Comments on: SRI: A Profitable Path to Independence from Pesticides and GMO Rice Seeds http://www.triplepundit.com/2009/03/sri-a-profitable-path-to-independence-from-pesticides-and-gmo-rice-seeds/ Business, Better. Since 2005 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:33:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Paul Smithhttp://www.triplepundit.com/2009/03/sri-a-profitable-path-to-independence-from-pesticides-and-gmo-rice-seeds/comment-page-1/#comment-8979 Paul Smith Mon, 30 Mar 2009 16:42:18 +0000 http://www.triplepundit.com/wordpress/2009/03/sri-a-profitable-path-to-independence-from-pesticides-and-gmo-rice-seeds/#comment-8979 Ah, thanks very much for that thorough correction/background on where it came from, and what's going on. My mistaken, apologies. That is very encouraging to hear it so thoroughly shown to work so well. Ah, thanks very much for that thorough correction/background on where it came from, and what’s going on. My mistaken, apologies. That is very encouraging to hear it so thoroughly shown to work so well.

]]> By: Norman Uphoffhttp://www.triplepundit.com/2009/03/sri-a-profitable-path-to-independence-from-pesticides-and-gmo-rice-seeds/comment-page-1/#comment-8978 Norman Uphoff Sun, 29 Mar 2009 16:11:07 +0000 http://www.triplepundit.com/wordpress/2009/03/sri-a-profitable-path-to-independence-from-pesticides-and-gmo-rice-seeds/#comment-8978 We appreciate the attention given to SRI in this blog report, but we would like to correct immediately the crediting of SRI to being 'invented' by Cornell University researchers. SRI methods were assembled/synthesized by Fr. Henri de Laulanie in the 1980s after about two decades of observation, experimentation and work with farmers in Madagascar. I learned about SRI in 1993 from the NGO Association Tefy Saina while I was director of the Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development (CIIFAD), which Fr. de Laulaunie and a number of his Malagasy friends and associates set up in 1990. CIIFAD began working with Tefy Saina leaders and staff in 1994 to introduce SRI methods to farmers cultivating in the peripheral zone around Ranomafana National Park under a USAID-funded project, but we did not believe/accept the methods for three years, needing to see whether something that sounded 'too good to be true' was indeed valid. After the farmers who used these methods averaged 8 tons/hectare for three years, on soils where previously they averaged 2 tons, CIIFAD began trying to get the methods evaluated in other countries. It took two years to get such trials going, in China and Indonesia, but after these evaluations confirmed the merits of SRI practices, CIIFAD began trying to spread knowledge of the new methodology, in cooperation with Association Tefy Saina. The SRI website that CIIFAD maintains for the worldwide network of SRI colleagues (http://ciifad.cornell.edu/sri/) is in association with Tefy Saina. Cornell faculty want credit to be given where it belongs, in this case with some remarkable persons in Madagascar. Sadly, Fr. de Laulanie passed away in 1995 after devoting 34 years of his life (almost half of his lifetime) to improving the situation and prospects of rural people in his adopted country, Madagascar. His Tefy Saina colleagues in that country continue to bring his innovation to others and to work with CIIFAD and others in making SRI available around the world. The past president and secretary of Tefy Saina in 2006 were brought to Rwanda by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to train farmers in that country under an IFAD project. In 2008, over 2,000 farmers were practicing SRI and their yields averaged 6-7 tons/hectare where before they got only 4 tons. The validity of SRI practices has now been seen in 36 countries, Ghana being the most recent to join 'the SRI club.' Countries as diverse as Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Bhutan are making good use of the methods as can be seen from the SRI website (address given above). Norman Uphoff Program Leader, Sustainable Rice Systems CIIFAD, Cornell University We appreciate the attention given to SRI in this blog report, but we would like to correct immediately the crediting of SRI to being ‘invented’ by Cornell University researchers.
SRI methods were assembled/synthesized by Fr. Henri de Laulanie in the 1980s after about two decades of observation, experimentation and work with farmers in Madagascar. I learned about SRI in 1993 from the NGO Association Tefy Saina while I was director of the Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development (CIIFAD), which Fr. de Laulaunie and a number of his Malagasy friends and associates set up in 1990.
CIIFAD began working with Tefy Saina leaders and staff in 1994 to introduce SRI methods to farmers cultivating in the peripheral zone around Ranomafana National Park under a USAID-funded project, but we did not believe/accept the methods for three years, needing to see whether something that sounded ‘too good to be true’ was indeed valid. After the farmers who used these methods averaged 8 tons/hectare for three years, on soils where previously they averaged 2 tons, CIIFAD began trying to get the methods evaluated in other countries. It took two years to get such trials going, in China and Indonesia, but after these evaluations confirmed the merits of SRI practices, CIIFAD began trying to spread knowledge of the new methodology, in cooperation with Association Tefy Saina.
The SRI website that CIIFAD maintains for the worldwide network of SRI colleagues (http://ciifad.cornell.edu/sri/) is in association with Tefy Saina. Cornell faculty want credit to be given where it belongs, in this case with some remarkable persons in Madagascar.
Sadly, Fr. de Laulanie passed away in 1995 after devoting 34 years of his life (almost half of his lifetime) to improving the situation and prospects of rural people in his adopted country, Madagascar. His Tefy Saina colleagues in that country continue to bring his innovation to others and to work with CIIFAD and others in making SRI available around the world.
The past president and secretary of Tefy Saina in 2006 were brought to Rwanda by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to train farmers in that country under an IFAD project. In 2008, over 2,000 farmers were practicing SRI and their yields averaged 6-7 tons/hectare where before they got only 4 tons.
The validity of SRI practices has now been seen in 36 countries, Ghana being the most recent to join ‘the SRI club.’ Countries as diverse as Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Bhutan are making good use of the methods as can be seen from the SRI website (address given above).
Norman Uphoff
Program Leader, Sustainable Rice Systems
CIIFAD, Cornell University

]]> By: Paul Smithhttp://www.triplepundit.com/2009/03/sri-a-profitable-path-to-independence-from-pesticides-and-gmo-rice-seeds/comment-page-1/#comment-8977 Paul Smith Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:24:49 +0000 http://www.triplepundit.com/wordpress/2009/03/sri-a-profitable-path-to-independence-from-pesticides-and-gmo-rice-seeds/#comment-8977 Agreed. It's the parallel to pharmaceutical companies seeking to make patentable and profitable what plants and other natural sources can do, but are not patentable. Agreed. It’s the parallel to pharmaceutical companies seeking to make patentable and profitable what plants and other natural sources can do, but are not patentable.

]]> By: Sarah Lozanovahttp://www.triplepundit.com/2009/03/sri-a-profitable-path-to-independence-from-pesticides-and-gmo-rice-seeds/comment-page-1/#comment-8976 Sarah Lozanova Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:28:14 +0000 http://www.triplepundit.com/wordpress/2009/03/sri-a-profitable-path-to-independence-from-pesticides-and-gmo-rice-seeds/#comment-8976 Sometimes the greatest innovations are overlooked when they don't make big companies rich. I hope this catches on. It is certainly good for the triple bottom line for many. Sometimes the greatest innovations are overlooked when they don’t make big companies rich. I hope this catches on. It is certainly good for the triple bottom line for many.

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