Food & Water: Books, Reports & Newsletters

PostedonMay. 11, 2014in Food and Water

Resources Home

Resources for Food & Water: Books, Reports & Newsletters

Books:

  1. Indian (affordable, conditionally permitted) edition of the book entitled “GMO Myths and Truths: A Citizen’s Guide to the Evidence on the Safety and Efficacy of Genetically Modified Crops and Foods“, 4th edition, 240 pages. Indian edition available at production cost as well as discounted cost as mentioned below. 1 to 4  copies : 200 Rs./ copy (or less, for more copies).  Contact Kapil Shah with the correct delivery address, on Email ID: [email protected], Cell/ WA: 756791675
  2. The Vision of Natural Farming by Bharat Mansata, documenting Bhaskar Save‘s method (checked on 20 Jan. 2022)
  3. Agroecology: Science and Politics by Peter M. Rosset and Miguel A. Altieri. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization, government ministries and even corporations are promoting agroecology. But, are they pushing the same agroecology as developed by pioneering farmers and scientists and pushed for by peasant social movements, or are they seeking to co-opt the concept and give it different content? (checked on 20 June 2021)
  4. India’s Quest for Sustainable Farming and Healthy Food, written by Bharat Dogra and Kumar Gautam. Comprehensive book on Farm Policy which combines Justice and Ecology Concerns. (checked on 27 Feb. 2022)
  5. Split Waters: The Idea of Water Conflicts edited By Luisa Cortesi and K. J. Joy. Through in-depth case studies from around the globe, this volume investigates this similarity of narration—confronting the power of a single story by taking it seriously instead of dismissing it. In so doing, it invites the reader to rethink water conflicts and how they are commonly understood and managed. (Checked on 18 Aug. 2021)
  6. Politics of Seeds: Common Resource or a Private Property by Afsar Jafri provides a comprehensive analysis of the situatiation surrounding seeds, which are a  central element of agricultural economy and of ecology. From being a commonly-held resource nurtured by farmers, corporate-driven scientific research, and intellectual property acquisitions have transformed seeds into a highly valuable commodity out of reach by the common farmer. (checked on 21 Jan. 2019)
  7. The Community Food Forest Handbook: How to Plan, Organize, and Nurture Edible Gathering Places by Catherine Bukowski and Dr. John Munsell covers the civic aspects of community food forests, drawing on observations, group meetings, and interviews at over 20 projects across the USA and their own experience creating and managing a food forest. (checked on 16 May 2021)
  8. Procurement And Public Distribution Of Millets In Odisha – Lessons And Challenges (Policy Brief) Odisha Millets Policy Brief LEISA Odisha’s initiative in millets, from farm to plates, has been intervening through four verticals in production (with new agronomic practices), processing, marketing and consumption (includes awareness campaigns and also through inclusion in nutritional programmes). The next logical step for Odisha, in line with the larger thinking behind its millets mission for conserving biodiversity, for greater climate resilience, and for better nutritional outcomes, etc. are discussed in this document. (checked on 23 Jan. 2021)
  9. Cutting The Gordian Knot” : An Attempt To Combat Water Woes In Bundelkhand By Rejuvenating Village Water Bodies– Report On Securing Access To Safe Drinking Water During COVID Times. With a total investment of Rs. 15,00,300, 152 drinking water sources were restored to benefit 10,274 rural families in various districts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. (file to be downloaded, size over 10 Mb, checked on 16 Oct. 2020)
  10. Treasures from the East: Forgotten Recipes from Odisha, Jaharkhand and West Bengal – collection from various culinary experts and traditional food designers from the villages, and supported by various initiatives working with local people. (checked on 7 Dec. 2020)
  11. Can Hunger be Defeated? Advancing Food Security in South Asia edited by Stefan Mentschel – https://www.thedogearsbookshop.com/shop/books/non-fiction/agrarian-studies/can-hunger-be-defeated-advancing-food-security-in-south-asia/ (checked on 24 Mar. 2020)
  12. Rethinking Food and Agriculture: New Ways Forward by Professor Amir Kassam and Dr Laila Kassam proposes ways to move beyond the current limited view of agro-ecological sustainability towards overall sustainability of the food and agriculture system based on ‘inclusive responsibility’. It places importance on quality of life, pluralism, equity and justice for all. It emphasises the health, well-being, sovereignty, dignity and rights of all stakeholders, as well as of nonhuman animals and the natural world. (checked on 17 Nov. 2020)
  13. Agriculture and Food Sovereignty: Challenges and Opportunities in North East India’. The report is an output from a two day workshop jointly organised by Focus, ActionAid and Solidarity for a Sustainable North East and highlights issues such as plantation economy, upland agriculture, impact of trade policies on agriculture and fisheries. https://focusweb.org/publications/agriculture-and-food-sovereignty-challenges-and-opportunities-in-north-east-india/ (checked on 28 Mar. 2020)
  14. Grow a Garden: A Handy Guide for the Aspiring and Experienced Gardener (botanical illustrations by Sushama Durve) published by Vanastree. It provides information on 38 vegetable, tuber and flower species – when and how to plant your organic, open pollinated seeds and tubers, transplanting details, harvesting, etc. (checked on 29 Dec. 2017)
  15. Farm to Systems: The Emergence and Impact of Sustainable Integrated Farming System, an agroecological approach to improve samll farms, published with support from German Cooperation and Welt Hunger Hilfe. (checked on 7 Dec. 2020)
  16. A Step Towards Quenching Rural India’s Thirst: Experiences and Learnings from the Water Stewardship Initiative in Maharashtra by Marcella D’Souza, Eshwer Kale and Hemant Pinjan of WOTR, based on two years of work on sustainable  groundwater management. (checked on 17 Jun. 2019)
  17. Food Sovereignty, Agroecology and BioCultural Ddiversity: Constructing and Contesting Knowledge critically explores the changes in organisations research paradigms and professional practice that could help transform and co-create knowledge for a new modernity based on plural definitions of wellbeing. (checked on 29 Dec. 2017)
  18. We feed the world: A celebration of smallholder farmers and fisherfolk who really feed the world published by The Gaia Foundation. This book has excellent photos and tells the stories of small-scale farming and fishing communities who provide 70% of the food we eat, in harmony with the lands and waters that sustain us. (checked on 12 Nov. 2020)
