IFSA GLO 2005 Good Practices: Natural Resources Management Good Practices: Natural Resources Management In: Farming Systems and Poverty: Making a Difference -- Proceedings of the 18th International Symposium of the International Farming Systems Association: A Global Learning Opportunity (31 October – 3 November 2005, Rome, Italy). Editors: John Dixon, Constance Neely, Clive Lightfoot, Marcelino Avila, Doyle Baker, Christine Holding and Christine King , International Farming Systems Association, Rome, Italy, 2006. Table of Contents Opportunities through Agroforestry for Sustainable Development in Haryana, India (V.P. Singh and P.P. Bojvaid ) 3 Policy Imperatives in Agri-food Enterprises and Rural Livelihood Resources Management in Unified Global Economy (M. K. Sinha and Dipankar Saha) 10 Pasture Rotation for Cattle (Abdybek Asanalie and Talant Sydykbaev) 23 Développement de l’Agro-Pastoralisme dans la Zone de Touicha Agro-pastoralilsm in the area of Tioucha, Tunisia (Rym Ben Zid ) 25 Les Mutations Récentes du Système de Production Aasien dans la Vallée de Oued-Righ Role of the national agricultural development plan in the recent change in the farming system of the oasis of Oued Righ (Algeria) (Salaheddine Ben Ziouche) 40 Adoption d’un Nouveau Mode d’Organisation pour la Gestion De l’eau d’irrigation Adoption of new mode of organization for irrigation water management (Lahssan Bekkari) 57 Récupération Manuelle Intégrée des Terres Dégradées dans Le Sahel Burkinabé. Integrated Manual Restoration of degraded lands in the Sahelian Area of Burkina Faso. (Souleymane Ouedraogo and Sylvain Hervé) 68 Dilemmas in Building Local Institutions for Natural Resources Management. The Case of the Mkoji Sub-Catchment in Tanzania (L.M. Hermans, G.E. van Halsema, C.S. Sokile and H.F. Mahoo) 80 IFSA GLO 2005 Good Practices: Natural Resources Management Linking the Frameworks for Integrated Water Resources Management and Sustainable Livelihoods Analysis to Support Local Water Resources Management (L.M.Hermans, G.E. van Halsem AND H. Mahoo) 84 Recovering Degraded Soil and Establishing Agroecological Seed Networks in Venezuela (Miguel Angel Nuñez) 90 Conservation of Forest Biodiversity through Sustainable Production Systems that Increase the Use of (Agro)Biodiversity by Local Communities: Learned Lessons in a Humid Montane High Andean Forest in Ecuador (Kaia Ambrose, Luis Ordoñez, Kelvin Cueva and Luis Gonzales) 98 Territorial Ordering, Interinstitutional Joint Around the Environmental Management in the River Basin of La Miel: From the Restrictions to the Opportunities (Andrés Felipe Betancourth López) 106 Using Environmental Externalities to Generate Equity in Rural Income From Theory to Practice (Ruben Estrada and Marcela Quintero) 114 2 IFSA GLO 2005 Good Practices: Natural Resources Management Title of Best Practice: Opportunities through Agroforestry for Sustainable Development in Haryana, India 1 Country: Haryana, India Authors: V.P. Singh 2 and P.P. Bhojvaid 3 Category of Practice : Agroforestry Context and Genesis This paper examines the role of agroforestry in sustainable development, leading to increased farmers income, employment generation, opportunities for value addition by the industries, and environmental benefits in the state of Haryana, India. This state is primarily an agricultural state with only about 3.5% of its geographical area as natural forests. Subsequent to the introduction of a network of irrigation canals, farmers of Haryana have achieved a significant increase in productivity of wheat and paddy following progressive farming system. The Haryana Forest department introduced Poplar and Eucalyptus based agroforestry models in 1970s, which have been well received and adopted, initially by large and absentee farmers. The gradual establishment of backward and forward linkages has made agroforestry an economically viable activity leading to enormous development in the State. Consequently, even the small and marginal farmers have recognized agroforestry as a profitable venture. A facilitating legal policy environment, availability of adequate infrastructure and micro-finance resulted into establishment of 300 veneer mills in the city of Yamunanagar, in Haryana. Today, the daily arrival of wood (grown in agro-forests) in this city alone is worth US$ 300,000, which after value addition in the form of plywood production becomes worth US$ 1.2 million. Further, a significant increase in tree cover (8% of geographical area) has also been achieved in the state leading to alleviation of pressure from natural forests. This success story has been well recognized by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, which considers this land use system as a means to achieve a tree cover of 33% of nation’s geographical area by 2025 as