Public Intervention for Conservation of Paddy Ecosystems—An Empirical Evidence from Kerala, India

Paddy ecosystems cater to global food demand, contribute towards maintaining ecological balance and provide services essential for the sustenance of diverse life forms. However, growing preferences for more remunerative crops led to the replacement of paddy and conversion of the ecosystem in several traditional paddy growing regions of the world. Given this scenario, the study was undertaken to evaluate the role of public interventions in conserving paddy ecosystems in the state of Kerala, India, which has been a witness to large-scale conversions of paddy fields since decades. The resultant twin issues of falling agricultural growth and ecological disturbance thus prompted the Government of Kerala to enact the ‘Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act’ in 2008. Structural break analysis revealed that the Act could significantly arrest reduction in paddy land area in Kerala to an extent of 11,253 ha annually. Hence, the findings reflect on the scope of public interventions in conserving important agroecosystems worldwide.