  19. बखर रानभाज्यांची : प्रवास रानभाज्यांच्या शोधाचा – अहमदनगर जिल्ह्यातील अकोले परिसरातील रानावनात ऋतूप्रमाणे मिळणाऱ्या पालेभाज्या, फळभाज्या, फुलभाज्या व त्यांबद्दल माहिती जपणाऱ्या आदिवासी संस्कृतीची ओळख करून देणारे नीलिमा जोरवर यांचे पुस्तक. In Marathi, Bakhar Raanbhaajyaanchi: Pravaas Raanbhaajyaanchyaa Shodhacha, a book on (160) wild vegetables found in the forest of Akole taluka of Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. (checked on 12 Sep. 2018)
  20. Our Experiments with Ragi (illustrated booklet) – recipes by The Ragi Project run by students and staff of Poorna Learning Centre, Bangalore. (download pdf https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=YXB1LmVkdS5pbnx3b3JrLWluLXNjaG9vbHN8Z3g6N2QzNjA2ZDQwMzgxZTg2MA) (checked on 18 Jan. 2018)
  21. Mother Earth, Sister Seed by Lathika George takes the reader through the changing seasons of agriculture as she travels around the country, from Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu and Coorg in Karnataka to the Khasi Hills in Meghalaya and Chamba in Himachal Pradesh, documenting the celebrations, rituals, folklore and recipes associated with each. (checked on 5 Feb. 2018)
  22. Reclaiming Public Water book: Achievements, Struggles and Visions from Around the World by Brid Brennan, Olivier Hoedeman, Philipp Terhorst, Satoko Kishimoto, Belen Balanya. The groundbreaking book on how reformed public water services can achieve the goal of delivering water for all. (checked on 23 Apr. 2018)
  23. The booklet Adaptation as Innovation – Lessons from Smallholder Farmers in Rainfed Karnataka by Greeshma Hegde, Chandni Singh and Harpreet Kaur documents cases of adaptation innovation and discuss lessons for similar semi-arid regions in India. They first describe key concepts used and then the methodology, followed by profiles of farmers interviewed and their innovative practices. (checked on 29 Mar. 2018)
  24. Alternatives to Privatization: Public Options for Essential Services in the Global South (Routledge Studies in Development and Society) takes up that challenge by establishing theoretical models for what does (and does not) constitute an alternative to privatization, and what might make them ‘successful’, backed up by a comprehensive set of empirical data on public services initiatives in over 40 countries. This is the first such global survey of its kind, providing a rigorous and robust platform for evaluating different alternatives and allowing for comparisons across regions and sectors. (checked on 23 Apr. 2018)
  25. Tending Our Land by M G Jackson and Nyla Coelho present a simple, vivid, historical account of the great human enterprise of food prodution. It makes essential reading for academia, the budding generation of land tenders and others who want to consider new approaches to food production. (checked on 18 Nov. 2016)
  26. Reviving Vegetable Diversity – A Seed Savers’ Guide by Deepika Kundaji is an A to Z guide highlighting diversity within different vegetables, and also diversity in a few vegetables which represent certain types for which seed saving techniques vary. It demonstrates how to practically save and revive seeds. (checked on 1 Dec. 2017)
  27. Delhi Declaration – adopted unanimously by the delegates to the first International Agrobiodiversity Congress held in New Delhi in November 2016. (checked on 14 Jan. 2017)
  28. Agroecology, Ecosystems and Sustainability in the Tropics edited by G. Poyyamoli, Studera Press Publication demonstrates how agroecology must simultaneously be a science, a practice, and a movement for social change towards a paradigm of sustainability that engages all parts of the food system, from the field to the table. (checked on 21 Mar. 2017)
  29. Everyday Experts is an edited book published by People’s Knowledge whcih explains how knowledge built up through first-hand experience can help solve the crisis in the food system. It brings together fifty-seven activists, farmers, practitioners, researchers and community organisers from around the world in 28 original chapters to take a critical look at attempts to improve the dialogue between people whose knowledge has been marginalised in the past and others who are recognised as professional experts. (checked on 9 Feb. 2018)
  30. CENTRE FOR INDIAN KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS (CIKS) has produced a set of publications on various aspects of producer companies in Tamil as well as English. (checked on 14 Oct. 2021)
  31. खाद्य सुरक्षा और गरीबी उन्मूलन के संदर्भ में सतत छोटे पैमाने की मात्स्यकी सुनिश्चित करने के लिए स्वैच्छिक दिशानिर्देश (Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication – in Hindi). प्रकाशक – इंटरनेशनल कलेक्टिव इन सपोर्ट ऑफ़ फिशवर्कर्स (checked on 2 Feb. 2017)
  32. Essay on food as a commons: Governing landraces and associated knowledge as commons – from theory to practice by Reyes-García, V., L. Aceituno-Mata,  P. Benyei, L. Calvet-Mir, M. Carrascosa, M. Pardo-de-Santayana, J. Tardio for CONECT-e, IECTBA and Red de Semillas. (checked on 30 Apr. 2018)
  33. Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication  published by the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF). These  are also available in the vernacular – Gujarati, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Odia, Bengali and Malayalam (checked on 2 Feb/ 2017)
  34. The Millet Booklet has been created to help raise people’s awareness about these highly nutritious grains. (checked on 19 Dec. 2016)
  35. Farmers of Forty Centuries was written by F H King (in 1911), who travelled to Japan, Korea and China to learn how, after twenty and perhaps thirty or even forty centuries, their soils are able to produce sufficiently for the maintenance of such dense populations as those of these three countries. (checked on 10 May 2018)
  36. The Journal of Peasant Studies – 2017 Issue # 1 is free to download for a limited time! Topics include food politics, food sovereignty, food movements, agrarian-environmental movements, seed politics, conservation, ecological disaster, land politics, irrigation politics, agrarian transformation/national (under-)development, E.P. Thompson’s work — in Latin America, USA, Africa and Asia. (checked on 27 Jan. 2017)
  37. Better and different! Transforming Food Systems through Agroecology (the original 32-page publication published in German). The contributions in this publication show how farmers in the global South and North enhance soil fertility, biodiversity and seed productivity, and how local markets are strengthened. We also discuss how social movements and food councils try to democratic food systems. Cases from various countries are presented. (checked on 8 Aug. 2017)
