Indigenous technology and farming systems research : agroforestry in the Indian desert

This case study describes an FSR project conducted in an arid-to-semiarid area in Rajasthan State, India, whose most significant findings arose not from its stated focus (pearl millet, pulse, and pest control trials), but from an anthropological inquiry into indigenous farming systems. What was discovered was a rainfed agroforestry system which combined trees, crops, animal husbandry, and links to fuel and timber concerns. Numerous previous studies (focusing on crops, crop combinations, and infrastructural development) had explored the problems of arid land production in Rajasthan without realizing the potential value of the agroforestry technology. Such a technology (i.e., one developed by relatively poor farmers working marginal lands and utilizing low-cost, locally available inputs) helps farmers overcome a major problem accompanying agricultural development - unequal access to agricultural inputs. The case discussed here shows that the inclusion of anthropological methods can help FSR discover existing systems which may then become targets of further research aimed at their improvement or propagation.