Volume 1, Issue 2 : Sustainable Agriculture

July 2010
Inside

Discussion
From the Field
Linkage
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ACT I ON
A Quarterly Newsletter of Action for Food Production (AFPRO)

ED’s Note Better Management Practices in Cotton : A

Way to Sustainable Agriculture Practices
The challenge of food security, especially in the face of rising food - M V Sakhare, Sr. Agricultural Specialist, AFU-I
prices, places a serious responsibility before the country. Despite
immense advances in agriculture sector, many people still sleep Sustainable Agriculture refers to the set of practices
hungry or live under threat of food shortage. The degradation of adopted for cultivation that are least harmful to the envi-
natural resources is also a major concern as it severely impacts the ronment while ensuring a good crop. It involves crop pro-
livelihoods of poor and backward communities in rural areas. duction methods that support sustainable natural resource
management to increase crop productivity, maintain biodi-
World Bank report ‘Agriculture for Development’ highlighting versity, and also are economically viable and socially ac-
regional challenges of agriculture sector, mentions that India presently ceptable. Soil and water management, organic farming,
faces a serious problem of depleting ground water that makes integrated pest management, and integrated nutrient man-
agriculture unsustainable and creates risk to environment. Impact of agement are common practices promoted under sustain-
climate change is also being felt in the agriculture sector, making it
even more vulnerable. National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture of able agriculture.
National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) aims to make Farming community in Vidarbha (Maharashtra) and other
Indian agriculture more resilient to climate change by identifying newstates have experienced acute distress in the past decade.
varieties of crops, supported by integration of traditional knowledge In view of the vulnerability of cotton farmers in the region
and systems, information technology and biotechnology, as well as an innovative project Better Management Practices (BMP)
simplified credit and insurance mechanisms to ensure food security in in cotton is being implemented by AFPRO in Yavatmal Dis-
sustainable mode. To address the issue of food security, Government
trict of Maharashtra. BMP in Cotton promotes sustainable
of India is legislating the Food Security Act by reforming the public
distribution system. However it also needs to address the need for agricultural techniques and has a special emphasis on re-
sustainable agriculture and better management of natural resources ducing use of chemicals in the cultivation of agricultural
for livelihoods. commodities. The overall objective of the program is to
identify environmentally sustainable and yet economically
Knowledge transfer to small and marginal farmers plays key role in viable cotton cultivation technique. Some of practices dem-
sustainable agriculture. With capacity enhancement on natural onstrated under project are in-situ soil and water conserva-
resource management, right incentives and government support, farm
families can make significant progress towards managing their land tion and protection of irrigation sources, border planting
and water sustainably. It is desirable that the appropriate quantum ofand intercropping of trap crops, bio-fertilizers, scouting,
credit for ensuring proper security to a crop be ascertained. Experience from
Experience from Andhra
Project Village
Predesh organic fertiliz-
Agricultural systems need to use new approaches to increase food Cost Benefit Analysis
ers, low cost
production while protecting the resources on which they depend. protective irri-
30000 Investment gation, clean
This issue of newsletter focuses on the need to shift from intensive Gross Income harvesting and
20000
high-cost input agriculture to sustainable agriculture and adopting Net Profit
storage of cot-
better management practices at each stage of crop cycle to minimize 10000
ton. Despite
cost of production and control environment degradation. 0 scanty and er-
DK Manavalan B Ravi (Partial BMP) P Balraj (Non-BMP) ratic rainfall
Executive Director, AFPRO Exper ience of Far mers
with major part
of the farming having been done on light soils, the adoption of BMP has been justified . The cost-benefit analysis authenticates
high net return to the farmers practicing BMP even in low rainfall areas. BMP has successfully established a better way towards
sustainable agriculture with enhanced profitability.
However, climatic conditions and markets play an important role in deciding the fate of farmers particularly in rainfed agricul-
ture. Hence, there is need for policy initiatives at Government level on marketing, credit and insurance so that farmers can gen-
erate surplus net-returns after adopting sustainable agricultural techniques.
Our learnings reveal that, cotton farm practitioners get an understanding on potential and importance of sustainable agricul-
ture practices not only for direct economic interest but also for ecological sustainability. The scope for adaptation of sustain-
able agricultural practices is wider, but needs continuous support from government and non-government organizations in up-
grading knowledge of farmers and developing need-based models.

