Our philosophy is based on several core principles that provide an ethical foundation for our practice in the field. Poverty, malnutrition, land degradation and loss of biodiversity are among the fundamental issues of our time. Agricultural Innovations is committed to fighting poverty and promoting peace and prosperity through sound planning initiatives.
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Farmer Field Schools build capacity
The most important of all our principles, building local capacity is a recurrent theme in every one of our activities. Capacity building diversifies local economies, generates income and improves productivity. In building capacity, we maximize our efficiency by creating capable farmers, builders, and land managers that can then pass their knowledge on to family, neighbors, and friends.
The Farmer Field School approach has met with great success in the field as a low-cost form of extension. As can be seen in the photo, the FFS approach ensures participation and knowledge sharing.
Meliponas: Conservation is profitable
Simply put, conservation involves making the most efficient and economical use of a resource. Already the world is beginning to feel the strain of limited resources under the pressure of ever-growing human needs. Shortages in water, energy, and arable land afflict millions of people world-wide.
Of great priority is the conservation of biodiversity in all its forms. Biologically diverse systems reduce risk and increase overall sustainability. Agricultural Innovations promotes the preservation of traditional crops, but also recognizes the need for exotic and introduced species to improve productivity.
The conservation of biodiversity involves cataloging and applying indigenous knowledge in the field. In truth, local people know and understand their own ecosystems. Science has the important function of helping people to articulate their knowledge and apply it towards novel solutions to age-old problems.
Equal Participation is Key
Democracy is one of the great products of human civilization. By applying the principles of participatory planning, Agricultural Innovations promotes community development and lays the foundation for strong, participatory democracy at the grassroots level.
In addition, community participation greatly increases the chances of project success and gives local communities a strong sense of empowerment through action. Professionals and farmers, foreigners and locals, all benefit greatly from direct interaction, and all sides come away from the process with a greater understanding of the problem.
We place special emphasis on the role of gender in community and agriculture, and believe that equal coverage and equal participation by all groups yield positive, sustainable results.
Beekeeping can bring sustainability
As with most buzz words, the word sustainability has been applied, misapplied and reapplied numerous times. Nevertheless, the commonly accepted definition is fairly straightforward: to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Many times, technical solutions that yield sustainable results are available. It is often the social dynamic that precludes the implementation of a truly sustainable system. Technically sound planning produces measurable results, which are the precursor for gaining social acceptance and cultural prestige.
Agricultural Innovations takes particular interest in the design and development of systems that for technical, social, and economic reasons will self-organize, develop, and improve over time. We plan to pioneer the application of complexity theory to the development and implementation of permacultural models that provide a socio-economically viable alternative to current practices that promote land degradation and loss of biodiversity.
