This article originates from the author's dissertation monograph (Sandell, 1988), where further discussions, empirical material and references to relevant literature can be found. For generous financial support I am indebted to the Swedish Agency for Research Cooperation with Developing Countries and the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies.
摘要
Within a multi-disciplinary research project involving Sri Lankan and Swedish researchers, information about farmers' perspectives on water, nutrients and sustainability was collected. The farmers were living in five villages in the northern dry zone of Sri Lanka characterized by low-resource agriculture mainly including paddy rice (irrigated by village reservoirs) and shifting cultivation. The green revolution of High Yielding Varieties, chemical fertilizers and other agrochemicals was introduced in the studied villages in the 1950s and 1960s but was still irregularly used. The farmers were well aware of the resulting higher yields when using these industrialized inputs and the majority wanted to increase their use but regarded the cost as a major limitation. But the farmers also were worried about negative environmental effects associated with these inputs. They contrasted these negative aspects to the agricultural practices of the past and there was a belief that there had been a decrease in the fertility of the soil and in the quality of the crops. This perspective was paralleled in the perception of a general decrease in precipitation. For the discussion of this case-study a theoretical framework of three main types of views and practical utilizations of natural resources ("eco-strategies") was used ("domination" vs. "active adaptation" and "passive adaptation").
目次
Abstract 163 Introduction 163 Physical and Cultural Features of the Case Study Area 164 Increased Resource Pressure in the Villages 166 Farmers' Perspectives 167 A Decrease in Precipitation 167 Physical and Social Adaptation to the Green Revolution Package 168 The Good Old Methods vs. the Quick and Easy Way 169 The Theoretical Framework of Three Eco-strategies 171 Eco-strategies 171 The Three Eco-strategies Applied to Agriculture 171 Conclusion: Eco-strategies in the Context of the Case-study 173 References 175
