Chapter 9

The framework for development of integrated systems

The framework for integrated systems development needs to take into consideration several facets of programme development and delivery. Essentially these relate to problem definition, priority setting, definition of a research and development agenda, timeframe for the work and an operational strategy. Together these need to ensure that the work to be undertaken is pragmatic, relevant to the search for solutions, can contribute to progress and has the potential for sustainable development.

In a general sense, there needs to be an initial systems approach to assess the issues in specific agro-ecosystems, the nature and extent of the complex interactions between the environment, crops and animals, and the formulation of strategies and interventions that can provide solutions.

Concerning animals, there needs to be an understanding of the species found, breeds used, major constraints and an awareness of the problems of producers and consumers.

CRITERIA FOR PROJECT FORMULATION

Project formulation and development needs to consider several criteria and involve different commodities (e.g., crops, animals, forestry and fish culture) and disciplines (animal nutrition, agronomy, sociology and economics) as appropriate. The approach needs to be flexible, in order to select and modify the team composition based on the needs of the work. The team finally assembled will thus be able to cope with the needs of the work and, more importantly, contribute to the formulation of the research and development required, as well as ensure successful implementation and completion.

The criteria for such support takes cognisance of the following factors:

• Relevance, applicability and suitability of integration with existing resources on small farms.
• Clear definition of the nature and magnitude of problems associated with integration.
• Research requirements, e.g., crop-animal interactions, and the effects of these on the farm.
• Nature and importance of the problems.
• Capacity to use available natural resources fully.
• Timely intervention and completion of research within the time-frame.
• Clear identification of systems and commodities (eg. rice, pigs and fish) in order to promote efficient resource management, conservation and a sound environment.
• Clear definition of potential users and target populations. Participation of farmers is central.
• Potential benefits (optimization of income and renewability), impact, contribution to solutions, economic and social costs.
• Lessening of the imbalance in development between rural and urban people.
• Contribution to the alleviation of rural nutrition and poverty.
• National and regional development goals.
• Contribution to the development of sustainable crop-animal systems.
• Regional relevance, i.e., possibility of transfer of technology and replication without any negative impact.

The above criteria are extremely important in the assessment of project support for research and development. Essentially, the project must be useful in improving the living standards of people, will use natural resources fully, is consistent with national development goals, and has regional applicability. The latter implies that the research findings are likely to be applicable in other countries in South-East Asia and elsewhere.

An important dimension concerning project development is detailed assessment of the socio-economic relevance of prevailing practices on small farms. With animals, for example, this approach implies detailed investigations of patterns of production, contribution to income and human nutrition, constraints, perceptions of farmers, marketing aspects and economic potential. This kind of work needs to consider year-round and seasonal differences.

RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS

The resource requirements need to include all aspects of what it takes to execute the work. Often the overall requirements are in two parts:

• Detailed assessment of the real needs through surveys or feasibility studies for purposes of precise problem definition and formulation of research and development agenda.
• Complete requirements for implementation: operational needs, inputs (e.g., feeds and fertilisers), local and international travel costs, equipment, wages, training, communication and costs of disseminating the information generated.

CONSERVATION OF ON-FARM GENETIC BIO-DIVERSITY

The animal genetic resources of Asia are characterized by their great diversity. A wide range of resources are found on the small farms of South-East Asia and their conservation is essential. Conservation implies detailed characterization using both published and unpublished information, as well as clear definition of the genetic attributes of individual animal species and breeds which are unique to the region. It is equally important to describe the environment to which the species or breed is adapted, in order to determine and predict the genetic performance specific to this location.

The conservation of on-farm genetic bio-diversity has received inadequate attention in the past and their is a need to improve and maintain the indigenous breeds. More importantly, these breeds are being threatened by indiscriminate crossbreeding with extensive importation of exotic breeds, not all of which are necessarily advantageous. The development of artificial insemination and other techniques that facilitate easy transfer of breeding material across regions has resulted in the replacement of indigenous breeds and the dilution and loss of identifiable animal genetic bio-diversity (Chapter 6). This is evident, for example, with several Chinese breeds of pigs, the Katjang goat breed in Indonesia and the Kedah-Kelantan cattle of Malaysia. Conservation is thus essential for reasons of economic potential, scientific use and also cultural interest.

There is a need therefore for more aggressive programmes that can conserve animal genetic resources. It is essential however, that such programmes are undertaken without hindering the activities of small farm systems, taking into account the meagre resources available and the main objectives of generating income and producing food for their livelihood.

INSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

The institutional requirements for supporting the work are many:

• Commitment to the concept of integrated systems and a systems approach.
• Provision of manpower and support services for the duration of the project.
• Support for training, both formal and informal.
• Information exchange services.
• Dissemination of information.

The formulation and implementation of the project within the time-frame will be mainly carried out by the national institution. Funding can come from national sources and/or external donors. The management of the project becomes an institutional responsibility from implementation, management of data (research and financial) and analysis of results and impact.

In addition to the above, there are other aspects that institutions must address in the context of developing sustainable small farm systems:

• Indigenous technologies must be adapted to the needs of small farmers.
• Closer links are required between the micro-economic perceptions of small farmers and macro-economic government policies.
• Government policies and national research systems need to identify integrated agricultural production with the protection of natural resources, regulation and control of interventions and support services for rural people and various levels of training. Cooperative movement and the development of cooperatives greatly enhance the success of production, marketing and processing systems and foster self-reliance.
• Private sector participation in agricultural production and marketing activities with community-based decision making and management of local affairs, including common property issues. Associated with this, much more can be done for poor farming families to improve access to agricultural services, inputs and also credit.
• For active community-based participation, the necessary structures should be in place.
• An effective communication system is necessary to facilitate the diffusion of practical technical innovations, communicate price policies, fluctuations and market dynamics, potential processing opportunities and linkages with other sectors.
• Formal and informal education systems, focused on human resource development, should be identified with the objectives of sound resource management, conservation of the environment and the development of sustainable agriculture.
• Agricultural extension programmes to serve the needs of farmers should be based on the integration of research and development activities that are needs-oriented and include the results and experiences of farmers.
• Mechanisms for inter-institutional coordination and collaboration need to be considerably strengthened within the frame-work of consultation and sharing.

POLICY SUPPORT

Appropriate policy must be in place to catalyze the project at all levels, from formulation, implementation and monitoring to the analysis of results and impact. Policy decisions are thus important to provide a framework for the systems approach and in support of resource development strategies.

IMPLEMENTATION

Once the project has been carefully formulated, wide inter-institutional discussion and consultation, appropriate linkages and support services must also be defined. Implementation is the next step and it is essential that the objectives of the project are set within a defined timeframe which involves regular monitoring. The final step is detailed analysis of the results, extent of adoption and evalution of the impact.

Some items that will warrant attention during the course of the project are:

• Initial preparatory work should involve the participation of the project team and farmers.
• Pragmatism and urgency are essential features.
• Timing may be crucial depending on seasonality where this can be a problem, e.g., onset of dry or wet periods.
• Flexibility to enable changes to meet adaptive needs due to locational and operational problems at the farm level, without compromising statistical validity.
• Preparedness for and commitment to more sustained effort and time inputs as appropriate.

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION

If appropriate technology is to be adopted, then the acceptance and benefits need to be evaluated in terms of technical (e.g., efficiency ratios, yield/unit input), economic (e.g., net income, cost-benefit ratios, gross margin, internal rate of return, factor share of total output, value-added income) and socio-cultural acceptability (e.g., rate and number of adopters, quality-of-life assessments). There are two key elements in this. Firstly, continuous monitoring of the progress of the project throughout its duration is required and should also be defined at the start of the project. Secondly, parameters to assess impact are necessary. These include the following :

• Cost-benefit analysis.
• Before-and-after trends.
• Environmental accounting.

The research and development objectives of the project thus need to include economic and social parameters, optimization of income, renewability and self-reliance. These aspects are consistent with the goals of sustainable agriculture and a sound environment in which the efficient use and management of the natural resources is implicit.

IMPACT ANALYSIS

It is essential that every stage of the development of integrated farming systems: project formulation, resource requirements, institutional support, implementation and evaluation, is finally assessed in terms of impact of the total effort. The measurement of impact is essential to assess the efficiency of the mode and approach to resource utilization, the negative and positive effects, lessons learnt and cost-effectiveness. The criteria fall into two categories: firstly, those which allude to the direct consequences on farm households and, secondly, indirect benefits of changes in the overall research systems where the work is conducted (Anderson, 1985).

There is a paucity of information on impact analysis at present and, in view of the importance attached to resource utilization, this aspect needs much more study in the future with a focus on the different types of integrated crop-animal systems and their contribution to sustainable development.