  38. The Farming Systems Trial conducted by Rodale Institute (US) show that when one considers yields, economic viability, energy usage, and human health it is clear that organic farming is sustainable, while current conventional practices are not. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  39. PGS – Enabling Organic Production System for Small Holders published by FAO: Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) have been established to help the hundreds of smallholder farmers in India who are unable to gain cost-prohibitive certifications for organic farming. These systems allow access to a fair and transparent market system and grant farmers a direct stake holding in the supply chain of clean and safe food. This profile outlines cases where PGS has helped all of the stakeholders in the organic supply chain. (checked on 27 Jan. 2017)
  40. Community Seed Banks: Origins, Evolution and Prospects edited by Ronnie Vernooy, Pitambar Shrestha, Bhuwon Sthapit and published by Routledge provides a global review of the development of Seed Banks across the globe and includes a wide range of case studies. It tells us about their history, evolution, experiences, successes and failures (and reasons why), challenges and prospects. (checked on 20 Jul. 2015)
  41. A collection of 6 case studies on Food Producing Organisations (FPOs) published by Development Alternatives. (checked on 30 Jun. 2017)
  42. A model to conserve Indigenous Paddy Varieties: Hundreds of farmers have switched to cultivation of traditional paddy varieties in Pudukottai district of Tamil Nadu. (checked on 26 Oct. 2015)
  43. Chillies and Porridge: Writing Food – a collection of food writing edited by Mita Kapur that will take you back to the kitchens of your childhood, and far out to realms of imagined flavours and sensory excitement. (checked on 16 Dec. 2015)
  44. India’s Organic Farming Revolution: What it Means for Our Global Food System by Sapna E. Thottathil (published by University of Chicago) discusses how the Kerala policy on totally organic farming by 2020 came to be and its immediate economic, political, and physical effects on the state’s residents offer lessons for everyone interested in agriculture, the environment, and what to eat for dinner. (checked on 28 Jul. 2015)
  45. Something to Chew On – How much thought do we give to Food, its textures, aromas, tastes and colours? Kalpavriksh’s book for young readers talks about the history of food, what it does to the Earth and so on. See a review (checked on 6 Jun. 2017)
  46. Moong over Microchips: Adventures of a Techie-Turned-Farmer by Venkat Iyer who gave up his fast-paced life in the IT world in Mumbai to take up organic farming in a small village. With no experience in agriculture, his journey was fraught with uncertainty. As he battled erratic weather conditions and stubborn farm animals, he discovered a world with fresh air and organic food, one where he could lead a more wholesome existence. (checked on 5 Jun. 2018)
  47. Valuing Variability: New perspectives on climate resilient drylands development (published by IIED-UK and partners) brings together the words and experiences of farmers, herders and researchers from across the globe and argues that agricultural productivity can be improved in dryland environments by working with variability rather than seeking to control it. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  48. Nourishing Life: Territories of Life and Food Sovereignty – Food sovereignty and the conservation of nature’s diversity are enhanced when self-determining communities affirm the human rights of peasants, fisherfolks, nomads, and indigenous peoples to govern and manage their food systems and the territories they are embedded in. Territories of life and food sovereignty can thus be mutually supportive in virtuous cycles. (checked on 8 Jan. 2020)
  49. Pulses: Nutritious Seeds for a Sustainable Future – published by Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN has recipes from all regions of the World. (checked on 17 Jun. 2016)
  50. MY PUMPKIN ROOF: How to grow your own urban food garden by Auroville Consulting published by Earthcare Books inspires, encourages and guides one (be it a businessperson, a student, young or old) to take charge and start growing their own food – even if they have access only to a windowsill – with a little bit of creativity and innovation. It explains the different ways that food can be grown in different containers and spaces, sowing cycles, companion planting and how to nurture your plants. (checked on 13 Aug. 2015)
  51. Scaling Success: Lessons from Adaptation Pilots in the Rainfed Regions of India, published by World Resources Institute, is a report by , , , et al, which would help policy makers, practitioners and funding agencies identify emerging adaptation good practices and the conditions necessary for scaling up those good practices to achieve adaptation success at scale. (checked on 25 August 2015)
  52. Birds, Wild Animals and Agriculture: Conflict and Coexistence in India by Tara Gandhi, published by Universities Press, explores the multidimensional relationship between agriculture and wildlife in India – the tolerance and the conflicts. It explains the need for a multi-sectoral, locale-specific approach to mitigate distress and to encourage an agreeable relatioship between humans and animals. (checked on 8 Jan. 2020)
  53. Agroecology and the Struggle for Food Sovereignty in the Americas: The contributors to this book offer empirically-based analysis, experiences, critical reflections and lessons that are directly relevant to the well-being of people and nature everywhere. The emerging movement for agroecology and food sovereignty they describe is faced with the huge challenge of recreating a democratic political realm as well as autonomous food systems in a diversity of contexts. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  54. The One-Straw Revolution: About the bestseller book by Masanobu Fukuoka who worked to develop a system of natural farming that yields a harvest that equals or surpasses the most productive farms (in Japan and elsewhere). Download PDF (checked on 12 Nov. 2017). View 1-hour documentary on Fukuoka, One Straw Revolution (checked on 16 Aug. 2018)
  55. The Essence of Permaculture by David Holmgren – environmental designer, ecological educator and writer, best known a co-originator of the permaculture concept with Bill Mollison, provides a summary of the permaculture concept and principles. Permaculture, which originally referred to “permanent agriculture”, is a branch of ecological design that develops self-maintained agricultural systems modeled from natural ecosystems, inspired by Masanobu Fukuoka’s natural farming philosophy. (checked on 12 Nov. 2017)
  56. Sikkim: Towards Fully Organic State by 2015, Food Security and Agriculture Development Department and Horticulture and Cash Crops Development Department, Govt of Sikkim, 2012. The book describes the path to Sikkim becoming 100% organic in its farming.
