Three case studies from India, Philippines and Thailand on Clean Development Mechanism:

Our analysis, and that of many communities and organisations across Asia, is that the CDM is an extension of the generalised approach to big project and energy intensive development that has systematically marginalised indigenous peoples and local communities and over- exploited the Earth. The “clean development mechanism” is, quite simply, a mechanism that allows polluters to avoid binding emissions reductions in one location, while shifting emissions to another location. At the same time, it allows corporations and state entities to reap additional profits from projects that are questionable in terms of sustainability, community benefits or even addressing climate change.

An agro-ecological approach to rural development in the Philippines and China, devloped by Resource Efficient Agricultural Production Canada (REAP-Canada).

Creating economic incentives is an effective way for conserving agrobiodiversity. Establishing market linkages and adding value through processing of locally available crops can provide such incentives for conservation through use, as is happening in Ghanteshwor village development committee (VDC) of Doti district in far western Nepal.

The case of Suklal Rajbanshi, a farmer in Shivgunj, Jhapa who is providing valuable service to cow owners in his village.

Farmers transplant paddy rice to increase the growing period for winter crops and reduce irrigation.

China’s farmers use human manure and urine, also known as “nightsoil”, for fertilizer.

Traditional farmers make an anaerobic compost called “oufei” using canal sediments, legume green manures, crop residues and animal manures as a fertilizer for rice.

Wheat and barley were introduced into watermelon production systems to control weeds and save labor in Japan.

Single households in Kaski, Nepal often maintain as many as 20 farmers’ varieties (landraces) of a single crop. This study demonstrates methods for documenting the cultural, medicinal value and use values of farmers’ varieties.

Use of green manure to improve overall system productivity of rice-soybean production system.