Editorial Introduction to Volume III 5importance of hired labour makes it difficult to see it always succeed. Its uptake pat-
terns are similar to those of conventional technology (with commercial incentives
particularly important). On its own, according to this study, it makes only modest
contributions to strengthening human and social capital. Implications for the pro-
motion and development of farmer organizations are discussed.
In the third article, the opener to the book The Politics of Food, Marianne Lien
sets out how food has emerged as a political topic. Recent food scandals, such as
the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and the public debate
over genetically modified foods, have exposed many dilemmas in modern food
production and consumption. This paper seeks to draw attention to some of the
less obvious ways in which food is politicized. ‘What’s for dinner?’ is no longer a
simple question. Food is not only a commodity for consumption, but is politicized
all the way into the kitchen and to the dinner table, with many implications for
cooking and family care. Food is argued over in transnational fora, seen in differ-
ent ways by experts ranging from nutritionists to anthropologists and regulated by
governments the world over. Trust in food is culturally established and varies geo-
graphically (some eat dogs, others eat snails; many eat neither). At the same time,
food is a connection to the natural environment, which may or may not have been
affected positively by the types of production systems in use.
The fourth paper by Abha Mishra et al addresses the remarkable appearance of
a new system of rice cultivation in recent years. Increasing demand for cereals pro-
duced from limited natural resources stimulated the Green Revolution in grain
crops such as wheat and rice. But the gap between potential and actual production
continues. Concerns about sustainability, and the social and technical shortcom-
ings of the Green Revolution, have triggered a number of alternative crop produc-
tion strategies. One, in particular, the so-called System of Rice Intensification
(SRI), is attracting attention by governments and farmers in Asia and elsewhere.
The suite of cultural practices that characterize SRI, including rapid and shallow
transplanting of younger seedlings, more widely spaced and with reduced irriga-
tion water, are all amenable to farmer experimentation and adaptation to suit local
conditions. Thus, SRI encourages farmer participation in devising practical ways
of growing a healthy crop in a sustainable manner. SRI develops a dynamic rela-
tionship between farmers, trainers and researchers, defining a clearer and distinct
role for each in knowledge creation and innovation.
The science behind SRI is equally challenging, especially in relation to proc-
esses below ground level that affect soil ecology and root development. This paper
reviews the evidence for each element of SRI. The relevant literature is extensive
but has not been linked with the development of SRI, which was largely inductive,
not guided by prior research. An integrated model is proposed that links root
activity to grain yield. This model maintains the accepted paradigm that there is a
significant relationship between a plant’s cytokinin content and its response to the
environment. This study makes clear that optimizing the plant/environment inter-
action for better yield through integration of biophysical issues is a challenging
task given the diversity and location-specificity of production environments. This