Gabriele Stoll
Natural Crop Protection in the Tropics
Letting Information Come to Life
Introduction
Key objectives of this book
• The most important objective of
this book is to contribute to increasing
the significance, recognition and appropriate support for
natural crop protection for
the benefit of smallholders and practitioners of sustainable
and organic agriculture.
• A second objective is to contribute
to clarifying the nature of natural
crop protection strategies. These
are no backward looking practices. They are composed of
traditional, local and scientific knowledge systems, each
enriching the other. Successful application requires both a
sound understanding and the skills needed to manage these
knowledge systems in the complex systems which farms are.
• This book attempts to link information with approaches and
methodologies for making information come to life by presenting both technical
information and case studies. In
these case studies successful approaches and methodologies are
presented, showing how information has come to life and
innovation has been stimulated. Key factors that contributed to
success are elaborated in order that an understanding of them
may help adoption – and adaptation of the approaches and
methodologies to different circumstances.
• Research still is not contributing
fully to the development of natural crop protection –
both from the perspective of natural sciences as well as from
that of systems thinking, which includes social and economic
sciences. However, compared to 10 years ago, there is more
openness and there is an increasing number of individual
examples. Research should continue along this path,
particularly in the interests of enhancing
key knowledge and of assisting local research institutions in
adopting systems-oriented and participatory approaches and
methodologies. The case studies may
provide some inspiration along this track.
• At the individual level, it is
hoped that this book will contribute to providing farmers and their advisors with the
experience and confidence needed to make the best use of the
resources available to them.
Ultimately this will lead to increasing self-confidence and
pride in their capabilities and to more sustainable farming
practices.