The Multiple Functions and Benefits of Small Farm Agriculture In the Context of Global Trade Negotiations

The Institute for Food and Development Policy/Food First and the Transnational Institute:
By Peter Rosset

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...challenge[s] the conventional wisdom that small farms are backward and unproductive. Using evidence from Southern and Northern countries I demonstrate that small farms are "multi-functional"—more productive, more efficient, and contribute more to economic development than large farms. Small farmers can also make better stewards of natural resources, conserving biodiversity and safe-guarding the future sustainability of agricultural production.

full text of the report available at:
http://www.foodfirst.org/pubs/policybs/pb4.htm

Clean Production

Greenpeace Briefing
Strategies to promote Clean Production
What is Clean Production?

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Clean Production systems for food and manufactured products are

• non toxic
• energy efficient
• made using renewable materials which are routinely replenished and extracted in a manner that maintains the viability of the ecosystem and community from which they were taken
• made from non-renewable materials previously extracted but able to be reprocessed in an energy efficient and non-toxic manner.

The products are

• durable and reusable
• easy to dismantle, repair and rebuild
• minimally and appropriately packaged for distribution using reusable or recycled and recyclable materials.

Above all, Clean Production systems

• are non-polluting throughout their entire life cycle
• preserve diversity in nature and culture
• support the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

The life-cycle includes

• the product/technology design phase
• the raw material selection and production phase
• the product manufacture and assemblage phase
• the consumer use of the product phase
• the societal management of the materials at the end of the useful life of the product.

http://www.rec.org/poland/wpa/cpb1.htm

Bioregional Organization

from Permaculture Designers Manual; Chatper 14; Section 5
by Bill Mollison

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A bioregional organisation is an association of the residents of a natural and identifiable region. This region is sometimes defined by a watershed, sometimes by remnant or existing tribal or language boundaries, at times by town boundaries, suburban streets, or districts, and at many times by some combination of the above factors. Many people identify with their local region or neighbourhood and know its boundaries.

There is an obvious conflict between the need to live in a region in a responsible way (bioregional centrality) and the need to integrate with other people in other places (global outreach). We need not only to "think globally and act locally", but to "act and think globally and locally".

The region is our home address, the place where we develop our culture, and take part in bioregional networks. Through global associations and "families of common interest" we cross not only the regional but also state and national boarders to set up multicultural alliances.

Just as bioregions need a federal congress periodically, so they occasionally need global congresses; societies or families also need global meetings to break down the idea of defended regional boundaries to humanity. Ethics and principles of self-governance, interdependence, and voluntary simplicity or restriction of human numbers on earth still apply at regional and outreach levels. Intermarriage, visits, mutual trade and aid, skills exchange, and educational exchange between regions of very different cultures enriches both….….

Tribal maps often define bioregions very well; totems and "skins" (clan groups) of tribes might take, as their totemic mothers, a particular tree or animal, which itself was limited in distribution by the sum of topographical and climatic factors. Other groups occupied ecologies of grasslands, stony deserts, swamps, or mountain ridges. Today, minority language groups (Saamen, Basque, Pitjatjantjara) claim territories that are ancient, and specific to their life mode. Obviously, cities break up into different, often occupational or income, districts, each with its own dialect and ecology, consumption spectrum, and morality. The acid test of a bioregion is that it is recognised as such by its inhabitants.

Ideally, the region so defined can be limited to that occupied by from 7000 to 40,000 people. Of these, perhaps only a hundred will be initially interested in any regional association, and even less will be active in it. The work of the bioregional group is to assess the natural, technical, service, and financial resources of the region, and to identify areas where leakage of resources (water, soil, money, talent) leave the region. This quickly points the way to local self-reliance strategies.

People can be called on to write accounts of their specialties, as they apply to the region, and regional newssheets publish results as they come in. Once areas of action have been defined, regional groups can be formed into associations dealing with specific areas….….

The job of the bioregional office is complex, and it needs 4-6 people to act as consultants and coordinators, with others on call when needed. All other associations can use the office for any necessary registration, address, phone, and newsletter services, and pay a fee for usage.

Critical services and links can be built by any regional office; it can serve as a land access centre, leasehold and title register, or to service agreements for clubs and societies. More importantly, the regional office can offer and house community self-funding schemes, and collect monies for trusts and societies.

The regional office also serves as a contact centre to other regions, and thus as a trade or coordination centre. One regional office makes it very easy for any resident or visitor to contact all services and associations offering in the region, and also greatly reduces costs of communication for all groups. An accountant on call can handily contract to service many groups. The regional group can also invite craftspeople or lecturers to address interest groups locally, sharing income from this educational enterprise…..……

Topics that can be included in the regional directory are as follows.

The primary categories are-

A. Food and food support systems
B. Shelter and buildings
C. Livelihoods and support services
D. Information, media, communications, and research
E. Community and security
F. Social life
G. Health services
H. Future trends
I. Transport services
M. Appendices (maps, publications of the bioregion)

Bioregional Organisation Catagories All of the above sections can contain case histories of successful strategies in that area.

CRITERIA: Practical resources (people, skills, machinery, services, biological products) essential to the functioning of a small region, and assisting the conservation of resources, regional cash flow, the survival of settlement, employment and community security. (Security here means a cooperative neighbourhood and ample, sustainable resources for people.)

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