Visit us at http://www.afpro.org
 Discussion “Agriculture is the noblest of all alchemy; for it turns
earth, and even manure, into gold.” - Paul Chatfield

Sustainable Agriculture: An approach to in decrease in yields. Sustainable agricultural practices provide

options that enable rejuvenation of soil and water resources
reduce burden on the ecosystem while assuring a strong crop .
Agriculture continue to be the mainstay of the Indian econ- Definition of Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Develop-
omy, as it provides food security and livelihood to the larger ment by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
number of poor communities. Expectations from non-farm ╠ Ensures that the basic nutritional requirements of present &
sector in improving socio-economic conditions of this strata of future generations, qualitatively & quantitatively, are met
population have not been met to desired levels. Thus, to a while providing a number of other agricultural products.
great extent, agriculture sector alone faces responsibility to
╠ Provides durable employment, sufficient income and de-
provide for a great majority of India’s poor .
cent living and working conditions for all those en-
Government has taken several steps to promote agricultural gaged in agricultural production.
production by subsidizing supportive inputs and simplifying ╠ Maintains and, where possible, enhances the productive
credits facilities. National Rural Employment Generation Act capacity of the natural resource base as a whole, and the
(NREGA) is attempting to enhance livelihood security of peo- regenerative capacity of renewable resources, without
ple living in rural areas . The Food Security Act being envis- disrupting the functioning of basic ecological cycles and
aged to address families living below poverty line focuses on natural balances, destroying the socio-cultural attributes of
reforms in the public distribution system. However, supply of rural communities, or causing contamination of the environ-
food items only partially fulfills the broader objective of ment, and
food security for all. Farm-based livelihoods based on sus- ╠ Reduces the vulnerability of the agricultural sector to ad-
tainable agricultural practices need to be promoted and verse natural and socio-economic factors and other risks
protected through policy for poor and marginal farmers to
and strengthens self-reliance.
participate in economic growth.
Key issues to promote Sustainable Agriculture
Faced by increase in global demand for agricultural com-
modities, over-exploitation of natural resource base through Promotion of sustainable agriculture has not been an easy task
high cost input and water intensive technologies makes nature for the government and non-government organizations work-
vulnerable regarding its capacity to meet future require- ing on the field. Inadequate knowledge among farm commu-
ments. Resultant deterioration of soil health, ground and sur- nities and weak supportive infrastructure are proving chal-
face water quality, and depleted water table are narrow- lenges in promotion of the practices. And, it leads towards
ing the natural resource base. Policy makers need to under- poor management of land, water, vegetation, livestock and
stand the importance of protecting and managing natural fisheries resources with indiscriminate use of pesticides and
resources for present and future food security. chemical fertilizers.
Preference of cultivating cash crops rather than food crops
What is Sustainable Agriculture? among the farmers is encouraged by subsidies provided by the
Sustainable agriculture is the use of such farming systems that government and poses a major challenge in the large scale
enhance the economic viability of agricultural production by adoption of sustainable agricultural practices.
proper management and caring of natural resources and Capacity building of community-based organization in the use
ecosystems. This method of agriculture follows the principles of eco-friendly agricultural techniques as well as field-based
of nature and suggests soil and water conservation measures, and academic research on suitable working models will pro-
bio-fertilizer and pest management and proper use of biodi- mote acceptability of sustainable agriculture as a viable op-
versity. tion.
However, certain myths have been unfairly associated with Conclusion
sustainable agricultural practices, such as lack of modernity Sustainable agriculture practices are most suited to reduce the
and rejection of appropriate technology, as well as yielding burden on ecology while improving crop productivity. The
less profit from farm activities. Experiences suggest that the practices involve low-cost agricultural techniques using avail-
practices could be as profitable as modern farming prac- able natural resources to either totally replace or reduce the
tices with involvement of technologies that are less harmful to use for pesticides and other ecologically harmful high cost in-
the environment. puts. It is experienced from the field that given an option, small
and marginal farmers, prefer to adapt sustainable agriculture
Why Sustainable Agriculture?
practices. Large landholders continue to rely heavily on the use
For decades, agricultural science has focused on boosting of pesticides to earn more from their farming enterprise. Us-
production through the development of new technologies. To age of these chemical inputs and high quantities of water that
meet increasing demand for food, people have been resort- forms common agricultural practice today, has led to severe
ing to intensive cultivation practices with the use of fertilizers, ecological degradation. Poor soil health & over exploited
pesticides, fungicides and other modern inputs technologies. ground water resources, & the impacts of climate change, point
Use of these inputs has polluted soil, water and environment towards a grave situation. Action from policymakers therefore
which later caused slow degradation of soil health resulting required to promote sustainable agriculture among farmers.

