Invitation to attend a talk on Social Development and Agricultural Transition in Kerala

Hello Readers,

You are cordially invited to attend a talk at ATREE on Social Development and Agricultural Transition in Kerala by Forrest Fleischman as per the schedule below:

Date: 18th May (Friday)

Time: 4.00 pm

Venue: ATREE terrace

Forrest Fleischman, who is a new graduate student at Indiana University, has been conducting some research in Thrissur forthe past several months. He will be visiting ATREE on 18 May and talking to us.

Here is the title & Abstract:
=========================================================================================================Title: Social Development and Agricultural Transition in Kerala

Abstract
Kerala is considered a model for social development policies, howeverthe impact of those policies on natural resources has not been wellstudied.

I am in the midst of a field survey of farmers in Thrissur district, examining the impact of social change in Kerala, including land reform, widespread education, economic growth, andpanchayat-based planning, on agriculture.

Land reform and past population growth (resulting in very small average landholdings), high labor costs, and the availability of high paying jobs to educated Malayalees who are willing to migrate, are driving forces in the expansion of highly biodiverse home gardens, which decrease labor inputs and produce goods which are more useful in the homes of the rising middle class.

The sustainability of this agro-ecosystem is threatened by increasing construction and a lack of interest in agriculture among the younger, more educated generation.
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Regards,

Kalpana Prasanna

Executive Assistant to the Director
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology & the Environment
No.659 5th A Main Road Hebbal, Bangalore 560024

kalpana@atree.org
tel: +91-80-23530069