IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/agecon/v36y2007i2p157-167.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Determinants of millet diversity at the household‐farm and village‐community levels in the drylands of India: the role of local seed systems

Author

Listed:
  • Latha Nagarajan
  • Melinda Smale
  • Paul Glewwe

Abstract

This research characterizes the biological diversity of millet crops in the semiarid regions of India at the household and village‐community ( panchayat) scales of analysis, placing that evidence in the context of local seed systems. A set of seed system parameters that span formal and informal exchange and can be measured empirically are proposed. The analysis is based on data collected through sample surveys of farmers and traders in selected sites of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, combined with cultivar taxonomies developed with geneticists and applied to seed samples. Findings demonstrate that millet crop diversity levels at both scales of analysis are significantly influenced by seed system parameters, factors which related studies have omitted. In particular, the presence of active local (formal and informal) seed markets enhances millet richness among and within farming communities. Crop improvement strategies oriented toward local seed markets could provide important benefits and incentives to farm households living in these marginal environments. There is a need, however, for an enhanced theoretical understanding of local seed markets in analyzing crop variety choices and the diversity of materials grown in less favored environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Latha Nagarajan & Melinda Smale & Paul Glewwe, 2007. "Determinants of millet diversity at the household‐farm and village‐community levels in the drylands of India: the role of local seed systems," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 36(2), pages 157-167, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:agecon:v:36:y:2007:i:2:p:157-167
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-0862.2007.00195.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-0862.2007.00195.x
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1574-0862.2007.00195.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Van Dusen, M. Eric, 2000. "In Situ Conservation Of Crop Genetic Resources In A Center Of Diversity," 2000 Annual meeting, July 30-August 2, Tampa, FL 21889, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    2. Van Dusen, M. Eric, 2000. "In Situ Conservation Of Crop Genetic Resources In The Mexican Milpa System," Dissertations 11941, University of California, Davis, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    3. Nagarajan, Latha & Smale, Melinda, 2005. "Local seed systems and village-level determinants of millet crop diversity in marginal environments of India:," EPTD discussion papers 135, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Negassa, Asfaw & Hellin, Jonathan & Shiferaw, Bekele A., 2012. "Determinants of Adoption and Spatial Diversity of Wheat Varieties on Household Farms in Turkey," Socioeconomics Program Working Papers 147106, CIMMYT: International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center.
    2. Karunarathna, Muditha & Wilson, Clevo, 2017. "Agricultural biodiversity and farm level technical efficiency: An empirical investigation," Journal of Forest Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(PA), pages 38-46.
    3. Vijesh Krishna & Matin Qaim & David Zilberman, 2016. "Transgenic crops, production risk and agrobiodiversity," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 43(1), pages 137-164.
    4. Krishna, Vijesh V. & Zilberman, David & Qaim, Matin, 2009. "Transgenic technology adoption and on-farm varietal diversity," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 51750, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    5. Krishna, Vijesh V. & Zilberman, David & Qaim, Matin, 2009. "GM Technology Adoption, Production Risk and On-farm Varietal Diversity," 2009 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, 2009, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 49173, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    6. Nagarajan, Latha & Pray, Carl E., 2009. "Pearl millet and sorghum improvement in India:," IFPRI discussion papers 919, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    7. Shawn McGuire & Louise Sperling, 2016. "Seed systems smallholder farmers use," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 8(1), pages 179-195, February.
    8. Benjamín Figueroa-Sandoval & Martín A. Coronado-Minjarez & Eduviges J. García-Herrera & Artemio Ramírez-López & Dora M. Sangerman-Jarquín & Katia A. Figueroa-Rodríguez, 2019. "Production System Diversification and Livelihood in the Drylands of North Central Mexico," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-14, May.
    9. Malaiarasan, Umanath & Paramasivam, R & Saravanakumar, V, 2022. "Choice of millets cultivation in India: an evidence from farm household survey data," Agricultural Economics Research Review, Agricultural Economics Research Association (India), vol. 35(Conferenc), December.
    10. Shawn McGuire & Louise Sperling, 2016. "Seed systems smallholder farmers use," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 8(1), pages 179-195, February.
