HAVRLAND B., SRNEC K., AL-HAKIM H.
Abstract
All available projections of population, per capita income, and demand for food on the one hand, and production and marketable surplus of food on the other, tend to present a large and growing gap insofar as the less developed countries are concerned. It may be a problem of the aid and trade, however it is for sure rather question of sustained improvements in food production, processing and marketing that are lacked in most developing countries. Fortunately, a considerable part of the modern technology is either area neutral or can be made area neutral with certain adaptations. However, most technologies as the whole have originally been evolved relatively certain localities and/or regions. Some parts of these modern technologies discriminate small-scale farmers, especially their mechanization components (machinery inputs) and present barriers against modernization. In such cases, sustainability in rural development consists in conserving rather traditional technologies (hand and animal ones) with some modifications in quality and productivity. It is rather question of better varieties and more productive domestic animal races. New crops and animal protein sources (wild animal farming or ranching) as well as modern on-farm processing methods are also of high value. However, importance of higher profit margin is always underlined as a very important criterion of the success assessment. The process depends on technological and institutional innovations that often are not only complementary but mutually supportive. No doubt that there are social consequences (sometimes very important) that generate further changes in technologies, especially energetic inputs very often replacing traditional energy sources by mechanical ones. All the evidence is not in the social disruption which the changing technologies provoke but their modernization creates substantial rural unemployment and increased rural inequality. This must be taken into account when formulating technology strategies on all levels whereby the sustainability context must be respected.
Key words:
per capita income – area neutral technology – small-scale farmers - technology strategy - rural unemployment - rural inequality