1. Open Access and Natural Resources
Conservation
Workshop on “Open Access to Agricultural
Knowledge for Inclusive Growth and
Development”
ICAR- National Academy of Agricultural Research
Management, Hyderabad- 500030
October 29-30, 2014
Sonali Bisht
Institute of Himalayan Environmental Research and Education

2. Natural Resources Conservation
What is useful
Now and in the future
Will be Conserved

3. Natural Resources
• Forest and wilderness
• Water
• Plant diversity
• Fauna
• Livestock
• Crop diversity
• Crop and Livestock wastes
• Plants, shrubs and grasses litter

5. Traditionally agriculture has relied on
natural resources for
• Seed protection and storage
• Nutrients and growth promoters
• Pest and disease control
• Food and nutrition supplements
• Herbs and Medicines
• Plant domestication
• Varietal improvement

6. Natural resource based agriculture even today is
• Within reach of smallholder and poor farmer
• Can use and build on traditional knowledge
base and innovation of the farmer
• Enables site specific solutions
• Is sustainable
• Saves farmer from debts
• Gives wider base for knowledge creation
• Risk resilient in times of climate change
when used appropriately.

7. Open Access and Closed Doors
• Natural resources based agriculture practices
are traditionally freely shared.
• Seeds, agronomic practices and recipes using
natural resources are freely shared and
exchanged among farmers, especially women
farmers.
• Open access and common property are
hallmarks of our agriculture tradition.
• Organised agriculture research and extension
needs to become a part of this culture and time
tested system.

8. Voluntary Efforts
• Efforts to conserve natural resources and knowledge use have
been largely voluntary at local, national and global levels.
For example:
• Honeybee network, Prolinnova India, Centre for Indian
Knowledge systems etc in India
• Agrobiodiversity Community of Practice, movements for
ecological agriculture, organic agriculture, global Prolinnova
network etc

9. Mainstreaming natural resource conservation
requires
• Conserving and opening up peoples knowledge.
• Giving tested natural resource based options to farmers in addition to
solutions from synthetic based products with complete information for
informed decision making.
• Natural resources utilization research for improving agricultural production
and productivity.
• ICT tools used for cost effective natural resource based options and
solutions which address site specific needs of farmers.
• Measuring solutions on economic , social and environmental parameters
before dissemination
• Timeliness

10. Mainstreaming natural resource conservation
also requires
• Recognizing that the young smallholder farmer – man or woman
is educated and tech savvy.
• Has social, economic aspirations and wants intellectual
challenges.
• Is aware of environmental issues and food safety issues.
• Wants to be treated as an equal professional.
• Respected, recognized and involved in natural resource
conservation and agriculture development as an equal partner.

11. Thank You!