The SARD-Farming Systems Evolution (SARD-FSE) Project

The purpose of this SARD effort is to gather governmental and non-governmental actors to make a diagnosis of different farming systems and to work together to identify policies and strategies. The project is aimed at increasing national capacity to prepare and implement SARD policies and thereby strengthening the participation of concerned stakeholders and targeted beneficiaries.

Evolution of agricultural systems: regional workshops

Representatives from governments, international organizations and NGOs from various countries participated in several regional workshops on the evolution of agricultural systems organised by the SARD-FSE Project:

Honduras, Latin America, Evolution of Agricultural Systems, 13-15 July 2004

Philippines, Asia, Policies and Institutional Priorities, 19-21 July 2004

Mali, West Africa, Policies and Institutionsl Priorities, 26-28 October 2004

Different agricultural systems were examined and proposals were made for innovative policies and strategies.

Regional workshop reports and case studies are available through the links in the right column of this page.

Participatory Policy Development for Lowland Rain-fed Rice-Based Farming Systems

The Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC) has published a report, “Participatory Policy Development for the Lowland Rain-fed Rice-Based Farming Systems towards Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development: A Case Study of Nueva Ecija, Philippines,” with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and as part of the SARD Farming Systems Evolution project.

The study looked at the lowland rain-fed rice-based farming system at the national, territorial and farming systems levels. In order to discover whether this system is sustainable, two scenarios were developed and examined; a status quo scenario where current trends were extended into the future, and a “what if” scenario which was a projection of what could happen if realistic interventions occur. The study concludes that social equity is the major challenge for achieving sustainability and rural development. Sustainable agriculture was also found to be the best hope for farmers in these areas, as lower costs of inputs are needed to sustain farming activities and better yields are achieved over time.