1. INTRODUCTION
This G77 SARD Project being implemented
by the Guyana Office of IICA, on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, is now in its
final phase. During this period case studies will be prepared for several of the
innovative experiences collected. Work continues on the development of the web site for
the SARD Project. Several links have been established with other web sites of relevance to
SARD. In this SARD Newsletter information is presented on a few of the many sites which
have been added to our link page.
This issue of the newsletter also features two agricultural and rural development
projects. One project focuses on the environment in a community in Costa Rica and
the second deals with adding value to a non-timber forest, thus contributing to improved
quality of life for Indigenous people in Suriname.
Please print and
photocopy this newsletter and circulate to persons working with (or interested
in) agricultural and/or rural development projects. |
2. ENVIRONMENTAL
SUSTAINABILITY
Treatment of Industrial Waste and
Production of Livestock feed
Many persons view industrial operations as being in conflict with protection of the
environment. In the entire Monte Verde community in the Costa Rican town of Puntarenas,
however, agro-processing is now considered an industrial activity in harmony with the
environment and not a pollutant of waterways. Since 1992, between 120,000 and 130,000
litres of wastewater from a cheese factory are purified and discharged (on a daily basis)
into the Guacemal River, thus improving the environment for species occupying the
watershed.
In many countries, even with the enactment of environmental legislation, enforcement of
laws and control of polluting industries are often problematic issues. Further,
considerable investment in research is required to develop procedures for cleaning
industrial wastes and reducing the pollutants in effluents discharged by industries.
Collaboration among Monte Verde Producers, the National Bank of Costa Rica, Conicit and
the Faculty of Technology (University of Costa Rica) resulted in water lilies being used
for purification of waste water and high nutrient whey (derived from cheese making) for
the production of livestock feed, for cows and pigs.
The economic, technical and logistical support provided by the various agencies also
resulted in human resources development, through the strengthening of rural organisations
and participatory actions by the 500 direct beneficiaries. The daily production of 34,000
litres of whey provides feed for 2,000 heads of pigs and cows. The water lilies (used for
water purification) are not discarded into the river, instead each animal is fed 5 kg of
spent water lilies.
Many environmental professionals live in the Monte Verde Community, and this project
demonstrates the importance of environmental awareness and the fact that collaboration
between private sector and rural organisations can benefit farmers, women, youth and
public sector institutions among others. The vertical integration of activities and the
adding of value to industrial waste has contributed not only to improved quality of the
environment but also to increased economic and social benefits for various stakeholders in
the community.
For
additional information, contact:
|
| Coordinator, G77 SARD Project |
| Tel: |
592-2-68835/68347 |
| Fax: |
592-2-58358 |
| E-mail: |
sard@solutions2000.net |
3. RURAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN THE UPPER
SURINAME RIVER
For centuries, the slash and burn method
of land preparation has been an integral part of crop production for Maroon communities in
Upper Suriname River. Now, however, farmers in that area have adopted land preparation
practices which do not involve the use of fire. Although the many women farmers in the
Maroon communities have admitted that the new way of land preparation is physically
demanding, they acknowledge that the long-term benefits of a fire-free system of land
preparation far outweigh any short-term advantages of the slash and burn method.
Since 1995, more than 2,500 persons have benefited from collaboration between Maroon
communities in the upper region of the Suriname River and the Surinamese ministries of
Regional Development and Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries. Appropriate
strategies were employed to promote and strengthen social and economic activities in a
community which, prior to implementation of the project, had minimal infrastructure and no
access to information which could enhance their development.
In addition to traditional crops such as cassava, peanuts, ginger and tannia, farmers
began cultivating new crops such as citrus. Crop production together with agro-processing,
livestock production, craft production and marketing of the various items have all
promoted community development. Marketing is done by women primarily, while men assist in
land preparation.
Development within the Indigenous group of Maroons in Suriname is manifest through
increased household incomes from small businesses such as sewing, handicraft and
agro-processing; improved quality of live, the promotion of eco-tourism and natural
resources management. Improvements were also made to community sanitation.
Improving the community and providing sustainable livelihoods for the residents was a
complex process which necessitated adoption of improved semi-commercial or commercial
systems in a community with deeply rooted traditional agricultural practices. The project,
however, also demonstrated the necessity of promoting greater community self-reliance and
capacity building to ensure sustainability. For example, through the training provided
farmers became convinced of the benefits of not using the slash and burn system of land
preparation. Therefore, training of direct beneficiaries and ensuring their active
involvement in the planning, execution and evaluation stages of a project can contribute
to project success and sustainability
For
additional information, contact:
Coordinator, G77 SARD Project |
| Telephone : |
592-20-67864/68835/68347 |
| Fax : |
592-2-58358 |
| E-mail : |
sard@solutions2000.net |
4. SARD
PROJECT WEB SITE
Visitors to the SARD Project web
site can now access many relevant sites from
the link page. Web sites on the link page are grouped according to the type of information
they contain, e.g., agriculture, rural development and sustainable development. Among the
many web sites which can be reached from the SARD Project link page are:
 |
www.igc.apc.org/wsaala – Web site of
the World Sustainable Agricultural Association (WSAA), an association formed to
restore harmony between people and nature. Many of the publications accessible from the
site address diverse technical and policy issues on agriculture and discuss people centred
approaches to SARD.
