Management of Agricultural Biodiversity - Third World Farmers' Experience with Change and Their Coping Strategies, 2002

The purpose of the project was to analyse how Third World farming communities experienced and reacted towards the change and influence imposed by increased globalisation. The project identified constraints and opportunities of different development paths looking at alliances and partners chosen, external and local information channels, services and support offered by institutions at various levels and patterns of agricultural biodiversity management. A description of major elements of the traditional farming systems of the communties in question constitutef the basis for analysis of the changes. The Indian NGO the Green Foundation, an option of local agricultural biodiversity conservation aiming at improved livelihoods, was focused.

Fieldwork was carried out in two cornmunities: One where the Green Foundation had been active, and one where the Green Foundation had not been active.

A more comprehensive understanding of how globalisation is experienced and inducing changes in agricultural biodiversity management at the local level is important as a basis for Norwegian development assistance within this field. The knowledge obtained also contributed to cover the need for experience and expertise by Norwegian state institutions, which participate in debates and negotiations, related to management of plant genetic resources internationally.