Can humans outsmart rodents? Learning to work collectively and strategically
Can humans outsmart rodents? Learning to work collectively and strategically
复制标题
人类能比啮齿类动物聪明吗？
DOI：
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发表时间：
2011
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
N. Nga
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
F. Palis;G. Singleton;P. R. Brown;N. H. Huan;C. Umali;N. Nga
啮齿动物是亚洲稻米生产的主要制约因素之一，无论是在收获前还是收获后。发展中国家的农民经常认为啮齿动物总是比人类聪明--这是一种需要克服的信念。基于啮齿动物的管理（EBRM）是有效管理啮齿动物种群的一种可能的解决方案，这反过来又有助于维持亚洲的粮食安全。协调良好的社区行动是有效开展EBRM的必要条件。本文认为EBRM的社会文化挑战。目的：确定通过经验学习和利用现有社会资本促进的多方利益相关者伙伴关系是否可以产生战略啮齿动物管理的集体行动。方法在越南红河三角洲的灌溉水稻系统中实施EBRM的过程中采用了前瞻性行动研究。采用了定量和定性方法，包括住户调查、重点小组讨论和主要知情人访谈。多利益攸关方伙伴关系和参与性办法有效地促使采用了基于环境的生物资源管理。扩展和政治组织之间的强有力的联系产生了EBRM扩散到邻近省份。采用EBRM减少了灭鼠剂的使用（50%），减少了鼠害的水稻面积（93%），增加了水稻产量（10-14%），增加了农民的经济回报（20%），加强了农民的集体行动，并改变了农民对鼠害管理的看法，使其转向生物可持续的方法。结论人类确实可以通过使用依赖于社区行动的EBRM原则来智胜啮齿动物。可持续的社区行动可以通过参与性办法和建立在社会和当地社区现有社会资本基础上的多方利益攸关者伙伴关系来实现。总的来说，采用EBRM意味着水稻产量更高，农民的经济回报更高，并减少了人类健康和环境风险。为了解决农民可持续地采用农业技术进行自然资源管理的问题，通过多方利益相关者的伙伴关系，各利益相关者的积极参与是必不可少的。这种伙伴关系应来自社会的社会资本，例如从国家到乡村各级不同规模的组织网络，以及社会成员和当地社区所遵守的文化规范和价值观。
Context Rodents are one of the major constraints in Asian rice production, both in pre- and post-harvest. Rodents are often perceived by farmers in developing countries to be consistently outsmarting humans – a belief that needs to be overcome. Ecologically based rodent management (EBRM) is a possible solution to manage rodent populations effectively, which in turn can help sustain food security in Asia. Well coordinated community action is necessary to effectively carry out EBRM. This paper considers the socio-cultural challenges of EBRM. Aims To determine whether a multi-stakeholder partnership, facilitated through experiential learning and the use of existing social capital, can generate collective actions for strategic rodent management. Methods Participatory action research was employed in the implementation of EBRM in irrigated rice systems in the Red River Delta in Vietnam. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used including household surveys, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Key results The multi-stakeholder partnership and participatory approach effectively generated adoption of EBRM. The strong linkages between extension and political organisations generated diffusion of EBRM into neighbouring provinces. The adoption of EBRM reduced rodenticide use (50%), decreased rice areas with rodent damage (93%), increased rice yields (10–14%), increased economic returns for farmers (20%), strengthened farmers’ collective actions, and changed farmers’ perspectives on rodent management towards a biologically sustainable approach. Conclusions Humans can indeed outsmart rodents through the use of EBRM principles that rely on community actions. Sustainable community actions can be achieved through participatory approaches and a multi-stakeholder partnership built on existing social capital of the society and local communities. Overall, the adoption of EBRM meant better rice yields, higher economic returns for farmers, and reduced human health and environmental risks. Implications To address the problem of sustainable adoption by farmers of an agricultural technology for natural resource management, active participation of various stakeholders through a multi-stakeholder partnership is essential. This partnership should emanate from the social capital of the society, such as the networks of organisations across different scales, from the national to the village level, and the cultural norms and values adhered to by the members of the society and local communities.