The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and food security among the poor: opportunities and constraints

The Global Triple ‘F’ Crises (Fuel, Food and Financial) caused the escalation in food prices during last 2 years in the global food market. The crises created detrimental effects in developing countries, including Sri Lanka and her food market, in general, and her food security, in particular. The objective of this paper is to examine the opportunities and constraints in promoting System of Rice Intensification (SRI) to maintain food security among the poor at the household level in Sri Lanka. The economics of SRI, and its entailing opportunities and constraints in maintaining food security among the poor in Sri Lanka, were analyzed. The upward productivity shift and eco-friendliness of SRI and the attending saving of scarce water resources and reduction of cost of production, created opportunities for farmers to maintain food security among the poor. The constraints in promoting food security through SRI too, were analyzed. Furthermore, the strategic policy and operational options to promote SRI and maintain food security among the poor in Sri Lanka were proposed. It is absolutely necessary to promote SRI to enhance a sustainable and eco-friendly food production system and to maintain food security among the poor. It will be a new paradigm shift in the right direction to maintain increased food production and food security in the country.Length: pp.81-91RiceProduction costsFood security

AGRO-ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN SRI LANKA POTENTIAL FOR MICRO LEVEL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY OPTIONS

Neo-liberal market oriented policy measures have shown hot to be harmful to theagro-environmental management, at lease in the present situation in high and midcountry in Sri Lanka (Sornaratne, 1998). However, macroeconomic policies aloneare not adequate to address the land degradation problem in the upland regions.In this context, the other complementary economic and environmental policyinstruments are needed to combat micro-level land degradation-inducedenvironmental damages.In this analysis, two environmental policy options, replacement of presentseedling tea lands in high and midland regions with Vegetatively Propagated (VP)tea and adoption of sloping agricultural Land Technology (SALT) are selected aspossible micro-level environmental policy options to mitigate the cost of landdegradation. In order to select the viability of environmental policy options, thecost-benefit analysis (CBA) method is employed as an analytical device. Thesepolicy options show considerable promise as viable micro level environmentalpolicy options to mitigate land degradation-induced agro-environmental damagesin the high and midland regions of Sri Lanka.

Climate change and agricultural adaptation in Sri Lanka: a review

Climate change is inevitable and will continue into the next century. Since the agricultural sector in Sri Lanka is one of the most vulnerable to climate change, a thorough understanding of climate transition is critical for formulating effective adaptation strategies. This paper provides an overview of the status of climate change and adaptation in the agricultural sector in Sri Lanka. The review clearly indicates that climate change is taking place in Sri Lanka in terms of rainfall variability and an increase in climate extremes and warming. A number of planned and reactive adaptation responses stemming from policy and farm-level decisions are reported. These adaptation efforts were fragmented and lacked a coherent connection to the national development policies and strategies. Research efforts are needed to develop and identify adaptation approaches and practices that are feasible for smallholder farmers, particularly in the dry zone where paddy and other food crops are predominately cultivated. To achieve the envisaged growth in the agricultural sector, rigorous efforts are necessary to mainstream climate change adaptation into national development policies and ensure that they are implemented at national, regional and local levels

Adoption of soil and water conservation technologies by resource poor farmers: a case study in North Central Province. Paper 116 of Session 18

Papers presented at National Water Conference on Status and Future Directions of Water Research in Sri Lanka: Research papers presented, BMICH, Colombo, Sri Lanka, November 4-6, 1998 - Sessions 16-1

Planning watershed development projects using non-project focused participatory methods: lessons from Mee Oya. Paper 116a of Session 13

In International Irrigation Management Institute (IIMI). National Water Conference on Status and Future Directions of Water Research in Sri Lanka, BMICH, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 4-6 November 1998. Session 13: Watershed management II; Session 14: Rural water quality; Session 15: Precipitation and evapotranspiration. Research papers presente

Contextual challenges of developing effective water management institutions: the Deduru Oya Basin, Sri Lanka

In Bruns, B.; Bandaragoda, D. J.; Samad, M. (Eds.). Integrated water-resources management in a river basin context: Institutional strategies for improving the productivity of agricultural water management. Proceedings of the Regional Workshop, Malang, Indonesia, 15-19 January 2001. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)

Multi-level participatory consultative approach for institutional change in river basins: Lessons from the Deduru Oya Case Study in Sri Lanka

Water resource management / Fisheries / Water users / River basins / Forestry / Irrigation systems / Natural resources

Developing effective institutions for water resources management: A case study in the Deduru Oya Basin, Sri Lanka

This report is based on a research project financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to conduct a regional study for the development of effective water management institutions (ADBRETA no 5812). Research activities were conducted in five river basins in Indonesia, the Philippines, Nepal, China and Sri Lanka for a period of three years commencing from 1999. The river basin studied in Sri Lanka was the Deduru Oya river basin in the North Western Province of the country. This report contains the findings of the Deduru Oya basin study. The overall objective of the case study conducted in Sri Lanka was to help the government of Sri Lanka to improve the institutions managing scarce water resources within the frame work of integrated water resources management. This case study included a comprehensive assessment of the existing physical, socio-economic and institutional environment in the river basin and also the long term changes that are likely to take place

A rare phytosterol, stigmast-5-en-3<i>β</i>,7<i>α</i>,22<i>α</i>-triol and other secondary metabolites from <i>Leea indica</i> showing enhanced <i>in vitro</i> cell migration and proangiogenic activity

Leea indica (Burm. f.) Merr. (Vitaceae) is used for the treatment of wounds in traditional medicine practiced in Sri Lanka. The current study is carried out to investigate its wound healing potential in terms of in vitro cell migration and proangiogenic activity. The scratch wound assay (SWA) guided fractionation of dichloromethane extract of L. indica led to the isolation of a rare phytosterol, stigmast-5-en-3β,7α,22α-triol (1), betulin (2), lupeol (3), and β-sitosterol (4) all of which showed enhanced cell migration in SWA and significant proangiogenic response in chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. The identities of compounds 1–4 were established by the analysis of NMR spectroscopic data and comparison with those reported. This is the first report of the occurrence of compounds 1 and 2 in L. indica.</p