Record Details

Dryland Agriculture: Dynamics, Challenges and Priorities. Research Bulletin no. 20

OAR@ICRISAT

View Archive Info
 
 
Field Value
 
Relation http://oar.icrisat.org/4066/
 
Title Dryland Agriculture: Dynamics, Challenges and Priorities. Research Bulletin no. 20
 
Creator Bantilan, M C S
Babu, P A
Anupama, G V
Deepthi, H
Padmaja, R
 
Subject Agriculture-Farming, Production, Technology, Economics
 
Description The developments in the dryland region reflect the pervasiveness of poverty, which is
demonstrated by the growing constraints of water, land degradation, continuing concerns about
malnutrition, migration due to frequent droughts, lack of infrastructure, poor dissemination of
improved technologies, and effects of government policies and further economic liberalization
on the competitiveness of dryland crops. This research bulletin reviews past trends, summarizes
the major constraints to income growth, food security, poverty alleviation, and environmental
sustainability, and identifies future strategies and priorities. The discussion uses the semi-arid
tropics as a focal point where poverty, food insecurity, child malnutrition and gender inequalities
are widespread. A synthesis of evidences and lessons learned from ICRISAT Village Level Studies
(VLS), conducted since 1975, is presented to provide empirical evidence on the vulnerability of
the poor to various risks and shocks, as well as their capacity to access physical, financial and
social resources and networks in the risky environments of the drylands. An analysis of available
evidences provided a basis for identifying major policy issues that need to be addressed. Priority
development interventions are identified to accelerate the pace of development of dryland
agriculture: a) water as a catalyst for development; b) reorientation of public policies and better
targeting of development interventions to dryland farmers, especially since they relate to key
factors constraining agricultural productivity, and hence poverty reduction; c) diversification
with a higher focus on crop-livestock development; d) innovative, cost effective and communitybased
management of wastelands and common property resources; e) marketing, commercial
orientation and competitiveness of dryland agriculture; and f) institutional innovations, building
partnerships, linkages and capacity. The development of dryland agriculture requires synergy
among technologies, marketing systems, input supplies, credit, policies and institutions. A
broadbased sustainable growth and development in the drylands of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa
is viewed as a key strategy for addressing rural poverty in the Asian and sub-Saharan region.
 
Publisher International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
 
Date 2006
 
Type Monograph
NonPeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Rights —
 
Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/4066/1/528_2006_RB20_Dryland_Agriculture.pdf
Bantilan, M C S and Babu, P A and Anupama, G V and Deepthi, H and Padmaja, R (2006) Dryland Agriculture: Dynamics, Challenges and Priorities. Research Bulletin no. 20. Technical Report. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics , Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India.