Farm Forestry in South Asia (Hardcover)

"This is a set of studies about more than just trees or farmers: for the first time, we have a series of micro-level views of how the working of the economy inhibits or promotes the growing or felling of trees1/4. The book has the dual advantage of opening up a fresh area for study and pointing to the need for more monographs1/4. The book will prove to be indispensable for anyone interested in agriculture, technology or environment." --Science, Technology & Society "A valuable and comprehensive matrix of reference. The editors are to be congratulated for the effort made to bring together such a varied group of professionals whose combined expertise and experience have succeeded in developing an important document on farm forestry." --Indian Review of Books "The book deals comprehensively with diverse ecological regions; highlights meticulously the traditional agro-forestry systems and critically analyses the socio-economic aspects of farm forestry, including the fundamental characteristics of farmers and issues related to the practical perspectives of agrarian dynamism and farm forestry programmes.... The studies in this book reveal the intimate relation between the farmer and the tree." --The Tribune "The volume has enough rich and in-depth material to make it rewarding reading of abiding interest both to scholars and policy makers.... It is refreshing to have this book which is eminently readable, quite perceptive and enlightening to interested scholars." --Journal of Indian School of Political Economy Based on fresh empirical data that are used to critically analyze existing theories and approaches to farm forestry, Farm Forestry in South Asia covers the gamut of issues related to farm forestry programs from a practical perspective. Comprising 14 case studies from diverse ecological regions of South Asia, this volume addresses two major themes: traditional agroforestry patterns and the response of farmers to farm forestry programs. The growing concern over the disappearance of forests and the resultant research and development in farm forestry in South Asia have unfortunately ignored the farmer's perspective. It is from the farmer's standpoint that the contributors critically examine farm forestry in South Asia. They argue that without taking into account the farmer's outlook and developing an integrative approach in which farm forestry builds on traditional agroforestry, any farm forestry program is bound to fail. Farm Forestry in South Asia will be of immense value to forest research institutes, agroforestry, development agencies, and environmental groups besides policymakers and those studying agricultural economics