  57. Think Global, Eat Local: Exploring Foodways,” RCC Perspectives 2015, no. 1; editors Pimbert, Michel, Rachel Shindelar, and Hanna Schösler. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  58. Organic Food marketing in Urban Centres of India by Nina Osswald, Manoj K. Menon. Organic food is poised to take deeper root in urban India. A great diversity of organic initiatives exists in the country ranging from long-standing farmer-centric initiatives to more recent domestic organic brands. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  59. The Vision of Natural Farming’ by Bharat Mansata, 277 pages, Earthcare Books. The book is on the life and work of Bhaskar Save the iconic organic farmer of Maharashtra, and lessons relevant to agriculture and living for all of India. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  60. Pulse of Life by Dr. Vandana Shiva is an attempt to bring back to memory and reconnect with the amazing diversity of pulses and other legumes Mother Earth has so generously provided for us. (checked on 18 Apr. 2016)
  61. The Agricultural Dilemma: How Not to Feed the World by Glenn Davis Stone to be published. The book argues that there is a viable alternative to industrial agriculture which will allow us to meet the world’s needs, and it ponders why such alternatives have been downplayed, obscured, or hidden from view. (checked on 1 Jun. 2022)
  62. Who Really Feeds The World? by Dr. Vandana Shiva challenges the myths that biotechnology and agribusiness are working to better feed the world and alleviate hunger and poverty. She exposes how the corporate influences are actually functioning to foster these problems and how they often destroy communities and ecosystems. (checked on 27 Apr. 2016)
  63. Traditional Rice Varieties of Tamil Nadu – A Source Book published by Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems. (checked on 26 Dec. 2019)
  64. Organic Revolution: The Agricultural Transformation of Cuba since 1990, Bharat Mansata, Earthcare Books, Kolkata, 2009. A book on how and why Cuba became a global inspiration for sustainable farming and much else. (checked on 16 Oct. 2020)
  65. The Organic Retail BookletSmall Organic Retail is Beautiful” published by Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture (ASHA) presents a few successful and inspiring cases of direct marketing by farmers, retail marketing for organic produce and an emerging Community Supported Agriculture model, thus showcasing the possibilities (related to both production-end and consumption-end) that exist with such enterprises. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  66. Millet Network of India has published books on Millet agriculture. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  67. Dying Wisdom: Rise, Fall and Potential of India’s Traditional Water Harvesting System, a report  published by Centre for Science and Environment addresses the issues of decentralised and community based water  management techniques and its status in the country. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  68. The fables and other stories in the book Wisdom from the Wilderness by Kashtakari Sanghatna, Pradip Prabhu, Shiraz Bulsara – and published by Earthcare Books, Kolkata – are part of the oral traditions of the Adivasi Warlis, Koknas, Kolis and Katkaris, relating to various aspects of their life, culture and ethos. (checked on 28 Feb. 2019)
  69. The Genetic Resource, Ecology, Energy and Nutrition (GREEN) Foundation has publications and CD-ROMs that give a glimpse of GREEN Foundation’s activities including empowering agricultural communities and preserving ecology and indigenous knowledge. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  70. Ecological Agriculture in India: Scientific Evidence on Positive Impact and Successes – published by ASHA, the effort for creating this book was supported by Save Our Rice Campaign, Living Farms, Jatan Trust and INSAF. (checked on 27 Jul. 2021)
  71. Shri. Anupam Mishra, a renowned Gandhian and an environmentalist has written two outstanding books in Hindi on the subject of water conservation and traditional water management systems in India. They are Rajasthan Ki Rajat Boondein and Aaj Bhi Khare Hai Talaab. जानेमाने गांधीवादी श्री अनुपम मिश्र एक पर्यावरणवादी भी थे. पानी के परम्परागत व्यवस्थापन पर उनकी लिखी हुई दो उत्तम किताबें हैं – राजस्थान की रजत बूँदें, और आज भी खरे हैं तलब. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015).
  72. The Ponds are Still Relevant – Originally Written in Hindi ‘Aaj bhi Khare Hain Taalab’ by Anupam Mishra & Published by Gandhi Peace Foundation. English Translation by : Parvesh Sharma. (checked on 23 Oct. 2020)
  73. Water, the Sacred and the Commons of Rajasthan: A Review of Anupam Mishra’s Philosophy of Water by Ricki Levi & Daniel Mishori
  74. India’s Water Futures: Emergent Ideas and Pathways edited by K. J. Joy and S. Janakarajan (published by Routledge). Confronting the reality of current water management strategies, this volume discusses the state of the Indian water sector to uncover solutions that can address the imminent water crises. (checked on 10 May 2021)
  75. Other India Book Store has published various books  on key aspects of organic farming and food. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  76. Deccan Development Society‘s list of publications and books on issues related to agriculture. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  77. Pulses: Nutritious Seeds for a Sustainable Future – has recipes from all regions of the World. (checked on 17 Jun. 2016)
  78. Navdanya’s publications on organic farming and food. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  79. Marathi title ‘Anna he Apurnabrahma‘ by Shahu Patole covers the cuisine of backward castes of Maharashtra state. His article ‘Majhyaa Khaadyasanskruticha Shodh‘, on this book was published by Lokmat. शाहू पाटोळे यांचे ‘अन्न हे पूर्णब्रह्म‘ म्हणजे महाराष्ट्रातील उपेक्षितांच्या खाद्यसंस्कृतीचा धांडोळा. या पुस्तकाविषयी ‘लोकमत’मध्ये प्रकाशित झालेला (पुस्तक लेखकाचाच) लेख: ‘माझ्या खाद्यसंस्कृतीचा शोध‘. (checked on 26 Aug. 2015)
  80. A booklet – ORGANIC FARMING IN LOW RAINFALL AREAS has been published by ICAR-CAZRI, Jodhpur, that includes some of the basic information about soil, pest management, system management etc and the outcome of the Organic farming project. (checked on 1 Nov. 2017)
  81. The great climate robbery published by GRAIN has data to show how the industrial food system is a major driver of climate change and how food sovereignty is critical to any lasting and just solution. People have to change the food system. (checked on 11 Dec. 2015)
  82. A booklet presenting the Participatory GroundWater Management programme. This programme is run in collaboration between Arghyam and partner NGOs across India to build a sustainable model for groundwater management through aquifer-based and community-centric approach that has emerged as an alternative for managing groundwater as a common pool resource. The program enables local communities to take informed decisions about water use, cropping pattern and crop water management through water budgeting. (checked on 2 Jan. 2018)
  83. A Source Book on India’s Organic Seeds written and compiled by Shamika Mone and published by OFAI. For copies please write to the author. (checked on 8 Sep. 2018)
  84. Multimedia e-book Everyday Experts: How People’s Knowledge Can Transform the Food System explains how knowledge built up through first-hand experience can help solve the crisis in the food system. It brings together fifty-seven activists, farmers, practitioners, researchers and community organisers from around the world in 28 original chapters to take a critical look at attempts to improve the dialogue between people whose knowledge has been marginalised in the past and others who are recognised as professional experts. (checked on 8 Sep. 2018)
  85. The Dangi: Indigenous cattle breed from north Western Ghats by Vijay Sambare and published by Lokpanchyat describes the characteristics of the Dangi breed of cattle and the circumstances under which the adivasi people domesticated it. (checked on 5 Dec. 2019)
  86. जैव सांस्कृतिक वारसा व निसर्ग पर्यटन – a Marathi booklet published by Lokpanchayat,  Sangamner, distr. Ahmednagar, describes the eco-social and cultural heritage of Chalisgaon and rural areas of northern Sahyadri populated mostly by adivasi tribes, to encourage eco-tourism. लोकपंचायत, अहमदनगर द्वारा प्रकाशित पुस्तिकेत उत्तर सह्याद्रीच्या डोंगराळ प्रदेशातील रहिवाशांच्या जैव-सांस्कृतिक वारसा  व  निसर्ग पर्यटन यांबद्दल  माहिती दिलेली आहे. Sacred Grove (इंग्लिश) व देवराईची गोष्ट ही पत्रके सुद्धा लोक पंचायत द्वारा प्रकाशित केली गेली आहेत. A pamphlet Sacred Grove has also been published by Lok Panchayat.

