The Structure of Permanence: The Relevance of Self-subsistence Communities for World Ecosystem Management

Clarke, William C.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-083250-7.50017-0

Cited by 25 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Diversity across space emerges as a key theme of resilience. For example, as well as storage and preservation of food, food security in the Banks Islands, Vanuatu (Campbell 1990), and in many places in Papua new Guinea (Clarke 1977, digim'Rina 1998, Mogina 1999 is maintained through planting a diverse array of plants in gardens, and through biodiversity in the immediate environs which provides 'famine foods' when gardens fail. Social diversity within an area, but with some cohesion maintained by reciprocity (as is the case in the Banks Islands), is also important for resilience to climate extremes.…”

Section: Bases Of Resilience In Pacific Island Countriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adapting to Climate Change in Pacific Island Countries: The Problem of Uncertainty

2001

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Section: Bases Of Resilience In Pacific Island Countriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adapting to Climate Change in Pacific Island Countries: The Problem of Uncertainty

2001

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“…The sudden thrust of European expansion altered local society and economy irreversibly. Among the most important changes in agrarian production were the beginnings of the erosion of subsistence agriculture that had dominated exclusively hitherto; the introduction of monocultures across large areas partly replacing the formally diverse small scale agriculture (Clarke, 1990); and the intensification of formerly low energy and input systems (Clarke, 1977). Socially, such changes as the introduction of the concept of private property and the concomitant reduction in communal land tenure; the shift to household based production; the monetisation of local economies; the import and migration of slave and indentured labour; and the general migration of groups from interior areas and outer lying islands to coastal areas on large islands have all left enduring legacies (Overton et al,1999).…”

Section: Waves Of Globalisation and The Pacific Islandsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neoliberal Globalisation, “Exotic” Agro‐exports, and Local Change in the Pacific Islands: A Study of the Fijian Kava Sector

Murray

2000

Singap J Trop Geogr

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The economically vulnerable and geographically isolated states and territories of the Pacific Islands find themselves increasingly powerless to resist the recent accelerated diffusion of globalisation and the economic options that this entails. Neoliberal policy has arrived in the ocean region later than elsewhere in the tropical world and in the developing world in general. However, it now almost exclusively frames regional and state policy agendas, and is profoundly restructuring economies and societies across the region. Agriculture, by far the leading economic sector in Pacific Island countries, has been targeted specifically for reform. The cultivation of non‐traditional agricultural exports has formed the centrepiece of the evolving strategy. As well as “staple” exports such as sugar, copra, and taro going to non‐traditional markets, “exotic” niche products are being developed for export to high income markets in Europe, Asia and North America. A major example of such a product is kava – a “traditional” crop used in the preparation of a ceremonial and/or social drink. Psycho‐ and physiological properties have been identified in the plant by the pharmaceutical industry that is marketing a range of kava products. Produced widely across the Pacific, Fiji is the major export source. This paper traces the evolution of globalisation in the Pacific Islands, placing the current wave of neoliberalism in its historical context. It goes on to outline the evolution of the Fijian kava export sector, and investigates some of the local socio‐economic impacts of recent market growth. Given the evidence presented in this study, the paper asks if the power relations evolving under contemporary neoliberal globalisation are likely to be any different from those that existed during colonial globalisation.

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“…In studying indigenous agrosystems of Simba Valley of Papua New Guinea, Clarke (1977) identified several principles of permanence that conferred sustainability on traditional Melanesian societies. One of these principles is that subsistence is based on polyculture and diversity.…”

Section: The Role Of Agrobiodiversity In Traditional Melanesian Agrosmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such strategies can be listed as follows: (i) the production of surplus, (ii) the control of consumption through social rules dealing with harvest, consumption, hunting and gathering seasonal restrictions, (iii) social co-operation and assistance, (iv) the use of 'famine food ' and (v) agricultural resilience based on agricultural diversity (Campbell 2006(Campbell , 2009. Indeed the association of various species and varieties on numerous small vegecultural plots minimizes the risk of poor overall harvest yields and reduces pest risks, where pest-resistant species and varieties act as ''filters'', protecting the sensitive ones from pathogens (Clarke 1977). The use of plant diversity extends beyond using cultivated forms, where wild or spontaneous forms are gathered for consumption in cases of major disaster.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Root crops diversity and agricultural resilience: a case study of traditional agrosystems in Vanuatu (Oceania)

et al. 2015

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In Vanuatu (Oceania), small-scale farmers' subsistence still largely relies on the sustainable use and maintenance of a wide-ranging biodiversity out of which root and tuber crops provide the bulk of daily subsistence. In neighboring countries, foreign influence since the first European contacts, further associated changes and the introduction of new crop species have induced a loss of cultivated diversity. This paper presents a baseline study of the diversity of root and tuber crops in ten communities throughout Vanuatu. In a context where the smallholders' agrosystems are increasingly considered as key components for the global conservation of crop genetic resources, this study provides clues to better understand the effective roles of biodiversity in traditional agrosystems. It also provides insights on the rationale behind the constitution of agricultural portfolios and discusses how the cultivated diversity allows communities to cope with changes and pressures. The paper also shows that recently introduced crops neither seem to have compromised agricultural diversity nor drastically changed the agrosystems in Vanuatu. On the contrary, such crops are used by farmers to strengthen the resilience of their agrosystems. A discussion then presents the idea of continuity through change and novelty as a critical factor for resilience. The paper concludes by discussing the role of indigenous agriculture and culture in ensuring food security and in development strategies in a larger context. (Résumé d'auteur

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The Structure of Permanence: The Relevance of Self-subsistence Communities for World Ecosystem Management

Cited by 25 publications

References 14 publications

Adapting to Climate Change in Pacific Island Countries: The Problem of Uncertainty

Adapting to Climate Change in Pacific Island Countries: The Problem of Uncertainty

Neoliberal Globalisation, “Exotic” Agro‐exports, and Local Change in the Pacific Islands: A Study of the Fijian Kava Sector

Root crops diversity and agricultural resilience: a case study of traditional agrosystems in Vanuatu (Oceania)

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