exploring science in agriculture
TRANSCRIPT
Exploring Science in Agriculture
Dr. D. Narasimha Reddy
Suicides are an indicator. Indicating what?
Farmer’s crisis?Farmer’s crisis?
Farming crisis?
Crisis explained
Ecological
Social?
EconomicGovernance
“Blame the Farmer”
Bureaucrat
Farmer Scientist
Banker
Processor
Wrong Priorities:
Bu-Bu Farmer
Pesticide conundrum
4 extremely hazardous 15 highly hazardous
90 moderately hazardous
31 slightly hazardous
249 registered pesticides
Global spending
• Total global public spending on agricultural R&D in 2008 was $31.7 billion
• Global public spending on agricultural R&D increased by $5.6 billion (+22%) from R&D increased by $5.6 billion (+22%) from 2000 to 2008. China (+ $2.1 billion) and India (+ $0.6 billion) were the main drivers of growth
• In 2008, 49% of global public spending in agricultural R&D came from low and middle income countries
Research Establishment
� 49 ICAR institutes,
� 17 national research centers,
� 6 bureaux,
� 25 project directorates, � 25 project directorates,
� 79 All India Coordinated Research Projects (AICRPs) and AINPs
� 607 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK) � 52 State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), � 1 Central Agricultural University, � 4 Central Universities having faculty of Agriculture
Dichotomy
Yield
Price
Consideration for science
• Decrease in productive land
• Growing number of pests
• Pest resistance
• Seed varieties – build on the present• Seed varieties – build on the present
• Limits to yield
• Soil health – loss of top layer, mineral loss
Flaws in Agricultural Science
• Business-oriented research
• Patent as a objective - IPRs
• No contextual research
• Very minimal problem definition –• Very minimal problem definition –conceptual clarity
• ‘Outlandish’ solutions
• Controlling ‘questions’ – conditioned thinking
• Pursuing ‘Western’ model
Flaws in Agricultural Science
• Ignoring agro-climatic zones
• Neglecting existing practices
• No follow-up research on ‘field’ releases of knowledge or technologyknowledge or technology
• Serious problems with agricultural science, scientists and establishment
• Wrong direction
• No output-oriented work
• No experimentation and observation
Commandments for ‘good’ science
• ‘Local’ agricultural field as a destination, and not a conference
• ‘Fruit’ or ‘harvest’ as an outcome, than a article in a journalarticle in a journal
• ‘Service orientation’ than job prescription
• ‘project’ as a vehicle, than a goal
• Insect-centric research, than ‘pest’ linked pursuit
In summary
• Serious introspection, at individual and institutional level
• More consideration for Indian ethos, and centuries old practicescenturies old practices
• Shunning ‘Western’ models, and critically reviewing ‘recommendations’
• Questioning oneself, and also establishment
Thank you