"Indian economy lives in rural villages.” - Mahatma Gandhi 2

 From the Field "We-Human beings - are part of 'biodiversity.' We are de-
pendent on the whole food-chain down below us." - Darrell

AFPRO and Food Security & Livelihood Learning on Sustainable Agriculture

Ongoing Projects Homestead Garden: A way to Nutritional Security
Ensuring Food Security through Community Participation Indigenous knowledge of local communities regarding environmentally
friendly land management has large potential to serve the purpose of
The programme “Ensuring Food Security through Community their nutritional intake. Integration of homestead vegetation within the
Participation”, implemented in three different regions in lifestyle among poor and marginal households provides food supple-
India (Yavatmal in Maharashtra, Rangareddy in AP & ments that ensure their nutrient security.
Kutch in Gujarat) , is seeking to address food and nutrition
security at household level. Homestead cultivation, sustain- Under the project “Ensuring food security through community participa-
able agricultural and landbased livelihoods, with special tion”, the community has been capacitated on developing Homestead
emphasis on nutritional intake are the broad components of gardens in their courtyard. The objective of homestead gardening is to
the food security strategy under the programme. Influenc- provide vegetables throughout the year, primarily for household con-
ing community level behavioral changes in sanitation, sumption and thereby contribute to family nutrition. Surplus vegetables
health and hygiene, and promoting maternal & child health may be sold in the market for additional family income. Women from
are the approach under the health & hygiene strategy. the project villages came forward and are growing organic vegetables
United Way Mumbai, is partnering with AFPRO in this at their door step.
project. AFPRO is working as the main implementing
agency for overall coordination and management of the
project and extending technical and capacity building sup-
INM & IPM : Ensuring Improved productivity
Better Management Practices in Cotton
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Integrated Nutrient Manage-
AFPRO initiated the Project “Better Management Practices ment (INM) are eco-friendly practices that help to maintain crop and soil
(BMP) in Cotton” to develop community-based models of health without affecting crop productivity. Better Management Practices
sustainable cotton production by decreasing the amount of (BMP) involves similar approaches to manage water resources and nutri-
water and pesticides used in cotton production. In collabo- ents as well as control of pests by using indigenous practices in conjunc-
ration with IKEA, the project has been implemented in tion with farmers’ experiences and research bodies. These priortize plan-
Yavatmal district of Maharashtra. Farmers have been moti- ning of optimum irrigation , application of organic manures, bio-fertilizers
vated and trained on the concept. BMP focuses on low-input and bio-pesticides for obtaining sustainable yields.
environmental friendly approach to cotton cultivation. This is
being achieved by developing and implementing appropri- BMP in Cotton is being promoted among farm communities of Yavatmal
ate BMP modules; working closely with research centres, project area. Use of cow dung and urine extract as an organic fertilizer,
target farmers and extension services. The successful result egg-lemon juice, neem seed kernel extract and other regional specific
of the BMP interventions in Yavatmal has instilled greater bio-pesticides, as well as drip irrigation are some examples of practices
confidence in the potential of sustainable agricultural tech- adopted. The farmers using BMPs have received a higher gross margin
niques. From this year the project has been scaled up and is on average than conventional farmers due to reduced expenditure of
being implemented in two districts of Gujarat. chemical inputs besides contributing significantly to the ecology.

Live Better with the Flood Integrated Farming: Sustainable Livelihood Management

“Live Better with the Flood - An Approach for Sustainable Integrated farming is an farm-based livelihood system that integrates
Livelihood Security in District Dhemaji, Assam” is being imple- crop production and livestock & fish rearing in appropriate combinations.
mented by AFPRO for one year under the National Agricul- This practice is logical development of the current farming system combin-
ture Innovative Project (NAIP) of ICAR, New Delhi. The main ing traditional approaches with suitable technology. Planning a whole-
thrust of the project is to improve rural livelihood security farm approach through Integrated Farming can achieve sustainable pro-
by introducing integrated farming system (IFS) approach in duction while generating a profit that cares for the environment.
in the flood affected district. The project aims to achieve
the objective of improving livelihoods of the rural poor AFPRO has introduced the concept of promoting livelihoods through Inte-
through efficient management of natural resources planned grated Farming System in flood-affected areas of District Dhemaji, As-
in the backdrop of the flooding season. Further, the project sam, under the National Agriculture Innovation Project (NAIP). Four differ-
seeks to improve the delivery mechanism through skill en- ent models of integrated framing viz. Rice-fish-vegetable, Livestock-fish-
hancement of communities as well as developing an institu- vegetable, Dairy-VermiCompost-Fish-Vegetable and Sericulture-
tional approach for adopting the technology and estab- Livestock -Horticulture have been adopted after participatory planning
lishing market linkages. The project promotes location- at the community level. Further, a cropping calendar has been adopted
specific models based on the IFS in common lands for im- that enables communities to organize their farming seasons in relation
proving farmer’s livelihood security. with the flood season.

