http://english.aljazeera.net/video/asia-pacific/2010/10/2010106102524246455.html
A cooperative has been started in a Northeastern province of Thailand that aims to reestablish the use of buffalos in farming. As part of the grassroots community program, new buffalo are being retrained to work in the fields (they are, after all, animals, and must be domesticated). "The hardest part" though, said a member of the cooperative "isn't breaking these animals in, it's convincing more farmers to use them." Even in developing countries the concept of technology seems like such a panacea that we forget the most simple solutions. Thailand had been exporting its buffalos to Laos and Cambodia while it struggled to plow small farming plots with big heavy tractors.
The benefits to this program are significant:
-Social capital -community members are invested in each others' success. These ties can help in other areas of life, such as caring for the elderly, child rearing, in the case of a natural disaster, etc. The return of the use of the buffalo also helps the community members retain their traditions.
-Better growing conditions -the manure from the buffalo is an organic and free fertilizer. Compared to the tractors, the buffalo are much more agile and do not crush the ground with their weight. Environmentally, there is less pollution from the tractors.
-Economically -Do not have to purchase fuel for the tractor or pay for repairs. Do not have to purchase fertilizer. Much more economically logical for the small farms typical of the area.
The news article concludes with the acknowledgment of the fact that tractors will not just disappear. This is very reflective of reality—doing away with technology is not the answer. Like all best solutions, finding a middle ground is the best track.
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