Shifting Cultivation Can Be Sustainable

By Minggu Simon Lhasa BANGKOK, Aug 29 (Bernama) -- Shifting cultivation can be sustainable if managed properly and environmentally sound, according to preliminary findings of FAO-supported case studies. It is a form of historically sustained livelihood systems and landscape management that is closely connected to the traditional culture and way of life of the communities, according the findings revealed at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) sponsored forum on Thursday. In order to support indigenous communities that are depending on shifting cultivation, it is first and foremost necessary to recognize that it is more than just farming practices or farming systems, it said. It was one of the preliminary findings of FAO-supported case studies examining the challenges faced by the region's indigenous peoples relating to their shifting cultivation practices, said FAO in a statement. The findings were discussed Thursday at an FAO-sponsored Regional Multi-stakeholder Consultation on Regional Support to Indigenous Peoples for Livelihood and Food Security, jointly organised by the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) and FAO, in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Researchers conducted case studies between March and May 2014 in seven Asian countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Nepal and Thailand. Among other needs, indigenous peoples across the region rely on access to land to ensure their food security needs, yet national policies and economic development are often at odds with those requirements. "In order to address the issue of poverty among indigenous peoples, concerted efforts by all stakeholders are necessary and FAO, being a specialised agency of the UN and the leader of global efforts to eradicate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, is committed to engaging with indigenous communities," Hiroyuki Konuma, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific remarked. "Unless we target this one of the largest portion of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in our society, we would not be able to eradicate poverty and hunger, and our fundamental goal of equitable growth, social stability and sustainable development would never be achieved," Konuma said. "Indigenous communities in the world, as well as those in this region, have many things in common and face similar challenges," said Konuma. "At the same time, I am aware that each indigenous community is unique in its history, language, social systems, cultural values, livelihood systems, and other important characteristics." Asia is home to approximately 70 percent of the world's 370 million indigenous peoples. At the global level, indigenous peoples make up about 15 per cent of the global poor. --BERNAMA