mandated in the Forest Policy of India, 1988. The Practice Agro-forestry means combining tree cultivation with agricultural crops. This practice is not new, as ‘Kheti’ (agriculture) always used to be with ‘bari’ (fenced tree grove) under traditional systems of agriculture in India. However, with the advent of commercial agriculture and automation, ‘bari’ was neglected. The present agroforestry effort is to re-establish this aspect of tree cultivation by making it remunerative to the landowner. Different states of India have evolved their own combination of tree crops with the traditional agricultural and horticultural crops in their respective agroclimatic situations. Some Agroforestry practices that are followed 1 IFAD Supported Case Study 2 World Agroforestry Centre, New Delhi, India 3 Conservator of Forests, Gurgaon, Haryana, India. 3 IFSA GLO 2005 Good Practices: Natural Resources Management in Haryana, Punjab, western Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Uttaranchal have shown high potential and because of their higher economic return per unit area, they have acquired national and international recognition as models to be emulated. The timber output generated from agro- forestry substitutes timber grown in natural forests, thereby relieving pressure on natural forests. Economic advantages accrue to land owners and earnings increase synergistically (Rawat, 1988 and 1989). A new industrial sector has come up to utilize agro-plantations-grown timber and add value to it. Employment opportunities are generated in different links of production-chain, leading to improved standard of living. Therefore, agro-forestry is to be perceived as a proven agriculture and rural development strategy. Haryana is an agricultural state with only 3.5% of its geographical area under natural forests. Till 1970, traditional tree species such as ‘jand’ or ‘Khejri’ ( Prosopis cineraria ) were naturally encouraged to be grown in most of the semi-arid sandy agricultural lands that were rain-fed. In rain-fed clayey soil areas, ‘Kiker’ or ‘babul’ ( Acacia nitotica ) was grown. ‘Shisham’ or ‘tali’ (Dalbergia sissoo ) was grown in moist areas and also along the existing wide network of canals. This integrated cropping was being adopted as a method of drought proofing the landowners during climatic emergencies. Some of these practices have been improved and continue even today. Conscious efforts were subsequently made to introduce Eucalyptus cultivation on field boundaries in the then Ambala district of Haryana in early 1970s. In the beginning, landowners were reluctant to plant eucalyptus as they apprehended a subsequent land seizure by the forest department. When the first crop was sold, land owners got very high returns that they had not expected. Demonstration effect led to very large scale plantations (Rawat et al 1994). Subsequently, the seedlings were planted at very close spacing and demand for only one end use viz., paper making was insufficient to give the expected returns to the land owners. Diversification of use did not exist at that time leading to panic harvesting and consequent glut in the market between 1980-90. Revival of interest in eucalyptus occurred after its adoption by plywood industry due to its cost advantage and being a cheaper substitute to poplar wood. Subsequently, poplar plantation was also adopted on a large scale since it fitted well in the existing rice-wheat based cropping system of the area. As on today, every year about 25 million eucalyptus and other seedlings are being planted. To improve productivity, genetically superior seedlings are being mass produced. Assessment and Impact Trade Cycles and Stability In free trading economy, trade cycles are always present. In a predominantly agricultural economy of India with a very large number of cultivators, there is a mob mentality in following the cultivation practice which gives highest economic returns. This causes cyclic ‘lows’ and ‘highs’ in supply and demand, termed as trade cycles. In agricultural crops, the period of adjustment to combat trade cycles is about twice the period of equilibrium and takes at least one and a half that period. Eucalyptus with rotation of 10 years has come back after 10x1.5=15 years. Similarly, poplar with rotation of 6 years is likely to get fully stabilized after 6x1.5=9 years, or earlier. Often this phenomenon is held out against advocating agro-forestry as a strategy for rural development. It is worth remembering that most of agricultural crops are 4 IFSA GLO 2005 Good Practices: Natural Resources Management susceptible to this and sugarcane is one of the classic examples of this phenomenon in India. For achieving growth, bulk production has to be supported by bulk utilization. Therefore, the adage “grow your markets