SRI is an agroecological innovation that emerged as a civil society innovation and has since captured the imagination of thousands of farmers across the world, including India. Discussions on scaling-up of SRI in India need to recognise not only the civil society origins of SRI but also the continuing experimentation led by civil society in methods of extension and research in this knowledge- (as distinguished from input-) intensive method of increasing rice yields.Civil society involvement in SRI has not only enhanced the spread of SRI but also has brought in important elements, like the establishment of criteria or axioms for research on SRI, and introducing dimensions of equity, gender and resource sustainability into the SRI debates
The paper describes why contribution of civil society (including not just NGOs but also individual farmers and informal farmer networks) has been important for the spread of SRI, what they bring to the SRI agenda, examines their changing role over the last decade and policy implications of their work, and finally concludes that appreciating the role of CSOs better and understanding the dynamics of the State - Civil Society relationship, will be critical for upscaling of SRI, to reach many more thousands of farmers in the country. In order for the relationship between State and Civil Society actors to change and develop constructively, the paper recommends mechanisms such as Learning Alliances and Dialogues, for faster spread of SRI.
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