Knowledge towards a gender-equitable and sustainable use of biodiversity

<p>The rapid loss of landraces and biodiversity, the increasing loss of gender related knowledge on species and the economic impoverishment of the users and preservers of genetic resources is to be seen as an international phenomenon. The development of a market oriented economic system, as well as the decoupling of reproduction from production both result in a social rearrangement of gender relations which then causes a loss of biodiversity in agriculture. Since the problem of genetic erosion cannot be linked to a single, simplified cause and effect relation, but rather to a set of multiple and very diverse causes, it is hence not likely to find adequate solutions in a one dimensional approach. Accordingly, the analysis of the problem scenario also has to go beyond the realms of single scientific disciplines. Taking into account that genetic erosion is linked to economic as well as to social and ecological factors, analytical approaches should therefore include expertise from all relevant disciplines. In spite of this, researchers as well as policy makers and other actors seeking methods of resolution have until today failed to treat the problem of genetic erosion that way.</p>

<p>An analysis which successfully performs an integration of interdisciplinary findings offers a more holistic understanding of the problem scenario, which in the long run informs policies and methods of resolution towards a more multidimensional perspective. Following this perception a research group working in the field of Social-Ecological Research (SÖF) will be established. Social-Ecological Research (SÖF) aims to develop strategies in order to solve social sustainability issues connecting ecological transformation of the society with social justice and economic demands (www.sozial-oekologische-forschung.org/en/index.php). The research group will bring together scientists from the disciplines of social, economic and ecological science. Throughout their work in the research group, young scientists from will be given the opportunity to build up capacities for interdisciplinary work in research and practice and to qualify as PhDs. As regards to the projects content, the aim is to establish a transdisciplinary analytical approach as a means to give adequate consideration to the complexity of the existing problem scenario. By the analysis of rice-biodiversity in South India the research group aims to generate transformation-knowledge for a gender-equitable solution to the problem of genetic erosion. The provision of policy relevant transformation-knowledge aims to support actors to engage in a future agricultural utilization and maintenance of complex farming systems. In the process, the gender perspective plays a key role in arranging, systematizing and focusing the different disciplinary findings into instruments for a gender equitable maintenance of biodiversity.</p>

<p>The research group in Social-Ecological Research will be based on the following disciplines (i) Institutional sociology, (ii) ecology, (iii) gender studies and (iv) economics. These disciplines will be connected to an organizational team as listed below:</p>

<p>In order to guarantee a high degree of relevance to practice right from the beginning of the research project, it is the aim to integrate partners of practice into the development of a common understanding of the problem scenario and the definition of the project's aims. The project considers non-academic knowledge to be of great importance in order to gain a more holistic understanding of the situation on site. Accordingly it is recognized as a sine qua non prerequisite for the successful generation of adequate transformation-knowledge. The sustainable use of biodiversity includes multiple and very diverse stakeholders, who will be integrated into the process of generating and verifying transformation-knowledge. Relevant actors are those stakeholders, who are actively engaged in the process of governing biodiversity on different societal levels. The cooperation with partners of practice includes the International Food and Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington D.C., the German Development Cooperation GTZ in Eschborn, Germany and the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in Chennai, India.</p>

<p>For the establishment of the research group the organizational team uses the one-year pre-phase for the following activities: (1) The development and focussing of the topic, (2) the dialogue and integration of partners of practice and (3) the drafting of the main proposal.</p>