature on the transition of sociotechnical systems, taking into account the multidimensional nature of the food system (ecological, environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural). Social and institutional innovation, technological innovation, public policy impact, and the interactions with the dominant regime are the main dimensions guiding the study of the organic farming initiatives. We identified the supportive policy measures, the role of producers’ networks, the relevance of values, and the obstacles and challenges these initiatives face in their growth process. While the results are in line with the theoretical debate, they also provide new insights on the selection environment, the networks’ dual nature and the existence of different development paths within the organic food niche. One of the main conclusions is that organic farmers perceive the regulatory framework as unfair relative to that of conventional agriculture. Therefore, it is crucial to change this framework to speed up the transition of the agro-food system in Portugal and at the European level. Citation: Salavisa, I.; Ferreiro, M.F.; Bizarro, S. The Transition of the Keywords: agro-food system; organic farming niche; transitions; sustainability; Portugal; Lisbon Agro-Food System: Lessons from Metropolitan Area Organic Farming in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area.
    [Show full text]
  • Ensuring Seasonal Food Availability and Dietary Diversity During and After Transition of Shifting Cultivation Systems to Settled Agriculture
    POLICY BRIEF Ensuring seasonal food availability and dietary diversity during and after transition of shifting cultivation systems to settled agriculture Introduction This policy brief examines the impact on KEY ISSUES seasonal food availability and dietary diversity Despite holding the promise of food security, from replacing shifting cultivation1 with settled improved nutrition and enhanced incomes, the agriculture. Drawing on the examples of establishment of terraces and plantations as Northeast India and Laos PDR, the brief discusses replacements for shifting cultivation has resulted the ramifications for nutritional security and in large-scale land-use change and the consequent hidden hunger. The brief also explores possible erosion of the diverse resource base that upland approaches for overcoming this challenge and communities are dependent on for their food and provides recommendations for addressing the nutritional needs. The replacement of shifting issue during and after transition, which can be cultivation with settled agriculture has depleted relevant and applicable not only for Northeast crop diversity depriving shifting cultivators of India and Laos PDR but also other countries in their ability to engage in sequential harvesting, South and Southeast Asia. thus adversely affecting seasonal food availability Shifting cultivation is generally perceived as a and dietary diversity with potentially serious ‘primitive’ agricultural practice, economically negative effects on nutrition and the phenomenon unviable and a major cause of deforestation. of hidden hunger. In Laos PDR, relocation of Despite scientific views to the contraryi, ii, iii, iv, v, villages to lowlands, inadequate and insufficient vi, vii, viii governments across the world have tried land for paddy cultivation, and limiting rotational to replace the practice with settled agriculture.
    [Show full text]