An ecological basis for the development of alternative agricultural systems for small farmers in the Third World

摘要: A strategy for small farm development in the Third World is suggested, emphasizing preservation of traditional farming systems while maintaining biological and genetic diversity. Basing agricultural on indigenous knowledge, technology, social organization can provide important guidelines design cropping that allow low-income farmers to produce subsistence cash crops with minimal dependence external inputs. Suggested alternative strategies are based diverse achieve moderate high levels productivity by manipulating exploiting resources internal farm. The resulting more sustainable economical, thus increasing equity system. Several rural programs countries, especially Latin America, incorporate these agroecological principles discussed. In contrast approaches have been transferred from United States without necessarily being suited circumstances farmers, which require purchase expensive inputs, include sustainability, stability, as goals, along increased production. Rural peasant biologically economically stable proving be a viable survival great portion impoverished population World.