Concept – Restoration of ecological friendly mountain agriculture
Problem statement:
Mountain agriculture, particularly rain-fed, in the middle Himalayas of Uttarakhand, India, is passing through its existential crisis. The crisis accentuated mainly due to land degradation caused by the annual surface runoff of highly fertile topsoil and the lack of its restoration. Over the years the crisis exacerbated due to green revolution effects, which encouraged the use of chemicals in the hope of modernization of agriculture to arrest the increasing land infertility as well as a decline in yields. As a result of this, soil health further degraded with constant loss of moisture, nutrients, and microorganisms affecting the biodiversity and environment. With the continuous decline in yields and inability to restore the soil fertility to arrest the loss due to the high labor intensity in the absence of any government incentive, the hill smallholders left with no choice but to abandon the farming in search of alternative livelihood opportunities.
Over the periods, mountain agriculture has also undergone a change and new hybrid seeds, crops, land use and use of fertilizers and pesticides to retain soil fertility and control crop diseases have become more susceptible to climate change. Global warming primarily caused by greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) results in ice melts, sea level rising, and affecting rainfall patterns, have posed a new challenge to the survival of mountain agriculture and its dependents the smallholders. Vagaries of monsoon and extreme weather fluctuations have not only caused soil moisture stress and surface soil erosion in the extreme situation of droughts and floods but also made the crops susceptible to withstand it. The result is unabated soil degradation accelerated by moisture and nutrient loss, thus leaving the large tracts of dry land uncultivated. The primary livelihood of the mountain smallholders has failed them and forced them to abandon it for the search of new employment of laboring, which is even worse than it and less dignified.
Solution:
What is the remedy now? There are many people who have been seen to suggest various solutions right from agroforestry to modern organic farming methodologies. Though both methodologies are eco-friendly and conducive to the preservation of biodiversity and the environment but ignore the indigenous knowledge and wisdom of natural agricultural practice which is more resilient to climate change with significant enhancement of biodiversity and the environment. Therefore, the need is to amalgamate traditional and modern knowledge of eco-friendly agricultural methodologies and develop a technology package for mountain smallholders.
What is natural agriculture practice? This practice has adopted a methodology with the rich experiences of cultivation, which is not only ecofriendly but also flexible to climate changes. For example, crop selection to dryland farming was as such that which can resist extreme weather variations like droughts and excess moisture conditions. Barnyard millet, foxtail millet, finger millet, proso millet, amaranths, and certain leguminous pulse crops like the cowpea, kidneypea, pigeon pea, and dry beans are such crops. These crops are not only resistant to weather extremes, but also good absorbers of carbon from the atmosphere. Moreover, their mixed cropping and rotation also obstruct the surface soil erosion by providing a good canopy over through leaves and layer of residues and prevent rain drops directly biting the soil surface. Another practice, leaving the land fallow for one crop season also not only provides time for the soil to regain fertility but also obstructs surface soil runoff by letting a layer of agricultural residues for some time as coverage for soil. This agriculture practice is highly livestock supported as the soil fertility is highly dependent on a huge supply of manure compost. But with the sharp decline of livestock, the organic method of composting/fertilizer can compensate. Hence the need arises to integrate modern organic farming methodology of ex-situ and in-situ soil and moisture conservation measures with natural agricultural practices. The organic methods are not only restricted to biomass composting production of bio-fertilizer but also needed in rainwater harvesting methods, improved cultivation techniques, seed treatment and conservation, disease control and pest management, post-harvest management, and certification.
Objectives:
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To restore eco-friendly agricultural practices to preserve biodiversity and the environment.
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To adopt an integrated approach of organic farming consisting of traditional and modern knowledge to mitigate soil erosion, restore soil health, and increase productivity with the promotion of low agricultural inputs and reduction in the cost of cultivation.
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To inculcate climate resilience adaptable tendencies among smallholders to achieve sustainability in farming practice as well as production.
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To encourage optimum use of the natural resource base for soil fertility, disease control, and increase in production to enhance the socio-economic condition of the smallholders.
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To promote crop varieties that are more tolerant to extreme weather fluctuations, resistant to erosion, and capable absorb more carbon from the atmosphere.
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To value the addition of the crops through post-harvest management and organic certification to stimulate market demand.
Beneficiaries: Mountain agriculture is on undulating slopes with small holdings scattered in far-flung areas. Land consolidation measures were inadequate to address the social and economic aspirations of the smallholders. The main and direct beneficiaries are smallholders consisting mainly of marginal farmers with an average holding of 0.6 hectares. The sizes of terraced fields on contours are lesser width and more length, which makes the agricultural activities more difficult and labor-intensive. With the migration of male members in search of livelihoods, it is the women who bear the brunt of the agricultural workload, thus increasing their drudgery? So in the context of mountain agriculture in the middle Himalayas of Uttarakhand, it will be the women who can be the vanguard of taking any new technology to the fields. Therefore, the real direct beneficiary amongst smallholders would be the women farmers. The indirect beneficiaries would be consumers, market forces, and other stakeholders.
Outcomes:
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Increase in awareness and sensitivity to eco-friendly agriculture practices
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Adoption of sustainable agriculture practices to conserve natural resources
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Increase in soil moisture and restoration of soil nutrients and microbes
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Increase in land fertility, productivity, crop production, and nutritional value
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Food security and enhanced nutrition
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Increased inclination towards climate adapts agriculture
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Resource use efficiency in various stockholders
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Higher prices of crops through organic certification
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Increase in family income of smallholders
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Increase in biodiversity and the environment in longer-term
Activities:
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Identification and selection of a project area on a pilot basis, its baseline, and dynamics
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Identification of different stakeholders, their roles, and participation
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Team formation, training on project theme, time-bound work assignment to each member with role and responsibility.
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Preparation and development of technology package and training module.
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Formation of groups of direct stakeholders and their capacity building on management.
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Phase-wise awareness-raising activities like meeting, group discussion, workshop, etc.
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Schedule of organization of training and exposures.
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On-field demonstrations and trials.
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Replication of technology interventions.
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Value chain, organic certification, and market management
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Withdrawal
Funding:
The funding pattern will be on a cost-share basis to ensure the full participation of direct stakeholders. The cost-sharing ratio would be 90:10. i.e. 90 percent proposed for grants and 10 percent stakeholders’ contribution in cash and labor. Stakeholders organized in groups will open their joint bank account and deposit the required amount in the bank. The labor contribution will also be defined clearly and in any condition would not be more than 50 percent of total community contributions. With consent from funding agencies to support this project, an application form of detailed plans and budget would be submitted.
By Ranveer Singh Rana
Secretary, HETONA/14/04/2020
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