Jury of Indian farmers to pass judgement on agricultural science

A 'citizens jury' of marginalised farmers in southern India will this week give their verdict on the future of research on food and agriculture.

From 1-5 December, the jury will hear the testimony of special witnesses from government departments, agricultural universities, and farmers and consumers organisations.

The jury will then make recommendations about how to make agricultural science better at serving the needs of the poor and marginalised majority.

“Farmers are excluded from decision-making processes that have major implications for their livelihoods, such as how research is planned, managed, used and shared,” says PV Satheesh of the Deccan Development Society, which is co-organising the event.

"Citizen juries are a way to make democracy accessible to the small and the voiceless people who are excluded from the mainstream democratic processes," he adds.

Staff from the World Bank and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations will act as observers at the event, which will take place near Bangalore in the state of Karnataka.

The jury will consist of 30 farmers from across the state and will include men and women, indigenous (Adivasi) people, landless labourers and marginalised Dalit communities.

The event has been staged by the Alliance for Democratizing Agricultural Research in South Asia (ADARSA), which is working in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka to boost the role of farmers in policymaking that affects them.

ADARSA is part of a global initiative led by the International Institute for Environment and Development. Other regional alliances are working in Latin America (Bolivia and Peru), West Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali) and West Asia (Iran).

“Business as usual in research will not solve the many crisis undermining food and agriculture today.” says Dr. Michel Pimbert of the International Institute for Environment and Development. “The governance of agricultural research needs to be firmly placed under citizen control and oversight.”

“Farmers and other citizens should to be centrally involved in defining strategic research priorities and in ensuring that knowledge is produced with, by and for food providers and consumers,” he adds. “Without this science risks serving only narrow corporate interests instead of meeting its potential to address hunger and poverty.”

ADARSA is being led by the Deccan Development Society in Hyderabad in partnership with the Centre for Agricultural Media, Dharawada, Institute for Cultural Research and Action [ICRA], Bengalooru and Appiko Chaluvali of Sirsi.

This event will be held at Fire Flies, a green Ashram near Bengalooru. Fireflies, Dinnepalya Village, Kaggalipura Post, Off Kanakarapura Road, (approx. 20 kms) Bangalore: 560082

See http://www.raitateerpu.com/