| Abstract | Both from a theoretical perspective and empirical evidences from smallholder agricultural community, the paper argues that alien technology intensive agriculture is unsuitable for smallholder farmers in rural agricultural settings. It argues that integrated low cost agriculture locally developed over decades by agricultural communities is internally consistent for sustainable agriculture and externally synergistic to smallholder farmers, local ecology and greater overall performance to different stakeholders. Performance of smallholder farmers and the processes adopted in Nava Jyoti community over the last three years and evidences from a sample of organic farmers in India suggests that integrated low cost agriculture is the only way for sustainability of our food production system at the base of the pyramid; that could ensure food sufficiency, nutritional security and environmental safety for all. Intensive Agricultural Technology with GM Crops at its core may only be an illusion for food security. |