Articles, Essays & Reports:

  1. Detailed report on a Webinar on ‘Understanding government’s digital push in agriculture, May 2021. Vandana Shiva, Rohin Garg, Prof. Varsha Ganguly, Srikanth Lakshmanan, Ajay Vir Jhakar, Rajesh Krishnan and Prashant Mehra spoke at this webinar. (checked on 5 June 2021) Recording of the above webinar. (checked on 5 June 2021)
  2. How can resource-level thresholds guide sustainable intensification of agriculture at farm level? A system dynamics study of farm-pond based intensification by Pooja Prasad, Om P. Damani, Milind Sohoni. Plastic-lined farm-ponds shield farmers from drought, but across scale socio-hydrological dynamics analysis shows that their blind pursuit can aggravate the drought impact on the community. (checked on 10 Feb. 2022)
  3. Barriers to organic farming: Experience of Kansari Organics by Subhadra Khaperde and Ananya Mukerji. Government needs to switch subsidies and investments from chemical agriculture to the promotion of sustainable agriculture.(checked on 1 Aug. 2021)
  4. How Tamil Nadu’s farmers revived heritage rice varieties over decades by Chitra Deepa Anantharam. A look at the decades-long movement behind this revival, and the farmers, researchers and entrepreneurs who affected change at the grassroots. (checked on 13 Jan. 2022)
  5. Book review – This comic book shows how Godavari Dange worked with women farmers to beat the Marathwada drought. ‘Raindrop in the Drought: Godavari Dange’, with text by Reetika Revathy Subramanian and illustrations by Maitri Dore. (checked on 15 Dec. 2021) To download: Raindrop in the Drought: Godavari Dange (English) Raindrop in the Drought: Godavari Dange (Marathi-Language)
  6. How Many Wild Edible Plants Do We Eat – Their Diversity, Use, and Implications for Sustainable Food System: An Exploratory Analysis in India by Avik Ray, Rajasri Ray and E.A Sreevidya. (checked on 23 Mar. 2022)
  7. A fully organic Ladakh? Towards food sovereignty on the roof of the world by Ashish Kothari (checked on 14 Oct. 2021)
  8. Grow-Use-Share i.e. Demonstration of People-to-People Social Solidarity model in Covid times. Kitchen Gardening to ensure nutrition security for vulnerable families by Utthan. (checked on 27 May 2021)
  9. Government of Odisha forms State Level Committee on Agroecology and Agrobiodiversity for scaling up Agrobiodiversity Initiatives by Dinesh Balam. After detailed discussion, decisions – relating to training for officials of working with the regulatory framework of biodiversity acts and mapping of agrobiodiversit and recognition of custodian farmers conserving agrobiodivery – were taken under the chairmanship of APC cum ACS. (checked on 10 Sep. 2021)
  10. Comparative analyses of the nutraceutical potentialities of selected Indian traditional black rice (Oryza sativa L.) landraces by Priyabrata Roy, Debal Deb, et al. The black rice varieties had considerably greater protein, thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, and antimicrobial activities compared to the two selected white rice varieties. The ICPMS analysis of black rice grains showed that the former also had higher levels of Mn, Fe, and Zn than the white rice varieties. (checked on 5 nov. 2021)
  11. Colour based nutraceutical potential of some traditional rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica) varieties of India by Sandipan Ray, Debal Deb and Mousumi Poddar Sarkar is a report that focuses on a study of colour-based nutritional properties of six coloured and four non-coloured indigenous rice varieties based on antioxidant potential, total phenol and flavonoid content along with secondary metabolites profiling by high performance liquid chromatography. The biochemical uniqueness of these varieties has been explored that opens the gate for the conservation of more indigenous rice varieties for food security, as a cheap source of nutritional food and to construct a better niche for public health. (checked on 11 Apr. 2021)
  12. Water and Agricultural Transformation in India: A Symbiotic Relationship – I by Mihir Shah, P S Vijayshankar and Francesca Harris. Since farming takes up 90% of India’s water and just three water-intensive crops continue to use 80% of agricultural water, the basic water needs of millions of people, for drinking water or protective irrigation, cannot be met. This first part argues that the paradigm shift in agriculture requires a shift in cropping patterns suited to each agroecological region, a movement from monoculture to polycultural crop biodiversity, a decisive move towards agroecological farming, and greater emphasis on soil rejuvenation. (checked on 22 July 2021)
  13. Restoration Of Historic Water Tanks Of Bundelkhand – A Partnership Approach For Adapting To Climate Change On Rural Livelihoods by Chandrashekhar Nemani. (checked on 22 feb. 2022)
  14. Nutritional Benefits of Naturally Grown Food Products by Ms Priya Agarwal (National Coalition for Natural Farming) explores the various added and additional nutritional benefits that naturally grown foods provide when included in the daily diet instead of the conventionally-grown foods that we widely consume now. (checked on 11 Apr. 2021)
  15. Green Revolution and the Yield Question by Rajinder Chaudhary refer to research which indicates that traditional methods can outperform green revolution technology even in yield, and that it may be incorrect to s ay that in the mid-1960s India had no alternative other than the green revolution. (checked on 11 Apr. 2021)
  16. The push for Zero Budget Natural Farming by Priscilla Jebaraj. The pro’s and con’s. (checked on 17 Dec. 2021)
  17. SANDRP has selected 10 stories of small but significant and successful efforts by communities and individuals making a difference by restoring, conserving, efficiently utilizing the available water sources thus valuing the water in true sense. To celebrate the World Water Day 2021.