|
|
www.nrcs.usda.gov/ -Natural Resources Conservation
Service’s (NRCS) web site of that section of the USDA which promotes improvement
and sustainability of natural resources and the environment. Information on this site,
although of direct relevance to US-based readers, would be useful to teachers of
conservation education.
|
|
www.oneworld.org/ileia/ -Web site of the Centre
for Information on Low-External-Input and Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA) contains
information on LEISA's activites which combine farmers’ indigenous knowledge and
agro-ecological practices.
|
|
www.ecouncil.ac.cr/ -Web site of the Earth
Network for Sustainable Development, provides information on the status of
implementation of the agreements from the Earth Summit through various projects aimed at
sustainability at national and regional levels. Issues addressed include investment,
legislation and participatory mechanisms for sustainable development.
|
|
www.vetiver.org/ -Web site of The Vetiver Network,
managed by a group of professionals. Vetiver is being promoted as the conservation and
engineering tool for the 21st century. Information is provided on the use of Vetiver grass
for soil and water conservation, land rehabilitation, embankment stabilization and
pollution control.
|
SARD
For Sustainability, Agricultural & Rural Development
Projects require:
- Persistence and Flexibility
- Capacity building (beneficiaries)
- Participatory decision-making
|
5. PLANTS WITH PESTICIDAL PROPERTIES
A recently-publish book on Integrated Pest
Management and the use of botanicals in Guyana (go to Book Announcement) has highlighted
approximately 50 plants with pesticidal properties. The book entitled Integrated
Pest Management and the Use of Botanicals in Guyana (ISBN: 976-8160-37-3) is
authored by Richard Pluke, Dindyal Permaul and Gary Leibee and published
by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture.
Increasing awareness of the adverse effects on the environment of petroleum-based
pesticides, coupled with the growing demand for organic foods, has led to more attention
being paid to the use of botanicals in crop production. Extracts from the book of Richard
Pluke and coauthors are presented below. The three plant species of focus are African
marigold, black pepper and hot pepper, all cultivated species in many tropical countries.
African Marigold (Tagetes erecta) - is an ornamental plant
which thrives in poor soils and low rainfall conditions. The roots of this plant exude a
substance which can kill nematodes. Root extracts are toxic to aphids and rice leaf
hoppers. Extracts of the whole plant affect the normal growth of aphids and the cotton
stainer bug. Nematode infestation in susceptible plants, e.g., tomatoes, can be reduced
through inter-cropping with marigold plants.
Black Pepper (Piper nigrum) - Guyana has more than 50 Piper
species, many of which have shown insecticidal properties. Powder prepared from dried
seeds repel the corn earworm, weevils found in rice and beans and the pulse beetle. Oil
extracted from dried black pepper berries is toxic to rice weevil, thus the oil is used
extensively for the protection of stored products.
Hot Pepper (Capiscum frutescens), which is used for cooking and
preparing pepper sauce for human consumption, also has insecticidal properties. Pepper
solution, left standing for at least seven hours and to which a soapy solution (detergent)
has been added, is an effective insecticide for ants, aphids, caterpillars and rice
weevil. Pepper solutions prepared from extracts of leaves and flowers are also reported to
have virus-inhibiting properties, i.e., prevent viruses from establishment themselves in
the plant.
| If you know of other plants with insecticidal or other
pesticidal properties, please let us know. Also, if you know of other ways in which the
plants discussed above can be used, please inform us. |
6. BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT AND THE USE OF BOTANICALS IN GUYANA
Authored by:
- Richard Pluke
PhD student, University of Florida
- Dindyal Permaul
Senior Lecturer, Faculty Agriculture,
University of Guyana
- Gary Leibee
Associate Professor,
University of Florida
This book, one of the products of the project "Increasing
Agricultural Production through the use of Natural, Environmentally-Friendly Pesticides”
(ISBN 976-8160-37-3), a project funded by the Canadian International
Development Agency" was published recently by the Inter-American Institute for
Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). The project was implemented in Guyana by IICA and the
(British) Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), with the support of Florida Association of
Voluntary Agencies for Caribbean Action (FAVA/CA) and the Universities of Guyana and
Florida.
The book describes the potential crop protection uses of 50 local plant species from
Guyana and gives additional information about plants such as the sijan tree, mammey, neem,
soursop and quassia.
The writing of this text allowed the authors to put this botanical information into a
larger framework of crop protection activities and concepts while at the same time
increasing readers’ understanding of the concept of Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
The three authors have acknowledged the importance of chemical pesticides, which remain so
potent and cost-effective, however, they also recognise that environmental and health
risks arising from the use of these products can be minimized though responsible use. In
Chapter 3, information is provided on pesticides and their use while Chapter 4 focuses on
the safe use of pesticides. The use of colour plates greatly enhances the section
containing information on some of the major insect pests in Guyana and methods of their
control. The final section of the book contains case studies where specific IPM concepts
have been used to offer effective control strategies against commonly found agricultural
pests.
Copies of this book can be obtained from IICA’s Guyana Office, using the contact information at the end of this
newsletter.
| REMINDER ………..
Please complete and submit the questionnaire
on Validated But Lesser-Known On-Farm Technologies. See SARD Newsletter, June 1999 issue. |
7. PARTICIPATE
IN SARD NETWORK
|
