Improving Savings and Sustainability on Small Farms
Phoola Devi and Devidayal work hard on their small plot of less than two acres of farmland in Larvari village, in Niwari district of Madhya Pradesh. Despite their best efforts,…
Organic Farming
Small Efforts with A Big Significance for Resolving Farming Crisis
If you meet Komal Prasad Aharwar in passing in his village ( Teraih, in Talbehat block of Lalitpur district, Uttar Pradesh), you may well ignore him as any other ordinary…
Lessons in Freedom: Agroecology, Localisation and Food Sovereignty
Industry figures and scientists claim pesticide use and GMOs are necessary in ‘modern agriculture’. But this is not the case: there is now sufficient evidence to suggest otherwise. It is simply not necessary…
Mahoba Farmers Gain Confidence and Strength With A Combination of Natural Farming and Water Conservation
On the farming map of Uttar Pradesh Mahoba is generally considered a relatively backward district of Bundelkhand region, but thanks to a recent initiative called BIWAL a model combining water…
Hamirpur Efforts Confirm Huge Potential of Natural Farming Waiting to be Tapped
Santosh is a dedicated farmer who along with his wife Chunni Devi worked very hard in recent months to convert a small patch of unproductive land into a lush green,…
Reaching Out to Marginal Farmers in Mau
Most farm development efforts focus more on bigger and more dominant farmers, and while they may also include smaller farmers, this gets lesser attention. It is rare to see a…
Why These Farmers in Manikpur Feel They Have Some Promising Solutions for Farm Crisis
About 30 farmers of Elha village ( in Manikpur block of Chitrakut district, Uttar Pradesh) have gathered for a group discussion in the courtyard of a farmer, along with activists…
Strengthening Sustainable Livelihoods of Small Farmers
One of the most important questions in the development debate is whether economic viability of small and marginal farmers can be strengthened in sustainable ways. This question is all the…
Natural Farming Entrepreneurs Facilitate Spread of Eco-friendly Farming
While a lot of research has strengthened the case for spreading natural farming, a practical factor which has hindered its spread in India is that several farmers find it difficult…
Organic Gardens and Orchards for Small and Marginal Farmers
Phulabai is a dalit woman farmer who, together with her husband, Sarman Chadaar, grows guavas and pomegranates on tiny plots of land. On another smaller plot they grow a diversity…
From Bill Gates to the Great Refusal – Farmers on the Frontline
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, most humans were engaged in agriculture. Our relationship with nature was immediate. Within just a few generations, however, for many people across the world, their…
How sincere is the government in its commitment to natural farming?
There have been several assertions on the part of the union government at high levels that natural farming will be promoted by it in a big way. While natural farming…
Can Green Revolution Belts Return to Ecologically Protective Farming?
From time to time there are disturbing reports of environmental ruin in various green revolution belts of the country. The most prominent such belt is that of Punjab-Haryana-Western UP and…
Why Minimum Support Price Should Not Be Separated From the Imperative of Ecologically Protective Farming
After the acceptance of the demand for the repeal of three farm laws, the minimum support price (MSP) issue is now the main remaining issue between the government and the…
Young farmers in Ladakh: the future of our food
Written by Kunzang Deachen, Chozin Palmo and Jigmet Singge Ladakh – high on the Tibetan Plateau at the northern extreme of India – is the place we call home. The…
Natural Farming Gives More Benefits, But Gets Only Limited Support
According to recent official data of Himachal Pradesh government, its efforts to spread natural farming practices among farmers have led to 56 per cent reduction of costs of farmers and…
Babulal Gandhi: Over 90 years old and still a hardy farmer
When Yogesh Gandhi set up his medical store in Phaltan about 100 km from Pune in Satara district of Maharashtra, he invited his uncle, natural farmer Babulal Gandhi, to make…
Himachal Efforts For Self-Reliance in Seeds to Support Natural Farming Need Support and Wider Reach
Hilly areas with their varying heights and land categories are known for their valuable bio-diversity which should be protected. The vast Himalayan ranges including hills and valleys, plains and peaks…
Seed is the Centre of Life and Civilization, But For Selfish Corporations Seed is the Centre of Profit and Domination
Seed is the base of all life. Recognizing this obvious fact, farmers for well over a hundred generations and for several thousand years cared for seeds, respected seeds, and helped…
Take Ecologically Protective Methods to Farmers in Ways Which Benefit Them
Recently Sant Seechewal, saint and award winning eco-activist of Punjab, visited protesting farmers at Delhi border with the precious gift of a truckload of healthy food. However the message he…
Wider Social Benefits Apart, Ecologically Protective Farming Can Also Be Economically Attractive
While the social benefits of ecologically protective, organic and/or natural farming are so obvious, it is sometimes said that in economic terms this may not be so beneficial for farmers…
An Appeal To Farmers’ Movement –Kindly Give A More Central Role to Ecologically Protective Farming
The farmers’ movement in India has a historically very important role in protecting the small ( and medium ) farmer base of agriculture in the country. In recent times the…
Organic Farmers Need Support and Linkages to a Fair Market
There is worldwide realization that food system has been becoming less safe and healthy. This is to a large extent because of the use of excessive chemical fertilizers, pesticides and…
Why go organic?
An assortment of organically grown produce lay out at a Farmer’s Market Prior to this pandemic summer, every year from May to November -- there was something magical about waking…
The Pandemic Must Transform Our Agriculture
The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the risks of an unhealthy diet and the extreme fragility of food systems. The economic reconstruction that will follow the pandemic is the perfect opportunity…
Yes We Can – Feed 9 Billion With Organic Agriculture
It is possible to feed more than 9 billion people with organic production methods with a small increase in the required crop acreage and with decreased greenhouse gas emission. But…
Agroecology As A Tool For Liberation: Transforming Industrial Agribusiness In El Salvador
An interview with Miguel Ramirez, National Coordinator of the Organic Agriculture Movement of El Salvador We say that every square meter of land that is worked with agro-ecology is a…
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