  18. Millets to Millions: Initiatives to Reach Every Household by WASSAN. The Event was an attempt to bring people in millets processing enterprises, media, senior officils of the Department of Agriculture and the NGO facilitating agencies together to build capacities of all stakeholders engage in millet production, promotion, processing and marketing. All pledged to have a 6-colour meal daily (that is – our plate should have 6 different colours of food which is one way of having a balanced diet), and Millets Lunch one-day every week! (checked on 22 Sep. 2020)
  19. Open Source Digital Platform for Landraces (OSDPL) – a web-based digital repository for profiling, storing and analysing the data pertaining to indigenous crop seeds/ local landraces, it enables digitally inventorying the characterized data generated on the field through Crop diversity blocks/ participatory varietal trials.  Managed by WASSAN and made available to the public.  (checked on 6 Apr. 2021)
  20. Cuba’s Big New Hope for Farmers and Environment by Bharat Dogra. Policymakers everywhere can learn from the island nation how to amp up food production while reducing chemical fertilizers and pesticides. What this country has achieved with so little external input resources, and in spite of the economic, commercial and financial United States embargo, is remarkable. (checked on 15 Oct. 2020)
  21. Report – FPOs: The Institution Building Challenge (National Workshop on FPOs 12th February, 2020 at IRMA, Anand, Gujarat, facilitated by C. Shambu Prasad). (checked on 2 Jul. 2020)
  22. Sinnar farmers breathe life back into irrigated farming by Hiren Kumar Bose. By collectively reviving a colonial-era irrigation system, farmers in 19 villages of Sinnar in Maharashtra have transformed a water-starved area into productive and prosperous farmlands. (checked on 17 Sep. 2020)
  23. Demystifying River Health. Manoj Misra of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan makes some very interesting, path breaking propositions as to how we need to see and understand rivers and river health. This article is in two parts. Part I attempts new names and definitions. Part 2 is about components of river stream and suggests a way forward. (checked on 9 Sep. 2020)
  24. The Andhra Pradesh Millets Board Act, 2019. It attempts to provide for the development under the control of the state government, of the millets crop and millets industry and for connected and incidental matters. (checked on 22 Jan. 2020)
  25. Farming Futures: An Annotated Bibliography on Farmer Producer Organisations in India by C. Shambu Prasad and Gautam Prateek provides a collation of all published material on FPOs in India. The prominent trends in research that this bibliography points towards are: case studies as the predominant method of exploration (methodology); focus on Western India (most cases); less empirical analysis on farmer’s income, inclusive participation (women & marginalised sections); and, less theoretically-grounded research works. (checked on 12 Apr. 2019)
  26. Karnataka’s organic farming journey: Robust policies slowed down by poor implementation by Shruthi HM Sastry. The lack of on-ground expertise, inadequate support systems and poor implementation of policies have discouraged Karnataka’s farmers from taking up organic farming. (checked on 23 Nov. 2020)
  27. BITS पिलानी के पूर्व-छात्र आशीष गुप्ताने किसानों के लिए बनाया जैविक हाट, लेखन रोहित पराशर. वे १० हजार से अधिक किसानों को बेहतर मार्केट उपलब्ध करवाने के साथ पार्टिसिपेटरी गारंटी स्कीम में उनका निःशुल्क सर्टिफिकेशन करवाकर उनकी जिंदगियां बदल चुके हैं. (३० अगस्त 2020 को देखा था) About Aasheesh Gupta who established Jaivik Haat (Organic Food Market) for farmers and enabled over 10 thousand farmers to register under Participatory Guarantee Scheme. (checked on 30 Aug. 2020)
  28. Science-policy interface on water scarcity in India: Giving ‘visibility’ to unsustainable virtual water flows (1996–2014) This report is based on research which concludes that the virtual nature of embodied water necessitates water policies to be reflective of the visible evidences of unsustainable VW-flows. It also points out an urgent need to rethink current water policies in the context of a science-policy interface, to inform decisions and actions on the mitigation of water scarcity. (checked on 21 Sep. 2020)
  29. Constructing Alternative Socio-technical Worlds: Re-imagining RRI through SRI India by C Shambu Prasad. Through the case study of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), an agroecological innovation that arose outside the formal research establishment, they show how vulnerable farming communities can proactively co-create alternatives to existing dilemmas in Indian agriculture. (checked on 10 Mar. 2020)
  30. In India’s Green Revolution and Beyond: Visioning Agrarian Futures on Selective Readings of Agrarian Pasts
    the author, Richa Kumar, argues that the productivity-oriented vision that makes these technological aspirations possible is based on a selective reading of India’s agrarian past—one that labels it as backward and needing redemption through technology. It is only through a comprehensive understanding of its agrarian past that we can begin to imagine a new vision and a new foundation for India’s agrarian future. (checked on 26 Aug. 2019)
  31. India Compromises its WTO Strategy: A critical look at the 2020 agricultural market reforms by Biswajit Dhar (published by Focus on the Global South).
