|
LEISA
is the abbreviation of 'Low External Input Sustainable
Agriculture'. It refers to viable small scale farming,
which is a major part of rural livelihoods.
LEISA is about finding technical and social options open to
farmers who seek to improve productivity in an ecologically
sound way. It encourages the optimal use of local
resources and natural processes, and looks to build
on local knowledge and traditional technologies
through the involvement of the farmers themselves.
Information about these technologies is exchanged through
the LEISA
Magazine.
 Call
for Articles: Climate Change and Resilience
Farmers
adapt their agricultural systems in crises such as
droughts, floods, soil degradation and social conflict. They
also respond to positive opportunities such as new
crops and emerging markets. Failure to adapt often results
in disaster.
There
is wide scientific consensus that the global climate is changing,
affecting rainfall patterns and boosting temperatures around
the world. In some areas, it may lead to further
desertification and decline of food production. Agriculture
is one of the major contributors to climate change. Fertilizer
production emits large quantities of greenhouse gases and
its application acidifies soils.
The tropics are expected to be hit hardest by climate change.
Sustainable agriculture can help reduce this threat.
It can reduce the impact of agriculture on the climate
through sustainable methods (e.g. integration of diverse crops,
soil management, low fossil energy input, local marketing).
And it can help rural societies cope with drastic changes,
as farmers adapt and respond to new opportunites, and build
more resilient farming systems.
The
coming climate change issue of the magazine will look for
concrete examples on how LEISA helps to build resilience.
How do farmers perceive and deal with changes in their environment?
What do they anticipate? How have they been dealing with shocks
and stresses in the past and how can such strategies be important
in the years to come?
Submission
Details
For submissions information see HTML.
Please send your contributions to Jorge Chavez-Tafur, editor,
at: j.chavez-tafur@ileia.nl
Final
application deadline: 01 Septemer 2008
|