    11. Jaeck, Melanie & Lifran, Robert, 2011. "The Economic Determinants of the On-farm Management of Rice Cultivars in the Rhone River Delta (France)," 2011 Conference, August 25-26, 2011, Nelson, New Zealand 115508, New Zealand Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nagarajan, Latha & Smale, Melinda & Glewwe, Paul, 2005. "Local Seed Markets and the Determinants of Crop Variety Diversity in Marginal Environments: The Case of Millet in Semi-Arid India," 2005 Annual meeting, July 24-27, Providence, RI 19445, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    2. Athukorala, Wasantha & Karunarathna, Muditha & Wilson, Clevo & Managi, Shunsuke, 2020. "Conservation of Genetic Resources of Crops: Farmer Preferences for Banana Diversity in Sri Lanka," Journal of Forest Economics, now publishers, vol. 35(2-3), pages 177-206, March.
    3. Glewwe, Paul & Nagarajan, Latha & Smale, Melinda, 2005. "Comparing farm and village-level determinants of millet diversity in marginal environments of India: the context of seed systems," EPTD discussion papers 139, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    4. Ott, Ingrid & Papilloud, Christian & Zülsdorf, Torben, 2008. "What drives innovation? Causes of and Consequences for nanotechnologies," Kiel Working Papers 1455, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    5. Ekin Birol & Melinda Smale & Agnes Gyovai, 2005. "Sustainable Use and Management of Crop Genetic Resources: Landraces on Hungarian Small Farms," Environmental Economy and Policy Research Working Papers 02.2005, University of Cambridge, Department of Land Economics, revised 2005.
    6. Di Falco, Salvatore & Perrings, Charles, 2005. "Crop biodiversity, risk management and the implications of agricultural assistance," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 55(4), pages 459-466, December.
    7. Nagarajan, Latha & Pardey, Philip G. & Smale, Melinda, 2006. "Local seed systems for millet crops in marginal environments of India: industry and policy perspectives," EPTD discussion papers 151, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Paul J. Block & Kenneth Strzepek & Mark W. Rosegrant & Xinshen Diao, 2008. "Impacts of considering climate variability on investment decisions in Ethiopia," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 39(2), pages 171-181, September.
    9. Chavas, Jean-Paul & Di Falco, Salvatore & Smale, Melinda, 2006. "Farmer management of production risk on degraded lands: the role of wheat genetic diversity in Tigray Region, Ethiopia," EPTD discussion papers 153, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    10. Bezabih, Mintewab, 2005. "Biodiversity Conservation under an Imperfect Seed System: the Role of Community Seed Banking Scheme," Working Papers in Economics 185, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    11. Birol, Ekin & Kontoleon, Andreas & Smale, Melinda, 2005. "Using A Choice Experiment To Estimate The Demand Of Hungarian Farmers For Food Security And Agrobiodiversity During Economic Transition," Environmental Economy and Policy Research Discussion Papers 31937, University of Cambridge, Department of Land Economy.
    12. Benin, Samuel & Ehui, Simeon & Gebremedhin, Berhanu & Pender, John L. & Smale, Melinda, 2003. "Determinants of cereal diversity in communities and on household farms of the Northern Ethiopian Highlands:," EPTD discussion papers 105, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    13. Amalendu Jyotishi, "undated". "Characterization of Gold Mining Institutions in the Nilgiri-Wayanad Region of India: A Historical-Institutional Perspective," Working papers 114, The South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics.
    14. Melinda Smale & Leslie Lipper & Phoebe Koundouri, 2006. "Scope, Limitations and Future Directions," DEOS Working Papers 0601, Athens University of Economics and Business.
    15. Marianna Fenzi & Paul Rogé & Angel Cruz-Estrada & John Tuxill & Devra Jarvis, 2022. "Community seed network in an era of climate change: dynamics of maize diversity in Yucatán, Mexico," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(1), pages 339-356, March.
    16. Bezabih, Mintewab, 2005. "Biodiversity Conservation Under an Imperfect Seed System: The Role of Community Seed Banking Scheme," 2005 International Congress, August 23-27, 2005, Copenhagen, Denmark 24685, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    17. Paul Winters & Romina Cavatassi & Leslie Lipper, 2006. "Sowing the Seeds of Social Relations: The Role of Social Capital in Crop Diversity," Working Papers 06-16, Agricultural and Development Economics Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO - ESA).
    18. Wale, Edilegnaw & Virchow, Detlef, 2003. "Crop Diversity As The Derived Outcome Of Farmers' 'Survival First' Motives In Ethiopia: What Role For On-Farm Conservation Of Sorghum Genetic Resources?," 2003 Annual Meeting, August 16-22, 2003, Durban, South Africa 25882, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    19. Falck-Zepeda, José & Gruère, Guillaume & Smale, Melinda & Zambrano, Patricia, 2006. "Parables: applied economics literature about the impact of genetically engineered crop varieties in developing economies," EPTD discussion papers 158, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    20. Benin, Samuel & Smale, Melinda & Gebremedhin, Berhanu & Pender, John L. & Ehui, Simeon K., 2003. "The Determinants Of Cereal Crop Diversity On Farms In The Ethiopian Highlands," 2003 Annual Meeting, August 16-22, 2003, Durban, South Africa 25833, International Association of Agricultural Economists.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:agecon:v:36:y:2007:i:2:p:157-167. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/iaaeeea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.