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Genesis of CSA   Trustees Objectives Staff   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 To improve the quality of life of farming communities by promoting environmentally safe and sustainable methods that would enhance the quality and quantity of crop yields especially in dryland areas. 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. 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. 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.

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