"Farmers are the only indispensable people on the face of the earth." - Li Zhaoxing 3
 Linkage “Organic farming has been shown to provide major benefits
for wildlife and the wider environment.” - Prince Charles

Participatory Action for Livelihood Security

- Dhurbajit Sarma, Unit Manager, ATF-G

Twenty-first century agriculture is facing challenges of food security, food safety and ecological security. Current unsustainable
land and water utilization practices coupled with lower levels of productivity pose a technological challenge. This can be tack-
led through Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), i.e. the application of available knowledge for addressing environmental, eco-
nomical and social sustainability. Access to food that are grown using eco-friendly practices, conserving and improving the natu-
ral resources, and adopting thus far ignored indigenous wisdom, is the way forward.

The National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP), which accords high priority to generation and transfer of agricultural tech-
nologies and suggests innovation in the technology system, is a remarkable step taken recently. “Live Better with the Flood”
partnering with NAIP, is a multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional action research program for livelihood security in Dhemaji Dis-
trict of Assam, and has successfully grounded participatory action research on farming system. The program includes integration
and diversification in crop, animal, and fish based interventions with restructured crop-
ping patterns and adoption of a crop calen- Experience Sharing dar based on the flooding season.
An attempt has been made to establish models of profitable, sustainable and competitive agricultural system through agricul-
tural diversification, along with strong service and input support systems covering credit, insurance and extension. The project has
ensured the best use of both good genotypes of crops (rice, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables) and animals (pig, goat, poultry) and
their ecological management in order to establish their potential benefit at ground. Use of quality seeds, ensuring soil health
through conservation farming, and integrated pest and nutrient management, have been adopted successfully in remote and
inaccessible areas like Dhemaji. Enhancement of farmer’s capacity on use and conservation of natural resources, promotion of
indigenous knowledge on sustainable agriculture practices, and local level community management are some prime issues that
have been addressed. The project presents a new line in agricultural research, promoting innovative use of appropriate tech-
nology based on location-specific and people-centric models.

Resource Links Eight Steps

╠ http://attra.ncat.org to Sustainable Agriculture
╠ http://www.caff.org 1. Conserve Soil
╠ http://dacnet.nic.in 2. Conserve Water
╠ http://www.fao.org 3. Use of Organic manure & Bio fertilizer
╠ http://www.manage.gov.in 4. Use of Bio-pesticide & natural predators
╠ http://www.mssrf.org 5. Encourage Biodiversity
╠ http://www.sare.org
6. Conserve Energy Resources
╠ http://sunsite.unc.edu
7. Control of plant diseases and weeds
╠ http://sustainable.org
8. Reduce Risk by managing natural resources
╠ http://www.sustainableagriculture.net

We invite your comments and suggestion.

Please write to: The Executive Director, AFPRO
25-1/A, Institutional Area, D-Block, Pankha Road, Janakpuri, New Delhi - 110058
Email: [email protected]/[email protected]

Action For Food production (AFPRO) is a non-governmental , socio-technical development organization that has been working to
reduce rural poverty in India since 1966. We provide technical guidance and back-up support to grass-root level NGOs in
implementing environmentally sound food production, livelihood generation and related projects. Our core competencies are in
land and water management, agriculture, livestock and fisheries, renewable energy and forestry. AFPRO reaches out to poor
communities through 6 field units and 3 task forces, strategically located in 9 different states in India.

Executive Editor: DK Manavalan, Editor: Ashish Kumar, Editorial Team: SC Jain, Dr. Anis Chatterjee, Shatarupa Kashyap, Thomas Sunil Augustine
Contributions: M.V. Shakare, Dhurbajit Sarma, AFU-1, AFU-6 & ATF-G
Published by Action For Food Production, 25-1/A, Institutional Area, D-Block, Pankha Road, Janakpuri, New Delhi-110058 For Private Circulation Only.