The FAO-EU IPM Programme on Cotton in Asia

<p>The FAO-EU IPM Programme on Cotton in Asia demonstrates again that IPM is more than pest management and offers an entry point to improve the farming system as a whole. It provides ecological sustainability, as it protects the environment; it improves social stability, as it is institutionalized at local level; it helps the poor, as it reduces farmers dependence on procured inputs and lessens their vulnerability. In combination with farmer field schools, IPM is an effective instrument to link poverty reduction and environmental management. It has shown that farmer field schools are an effective method of empowering and mobilising farm families and of developing the enhanced management skills necessary for a sustainable pro-poor and environmentally-friendly agricultural and rural development. The experiences gained from this Programme will benefit many ongoing and future endeavours to reduce poverty and conserve precious natural resources.</p>