  32. The Mighty Small Indigenous Fresh water Fish Species by Kanna K Siripurapu and Manish Rajankar discusses the nutritional importance for local rural populations of raising small indigenous freshwater fish species. Women’s livelihoods are also positively impacted, as they are directly involved in the sales activity. (checked on 4 Jun. 2019)
  33. Agroecological and Other Innovative Approaches for Sustainable agriculture and food systems that enhance food security and nutrition – A report by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition, July 2019. (checked on 19 Jul. 2019)
  34. Looking beyond the pandemic – Agroecology, and the need to rethink our food system“: Helena Paul highlights the growing need for reshaping our food infrastructure around agroecology, a new paradigm where producers and consumers are connected with each other, and in harmony with land and nature. (checked on 12 Aug. 2020)
  35. Biocultural Innovation: the key to global food security? by IIED on the role of smallholder innovations in enhancing resilience and agrobiodiversity. (checked on 16 Aug. 2018)
  36. These seed bankers are saving India’s native crops by Shobita Dhar. Farmers, agri scientists and even former techies are pitching in to stop hardier and healthier indigenous varieties from disappearing. (checked on 14 Jan. 2020)
  37. Looking beyond the pandemic: Agroecology, and the need to rethink our food system by Helena Paul, which advocates that we must shorten food chains, and take them back under the control of our communities and the wider society. (checked on 10 Aug. 2020)
  38. A paper Community Self-Organisation from a Social-Ecological Perspective: ‘Burlang Yatra’ and Revival of Millets in Odisha (India) by Lopamudra Patnaik Saxena on Burlang Yatra or community seed festival. (checked on 19 Mar. 2020)
  39. Positive River Actions From India – SANDRP puts together some remarkable positive actions for rivers during 2018 on 14 March (2019) – celebrated globally as International Day of Action for Rivers. (checked on 15 Mar. 2019)
  40. New histories of the Indian Green Revolution by Glenn Davis Stone, comprises 5 new scholarly studies that question and bust the myths of the Green Revolution being India’s food and agricultural saviour. Essential critiques, to accompany the stories and cases of true agricultural revolution that farmers and groups are creating, such as the Deccan Development Socieyt women who just won the Equator Prize. (checked on 7 June 2019)
  41. Water reform must begin at the farm by Mihir Shah. The author opines that building a more resilient, diverse and less water-consuming farm system has multiple collateral win-wins. (checked on 5 Jul. 2019)
  42. Water Wisdom in Times of Climate Crisis (Oxfam) on India’s traditional decentralised but integrated water resources management and delivery methods that prioritise bottom-up water governance with the active participation of women and youth. (checked on 20 Sep. 2019)
  43. Getting baoris in Himachal to flow again, offer lessons to other hill states by Seema Sharma. Ground water was monitored and the local community was mobilised before protocol was laid down on protecting the recharge area and ensuring equitable use of water. (checked on 19 Jul. 2019)
  44. Saving India’s Groundwater by Mihir Shah.  The author opines that we need profound changes in the structure of incentives to support farmers in moving towards less water-intensive crops; and also need to break the groundwater-energy nexus that has only encouraged the mining of groundwater. (checked on 5 Jul. 2019)
  45. Smallholder farming systems in the Indian Himalayas: Key trends and innovations for resilience by Prakriti Mukerjee, Reetu Sogani, Nawraj Gurung, Ajay Rastogi and Krystyna Swiderska and published by IIED, UK. This report explores key trends in livelihoods, food security, crop diversity and biocultural heritage across ten communities. (checked on 25 Jun. 2018)
  46. The lake and the well by S Vishwanathan. Multiple sourcing of water is now a necessity in Bangalore. This article with video describes Jakkur Lake which has been converted into a beautiful and bio-diverse wetland. (checked on 19 Aug. 2019)
  47. Agroecology as Innovation – a report on Agroecology released by the High Level Panel of Experts of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) stresses the importance of ecological agriculture, which supports “diversified and resilient production systems, including mixed livestock, fish, cropping and agroforestry, that preserve and enhance biodiversity, as well as the natural resource base.” (checked on 12 Jul. 2019)
  48. From Transition to Domains of Transformation: Getting to Sustainable and Just Food Systems through Agroecology by Colin Ray Anderson, Janneke Bruil, Michael Jahi Chappell, Csilla Kiss and Michel Patrick Pimbert. The article focuses on the dynamics of power and governance, arguing that a shift from top down technocratic approaches to bottom up forms of governance based on community-self-organisation across domains has the most potential for enabling transformations for sustainability and social justice. (checked on 27 Sep. 2019)
  49. Introduction to the symposium on critical adult education in food movements: learning for transformation in and beyond food movements—the why, where, how and the what next? by C. R. Anderson, R. Binimelis, M. P. Pimbert and M. G. Rivera‑Ferre. (checked on 14 Jun. 2019)
  50. Scaling up Agroecology: Toward the Realization of the Right to Food, published by IATP presents examples of practices that could be used to implement the agroecological approach. The report also includes a set of ecological as well as socioeconomic indicators of success, and mutually supportive national and international policies that would be needed for that approach to flourish. (checked on 4 Apr. 2019)
  51. A global synthesis reveals biodiversity-mediated benefits for crop production. Studies have found that pollinator and enemy richness directly supports ecosystem services in addition to and independent of abundance and dominance. Up to 50% of the negative effects of landscape simplification on ecosystem services was due to richness losses of service-providing organisms, with negative consequences for crop yields. Maintaining the biodiversity of ecosystem service providers is therefore vital to sustain the flow of key agroecosystem benefits to society. (checked on 13 Jan. 2020)
  52. Zero Budget Natural Farming: Are This and Similar Practices the Answers by Srijit Mishra discusses how the ZBNF method resonates with the twin dimensions of the crisis in Indian Agriculture – agrarian and agricultural – and looks with openness at other initiatives that use local resources, reduce costs, address risk and vulnerability, are relevant under rainfed conditions, are resilient to climate change, and ensure healthy food among others. (checked on 12 Jun. 2018)
  53. Potential yield challenges to scale-up of zero budget natural farming by Jo Smith, Jagadeesh Yeluripati, Pete Smith and Dali Rani Nayak. The authors show that ZBNF is likely to reduce soil degradation and could provide yield benefits for low-input farmers. However, even with maximum potential nitrogen fixation and release, only 52–80% of the national average nitrogen applied as fertilizer is expected to be supplied. Therefore, in higher-input systems, yield penalties are likely. Further research is needed in higher-input systems to ensure that mass conversion to ZBNF does not limit India’s capacity to feed itself. (checked on 22 Jan. 2020)
  54. Breaking away from industrial food and farming systems: Seven case studies of agroecological transition  published by the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food). The case studies provide concrete examples of how, in spite of the many barriers to change, people around the world have been able to fundamentally rethink and redesign food systems  around agroecological principles. (checked on 22 Oct. 2018)
  55. Urban farming in schools – a report that comes from a study on how related environmental actions emerge from activities on the farm, with a specific focus on how the activities in the farm motivates wider environmental actions – partly based on research on a terrace farm in a Mumbai school. (checked on 5 Apr. 2019)
  56. The people building edible cities by Axelle Parriaux. Urban farming (in the context of parts of the global north) may offer new local growing options and shorter supply chains in certain areas, while also enriching urban biodiversity and creating new bonds between urban and rural environments. (Checked on 21 Feb 2022)
