Experiments in Globalisation, Food Security and Land Use Decision Making

The globalisation of trade affects land use, food production and environmentsaround the world. In principle, globalisation can maximise productivity andefficiency if competition prompts specialisation on the basis of productive capacity.In reality, however, such specialisation is often constrained by practical or politicalbarriers, including those intended to ensure national or regional food security.These are likely to produce globally sub-optimal distributions of land uses. Bothoutcomes are subject to the responses of individual land managers to economicand environmental stimuli, and these responses are known to be variable and often(economically) irrational. We investigate the consequences of stylised food securitypolicies and globalisation of agricultural markets on land use patterns under avariety of modelled forms of land manager behaviour, including variation inproduction levels, tenacity, land use intensity and multi-functionality. We find that asystem entirely dedicated to regional food security is inferior to an entirelyglobalised system in terms of overall production levels, but that several forms ofbehaviour limit the difference between the two, and that variations in land useintensity and functionality can substantially increase the provision of food and otherecosystem services in both cases. We also find emergent behaviour that results inthe abandonment of productive land, the slowing of rates of land use change andthe fragmentation or, conversely, concentration of land uses following changes indemand levels

Ethnomycological knowledge of three indigenous communities of Assam, India

327-335The paper presents the ethnomycological knowledge related to identification of wild edible mushrooms of three indigenous communities, viz. Karbis, Biates and Khelmas inhabiting the South western part of Dima Hasao district of the Indian state of Assam. Across the communities, a total of 92 knowledge holders were identified through chain referrals method. Semi-directive interview and group discussion methods were employed for documentation of their knowledge. The key features of the knowledge of the studied communities were overwhelmingly identical as all of them used criteria like morphological characters, aroma, and habitat for identifying edible mushrooms. A total of 19 species of wild edible mushrooms were observed to be collected by them. Though mushroom poisoning was rare among the communities; they take certain precautions and remedies which were again broadly more or less common. To avoid poisoning, Karbis never cooked epiphytic and terrestrial mushrooms together. In case of poisoning, they used fresh or dried fruits of any of the species, viz. Garcinia lanceaefolia, Gracinia sp, Hibiscus sabdariffa and Antidesma sp as home remedy. The rich ethnomycological knowledge not only helping these communities overcome food and nutraceutical deficiencies but also contributing in income generation

<em>Chakhao</em> (Black Rice;<em> Oryza sativa </em>L<em>.</em>): A culturally important and stress <em>tolerant</em> traditional rice variety of Manipur

789-794Chakhao (Black rice; Oryza sativa L.) is one of the lesser known traditional rice varieties of Manipur which provides not only nutraceutical benefits, but also plays a significant role in socio-cultural practices of the local Meitei community. This paper describes indigenous agro-ecological knowledge and socio-cultural practices of Meitei farmers associated with black rice cultivation. A total of 72 knowledge holders were identified through chain referrals method in three representative villages in Imphal East district of Manipur. Semi-directive interview and group discussion methods were employed for documentation of their knowledge and socio-cultural practices. In all four black rice landraces (viz., Chakhao poireiton, Chakhao angouba, Chakhao amubi and Chakhao pungdol amubi) were recorded in the study area. About 57 % of the farmers in the study area cultivated black rice in Meiteis. Beside it is also used as a medicine for diabetic patients and traditionally given to pregnant women. Cultural practices of Meiteis help conserving the agro-biodiversity in the study area