Nutritional security of small and marginal households can be ensured much better through a combination of local crops, trees and animals, when a garden/farm is designed properly; keeping in mind local soil and climate, as well as lean period and stress factors.

When planning, execution and experimentation, and evaluation are done using participatory tools and processes. When we plan on a watershed basis, the chances of success become much better.

Small groups of producers working together have a much better chance of continuing initiatives beyond project intervention period.

Agro-ecological/permacultural approaches are much more relevant and appropriate when dealing with marginal people in marginal environments, often threatened by both socio-economic and environmental crisis and climate change issues.