Villages in the forested foothills of Niyamgiri revive climate resilient paddy and millets to become food secure
Villages in the forested foothills of Niyamgiri in Odisha are cultivating as many as 190 traditional varieties or landraces of paddy and millets, which are climate resilient and resistant to pest attacks. These revived seeds are just a fraction of the varieties that communities in the region grew before the 1960s, when the Green Revolution transformed agriculture. The Jeypore tract with its diverse rice forms is considered the earliest independent rice domestication region with rice that has unique alleles for biotic and abiotic stress tolerance and high genetic diversity.
These traditional varieties, however, could not compete with the high-yielding varieties (HYVs) that were aggressively promoted under the Green Revolution along with commercial plantations of eucalyptus, to meet the requirements of paper mills.
However, elders in Hurlu village started the process of revival and eent to upland villages to explore what seeds were available with them. Living Farms, an NGO in the region played an important part in the revival and surveyed villages in Bissamcuttack and Muniguda blocks and identified households that still possessed or grew heirloom seeds. In Hurlu, the movement also led to the development of a seed bank, as well as preservation in households.
The villagers choose the best seeds from plants that are optimal in size, have fruited well, get the maximum nutrient input and are not attacked by pests. Most of the seeds are hung directly above the area were food is cooked, so that an optimal temperature is maintained.
The revival of indigenous crop varieties has helped people in 200 villages attain food security by ensuring round-the-year food availability. Even now, every Tuesday, residents of these villages meet at the haat (weekly market) in Dukum panchayat to exchange notes on the performance of seeds, their availability and what to sow when (Down To Earth)
Uttarakhand restricts sale of agricultural land as locals protest against tourism and infrastructural boom
Residents in the Himalayan foothills of Uttarakhand have been fighting for the introduction of land laws that would prevent agricultural land from being sold to people from outside the state. These protests come at a time when infrastructure and business development for tourism has increased, and the region is seeing an increase in the sake of agricultural land for infrastructural development to non residents. This has sparked widespread concerns among locals about employment, food security and increased stress on natural resources.
On December 31, 2023, the current chief minister of Uttarakhand issued a directive to district magistrates throughout the state to withhold permission to sell land to people from outside the state. This was following protests made by residents and activists from the state demanding stricter laws to safeguard agricultural land ownership among Uttarakhand residents. Around 200 organisations have come together under the banner of Mool-Niwas Bhoo-Kanoon Samvanya Sangharsh Samiti (Association of Native Land Law Coordination Struggles) with the primary goal of enshrining Uttarakhand’s land laws.
They argue that agricultural land in the state is limited, as most land is covered in forest and other areas unfit for cultivation. Only 14 percent of Uttarakhand has cultivable land and as high as 65 percent of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihood (The Scroll).
Indian oceans shows signs of a permanent state of marine heatwave, finds a study
Marine heatwaves lead to rise in ocean temperatures and these can intensify cyclones putting fisheries and people living along the coastline, at risk. These heat waves, that occur over the ocean, are likely to extend to 220-250 days a year by 2050, towards a state of near-permanent marine heat waves, warns a new study.
In the present-day climate scenario, where there has been a temperature rise of 1.2-degree Celsius, marine heat waves have already emerged in the Indian Ocean and are rising ranging to 20 days a year at present. These prolonged marine heatwaves will not only intensify cyclones but also affect fish migration, coral reefs, phytoplanktons and marine biodiversity,
Higher water temperatures associated with marine heat waves can disrupt the water cycle, making floods, droughts, and wildfires on land more likely. Extremely warm waters act as a strong source of heat and moisture, helping cyclones to intensify rapidly (Mongabay, India).
Hydroponics offers new hope for fodder starved Indian farmers
There is a shortage of fodder in India, particularly over the past two years. Meanwhile, the dairy industry has been growing significantly. Experts say hydroponic fodder is not a new concept in India, but its demand has risen in the last few years.
There is a 35.6 percent deficit of green fodder in India due to changes in land use patterns, urbanisation, diminishing productivity of pastureland, a shift towards cash crops, diverting crop residues to other industries, quality fodder seeds not being available and the growing demand for fodder. Climate change induced global warming and its associated changes are affecting feed and water resources as well as animal health, production as well as processing, storage, transport, retailing and consumption of livestock products.
While India is the biggest milk producer in the world, high consumption and rising demand for milk coupled with fodder scarcity leads to adulteration, where farmers try to create synthetic milk to maximise the value of their cattle. To deal with this problem, dairy and livestock farmers are now switching to hydroponically grown fodder as an alternative to green fodder, for their animals which is cheaper and has better nutrition levels.
Private companies are now manufacturing and selling hydroponic units, nonprofits like Selco Foundation are funding hydroponic fodder startups such as Hydrogreens and Auto Studio and connecting them to community-based organisations such as Desert Resource Centre and Urmul Seemant Samiti in Rajasthan.
Government institutions such the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Goa, NIANP, ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) have also been researching this technique.
The market for hydroponic fodder is growing with majority of the market lying in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Bihar (Mongabay, India).
Environmental and forest rights groups argue for the roll back of the green credit rules
Over a hundred environment and human rights organisations, lawyers and individuals have written to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, demanding a roll-back of the Green Credit rules and its methodology, as per a notification dated February 24, 2023.
They argue that the rules infact provide incentive for forest diversion activities through green credit earnings, at huge cost to the environment, forest and climate and to the rights of forest dwelling communities. While it has been projected as a market innovation scheme, the Green Credit rules have an unsustainable approach and reliance on market forces for the conservation, restoration, and management of these natural lands, which would accelerate business- driven activities, which are the biggest violators of environmental rights (News Click).
This is a roundup of news updates from the 16th of April to 30th April 2024. Read our policy updates here