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Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA) is a technology
and policy research organization with a vision to make
agriculture productive, environmentally/ecologically
sensitive, and capable of preserving the social fabric
of rural communities. CSA works with farmers to conserve
their resources and their rights. Sustainable
agriculture seeks to make the best use of nature's
products and services integrating natural regenerative
processes into food production processes. This can be
achieved by amalgamating modern science with the skills
and ingenuity of local people and communities.
Genesis
of CSA
Centre for Sustainable Agriculture evolved
from the Sustainable Agriculture Desk of Centre for World Solidarity
(CWS). CWS had implemented the Red Hairy Caterpillar (RHC) Management
programme using ecological principles and methods from 1989-99 in
the semi arid tropical regions of Andhra Pradesh. In three years’ time,
there was a massive change visible on the ground. The areas where
the intervention was taken up became almost free of Red Hairy Caterpillar.
The benefit from this programme is estimated to be around 12-14 crores
of rupees in Castor alone. There were benefits for groundnut growers
too. This success of RHC programme encouraged CWS to evolve the concept
of Non-Pesticidal Management some more and experiment on other crops.
In 2001 the NPM program was evaluated and the results were found
to be very encouraging. The program was then extended for four more
years to promote Sustainable Agriculture. At this juncture, CWS decided
to go beyond pest management issues and sustainable practices for
pest management. It decided to address other components of sustainable
agriculture. With experiences collected and collated over more than
ten years and wanting to reach beyond pest management issues, CWS
decided to facilitate the setting up of a new institution that would
devote all its attention to promotion of sustainable agriculture.
Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA) was thus born on 4th March,
2004.
Objectives
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To enhance the participation of farmers, both women and men,
in all processes of problem analysis, technology development,
evaluation, adoption and extension leading to food security
and self reliance among farmers and rural communities.
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To facilitate community access and control over natural resources
and to build institutions and coalitions at different levels
for strengthening People’s Agriculture Movements, which
focus on empowerment of marginalized sections like Women, Dalits,
Adivasis and Minorities.
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To develop a Sustainable Agriculture Resource Network which
promotes sharing of knowledge, material and human resources.
To serve as a repository for documenting, collecting, storing,
collating and disseminating information/success stories from
different sources on sustainable agriculture.
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Centre
for Sustainable Agriculture
#12-13-445, Street No - 1, Tarnaka, Secunderabad-500
017, India,Phone :+91-(40)-27017735, +91-(40)-27014302,
Fax :+91-40-27005342,E-mail :
csa@csa-india.org
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