ifoam'96 Book of Abstracts 11th IFOAM Scientific Conference 11-15 August 1996, Copenhagen, Denmark

ECOWEB FRONT PAGE SUBJECT INDEX AUTHOR INDEX

Posters

Farmers Innovations in Pakistan. P3; 21

Pakistan Organic Farmers Association (An Organization Devoted to Sustained Self Sufficiency on Farm) 70 West Wood Colony PO Niaz Beg, Lahore 53700 Pakistan Ph: 5221707 Fax: 92-42-5220433

The history of Farmers innovations in agriculture comprise many phases, though they had no technical backing and was based on their own experiences. They were proud of their Government Extension workers and researchers inefficiency. They were not aware that they were doing something different from Government extension and research workers but for their own survival improved methods of Agriculture. It was limited by insufficient information about potential options in search of improved technologies. Insufficient scientific understanding of the processes involved. It was very difficult to interpret the results of their innovations. Their inadequate methods of measurement for reaching sound conclusions about what they wanted to investigate. It was only their crude judgment by which they reached sound conclusions on what they wanted to know. So it is dogged tread in wilderness of illiterate farmers, who lived sustainable and as such farmed with Nature until the advent of Green Revolutions. Only a few could afford its inputs, rest either continued tofarm with nature and 87% of farms were trapped into Low External Input System of Agriculture who thus not only lost their livelihood but also the fertility of their soils and their exodus to the cities increased. Grossnational productions fell headlong and some are going back to nature again. Pesticide hazard, waterlogging, salinity, alkilinity are the other problems which farmers confront and have solved to some extent.
Details of the transition towards Low External Input Agriculture will be presented.