The Paddy Chain: Building Constructive Alternatives

Research Studies on Rice/Paddy initiated by Hivos in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and The Netherlands looked at several aspects related to ecological/environmental, economic, institutional, social/gender dimensions of rice production, trade and consumption. The sharing of findings from these studies was done in an International workshop held in Sri Lanka in March 2004, where participants from Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines also participated apart from the countries where the studies were carried out. From the sharing of experiences it emerged that organic agriculture is indeed a better option for the small producer as it reduces the cost of production, enriches the soil, is environmentally friendly (reduces costs on healthcare) and there are possibilities for higher income if linked with the growing demand for organic produce. However very few examples emerged which actually indicated the engagement with a greater part of the food/value chain. This perhaps indicates the complexities and the difficulties in the processes as one moves along the chain. Given the political, socio-cultural, economic and agro-ecological diversities of India, it was felt that a much deeper understanding of the processes that affect the lives and the livelihoods of the paddy producers needs to be acquired for any meaningful interventions to be designed.