Deutscher Tropentag 2003: Technological and Institutional Innovations for Sustainable Rural Development October 8 - 10, 2003, University of Göttingen

Concluding Remarks

"There is some evidence that for future generations, especially in less developed countries, the susceptibility to natural and man-made changes in the earth habit will increase"

and

"Strategies to more sustainability should rely on comprehensive knowledge of the functioning and dynamics of both, natural systems and systems of civilizations."
(Martin Rieland, Sec. 6)

This conference, the 5^th Tropentag, coming now to an end, has provided us a wide range of research results improving this knowledge base particularly for rural areas in developing countries.

We heard and saw an impressive number of contributions provided in 7 sessions and 16 sub-sessions with 75 papers and 237 posters coming from numerous international and national institutions and universities from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Many of them reflecting research collaborations of German institutions, prominently from the organising universities of Berlin, Bonn, Göttingen, Kassel and Hohenheim but also from others, Greifswald, Hannover, Köln with those in other countries following an interdisciplinary approach. Strong support to such collaboration was received from DAAD, DFG, GTZ, Humboldt-Foundation and not the least the Eiselen Foundation. Their Ruthenberg Awards presented at the first day marked again a very particular event in support of young scientists working for problem solutions in the developing world.

Contributions resulting from research networks particularly from the two special research programs supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) were obvious, SFB 552 of the Universities of Göttingen and Kassel with Indonesian Universities on the "Stability of Rain Forest Margins" (STORMA) and SFB 564 of the University of Hohenheim with Universities in Thailand and Vietnam on "Sustainable Land Use and Rural Development in Mountainous Regions of Southeast Asia". But also from the BIOTA programme supported by the EU Commission or the IMPETUS programme supported by the BMBF.

The Conference attracted more than 500 participants among them a refreshing high number of young scientist from many different countries. The scientific climate prevailed throughout, even if it was not completely possible to separate from the heavy load of practical agriculture and forestry as Prof. Gravenhorst reminded us to do in his welcome address.

The Conference approached its topic of Technological and Institutional Innovations for Sustainable Development from various angles.

The strong plea to national governments made at the start of the Plenary Session, to provide the necessary public goods which are the precondition for development providing the environment for the needed massive scaling-up of investments in rural areas of developing countries was echoed and also diversified in Session I on Challenges and Policy Options for Sustainable Rural Development. Organisational pluralism, participatory redesigning of research systems, of extension and other services were prominent themes. The role of NGOs vis-à-vis the state and their responsibilities for interventions was explored recognizing the weakness of government structures in many countries.

Session II on Local Production and Resource Use in a Globalized World considered effects of organic farming, biological pest control and market development influencing fruit production by farmers and their welfare. The crucial aspects of water use were stressed from a hygienic point of view, but also from aspects of hydrosolidarity beyond the boundaries of watersheds and from the development of decision support systems for irrigation agriculture. Biodiversity of plant and animal genetic resources, their protection and use by small farmers were considered from various angles. The need for strategic partnership between developing countries, the private sector and national and international agricultural research institutes were highlighted particularly for plant genetic resources. The Domestic Animal Genetic Resources Information System – DAGRIS – of ILRI was demonstrated in the subsequent session.

A much stronger investment into higher education was called for in a Plenary Paper as a major player in knowledge creation, transfer and application in order to make development sustainable. In Session III: Innovations and their Evaluation in Development Practice it was emphasised to actively involve the higher education sector in the planning of development programmes and develop responsible partnership with other sectors of society. Experiences of such mutual influences were presented with the view to the adoption of new technologies and processes. The challenges and problems of the development and use of biotechnology for the sustainable livelihood in developing countries were addressed under a number of aspects. A strong plea was made for public-private partnership, including international agricultural research centres for the further development of these technologies for the benefit of farmers in developing countries.

Session IV: Land Use and Nature Conservation considered important aspects of the rehabilitation of degraded land, of agroforestry, of forestry and non-timber forest products, of matter fluxes, management options and changes in agro-ecosystems and, finally, of resources assessment and modelling.

Two Discussion Groups stimulated the exchange of views and developed views into future developments:

• Devolution and Local Participation in Resource Management and
• Conservation and Utilization of Farm Animal Genetic Resources - Global versus Local Issues.

Session V on Impact Assessment in Development Efforts stressed the limitations of traditional economic assessments and called for innovative approaches in order to contribute more directly to learning and institutional changes.

The presentations on research networks finally offered an overview on some ongoing forms of research collaboration as those mentioned before but also on prospects of future developments and support.

All in all, the conference provided a rich harvest of excellent research results and an important overview of research collaboration for the benefit of the sustainable development of rural areas and the reduction of hunger and poverty.

The organizers deserve our very sincere thanks.

Next year we will meet again in Berlin.