The most serious challenge facing India is overcoming the famine of jobs or sustainable livelihood opportunities in rural India. MSSRF, whose mandate is imparting a pro-poor, pro-nature and pro-woman orientation to technology development and dissemination, designed and developed the biovillage model of sustainable human well being for this purpose in 1992. The biovillage concept involves the technological upgradation of agriculture and agro-based enterprises in villages through ecotechnologies developed by blending frontier technologies like information and biotechnologies as well as space, nuclear and renewable energy technologies with traditional ecological prudence. Thus, the biovillage based on the economics of human dignity, capitalizes on the benefits conferred by ecotechnology to both the environment and the rural economy. By giving simultaneous attention to on-farm and non-farm employment, the biovillage promotes job-led economic growth and helps to transfer poor families from the primary to the secondary and tertiary sectors of economic activity. This model is now being adopted both in other parts of India and other countries like Bangladesh and Mozambique.
The principal features of the biovillage model of sustainable and equitable rural development are shown in Fig.5
With the help of the Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment (TIFAC) programme of the Govt. of India, a Business Plan was prepared for establishing Rice BioParks. A wide range of economically viable business activities were identified for producing value-added products from rice straw, husk, bran and grain. Business plans were prepared for nearly 28 different enterprises.
Thus, the biomass of cultivated plants can provide opportunities for new enterprises. Similarly, the production and marketing of the biological software essential for sustainable agriculture such as, biofertilizers, biopesticides, vermiculture etc., could help self help groups (SHG) of women and men to enhance their income. MSSRF organized a workshop for sharing experiences on SHGs. It became clear at the workshop that SHGs can become economically sustainable only if they have backward linkages to technology and credit, and forward linkages to markets and management. MSSRF has developed an accounting software for helping SHGs to maintain both accuracy and transparency in accounting.
With the help of the Central Food Technology Research Institute, Mysore, training in post-harvest processing was given to trainees from Ladakh to help them prepare value-added products from apricot and seabuckthorn. Similarly, technical advice was given to the Sher-E-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology of Kashmir in Srinagar for establishing a Womens’ Biotechnology Park at Srinagar on the lines of the one functioning in Chennai.
Under the International Year of Rice Year Programme, consultations were held at Koraput in Orissa, Pattambi in Kerala and Shillong in Meghalaya for reviewing the current status of research on medicinal and aromatic rices. Detailed scientific strategies were developed for the improvement of the Navara rice of Kerala and Kalajeera rice of Koraput through participatory breeding and knowledge management. In all such programmes the role of women in conservation and enhancement of genetic resources was given specific attention.