  57. Could flexitarianism save the planet? by Sam Wolfson. Scientists say a drastic cut in meat consumption is needed, but this requires political will. Eating less meat would have implications for heart disease, animal cruelty, high food prices and environmental destruction. (checked on 22 Jan. 2019)
  58. Gasification, Pyrolysis & Plasma Incineration, a paper by Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), advises that set-ups that use of plasma arc, pyrolysis, catalytic cracking and gasification technologies fail to receive final approval to operate when claims of the companies do not withstand public and governmental scrutiny. Incinerators seek to “divert” garbage from disposal in landfills. But these incinerators dispose garbage to the landfill-in-the-sky and actually create new pollutants. ‘Zero Waste’ approach conserves energy through reducing demand for extraction and processing of raw materials, which is energy intensive. Recycling is more energy efficient than combustion. (checked on 25 Jun. 2019)
  59. The TEEBAgriFood ‘Scientific and Economic Foundations’ report addresses the core theoretical issues and controversies underpinning the evaluation of the nexus between the agri-food sector, biodiversity and ecosystem services and externalities including human health impacts from agriculture on a global scale. It argues the need for a systems thinking approach, draws out issues related to health, nutrition, equity and livelihoods, presents a Framework for evaluation and describes how it can be applied, and identifies theories and pathways for transformational change. (checked on 8 Jun. 2018)
  60. A Critical Discussion on the Methods Currently Recommended to Support Organic Crop Farming in India by Y L Nene (email: [email protected]) describes and discusses most of the ‘low chemical’ and ‘non-chemical’ methods which environmentally les polluting and are currently recommended in different parts of India. (checked on 5 Apr. 2018)
  61. Reducing cultivation price, with a fern that’s nice to rice published by The Hindu. Basal application on green azolla manure at the rate of 10-20 tonnes per hectare increases soil nitrogen by 45-60 kg and reduces 20-30 kg of nitrogenous fertilizer requirement of rice crop, according to researchers from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. (checked on 29 Jan. 2019)
  62. We are not too young by Linda Kabaira. Story (based in Zimbabwe) on an attempt to encourage generations of system thinkers by bringing the ethics and principles of permaculture design and regenerative systems into the classroom. (checked on 20 Jul. 2018)
  63. From lakes as urban commons to integrated lake-water governance: The case of Bengaluru’s urban water bodies paper by Sharachchandra Lele and Mrinalini Bakshi Sengupta on urban lake governance in SAWAS special issue on Water Governance in south Asia. (checked on 4 Jul. 2018)
  64. A report on Fish harvesting day which was jointly organized by CAVS and WASSAN in one of Andhra Pradesh’s CR ZBNF clusters of Sastrullapeta, Hiramandalam, Srikakulam District on 27th April 2018. The RNGO and FNGOs have made an effort to enhance the fish production through building capacities of farmers on package of practices in 110 waterspread area of 106 ponds in Seethampeta, Hiramandalam and Veeragattam Mandals of Srikakulam district. (checked on 1 May 2018)
  65. Within the world of food collection  by Madhu Ramnath describes the daily engagement that the adivasi of central India has with the forest and which rewards him with a knowledge unattainable in any other manner. It would be fruitful to see how adivasi practices can help better our knowledge about lesser known aspects of the natural world, aspects that are missed by mainstream science. (checked on 26 Feb. 2018)
  66. My Year Without Industrial Food by Rob Greenfield. Around half of the US-Florida-based author’s food came from his garden and the other half was from foraging. (checked on 17 Jan. 2020)
  67. Resistance to Reforms in Water Governance  by Mihir Shah provides, in answer to a critique, an explanation on why reforms are required in the governance of India’s water sector. (checked on 14 Feb. 2018)
  68. Building Resilience to Climate Change: MGNREGS and Cyclones in Andhra Pradesh published by IIED. This paper examines how MGNREGS is helping households in Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh, India, build resilience to cyclones. The goal of the series is to identify options for Indian policymakers to integrate climate risk management into MGNREGS (checked on 13 Jan. 2018)
  69. A report on the Millets Recipe Training cum Millets Food Festival that was organized Odisha, on 22-23 Dec. 2017, at Sikharpai village in Rayagada dist., by NIRMAN, a Bhubaneswar based NGO. More than 200 women participated. (checked on 2 Jan. 2018)
  70. Alternative Food System in IndiaIdeas and Initiatives towards an Alternative Food System in India, a briefing note published by Kalpavriksh, explores the food scenario through its politico-economic, ecological, cultural and sociological connections. (checked on 24 Oct. 2017)
  71. Rainfed agriculture: for an inclusive, sustainable and food secure India – a policy brief published by IIED calls for a new macro policy that articulates for decentralised, location-specific, integrated approaches in its rainfed areas is necessary for agriculture to be inclusive, climate-resilient and sustainable, and to provide the food and nutritional security that India needs. (checked on 6 Jan. 2019)
  72. Workshop Report of the National Conference on Farmer Producer Organisations held at IRMA in Gujarat in February 2017.  (checked on 3 Nov. 2017)
  73. Of Water Justice and Democracy by Mary Ann Manahan, Buenaventura Darga and Cheryl Batistel provides an overview of water issues in Asia, especially in terms of access to water by poor families. (checked on 23 Apr. 2018)
  74. Small Farm Specialisation and Risk in Indian Agriculture – this working paper by Ashwini Chhatre and Lalmani Pandey highlights important issues that aggravate the problems of small holder agriculture and their financial risks and recommend that development and promotion of low cost sustainable technologies is imperative to reinvigorate and revitalize small holder agriculture. (checked on 8 Apr. 2017)
  75. Report on a workshop on Organic Farming, Zero Budget Natural Farming, Marketing & PGS, Apple Cultivation organised by Muskaan Jaivik SHG of Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, in Mar 2018. (checked on 9 Apr. 2018)
  76. The Milk Crisis in India by the Dairy Working Group of the Alliance for Food Sovereignty, India. This book tells the story of how global trends including the onging threats of multilateral trade agreements such as the EU-India Free Trade Agreement and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Pact (RCEP), are driving countless small dairy farmers into debt and ultimately out of farming. The authors provide clear evidence that the only hope for the future lies in localised peoples’ milk markets based on agro-ecological livestock cultures: cultures where livestock are reared, not as machines to produce single commodities, but as sentient beings playing a multifaceted role in food farming production systems. (checked on 24 Oct. 2017)
  77. In Food Security and Traditional Knowledge in India: The Issues – by Marika Vicziany and Jagjit Plahe explain why traditional knowledge is an important theme in the study of Indian agriculture, especially given the crises routinely facing poor, smallholder farmers. How ‘traditional knowledge’ might be retrieved, reinvented, reintroduced and modified so as to create a farmer-driven, sustainable and biodiverse agriculture is their concern. Source: https://doi.org/10.1080/00856401.2017.1342181 (checked on 7 Sep. 2017)
  78. Water Allocations and Use in the Mahanadi River Basin: A Study of the Agricultural and Industrial Sectors – July 2017  edited by Craig Dsouza, Abraham Samuel, Sarita Bhagat and K.J.Joy and published by Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts in India. This report talks about the allocation of water and its use in the two largest sectors— agriculture and industry. The study is an attempt to understand the implications of these two sectors on the existing water resources and water planning, the rising water conflicts due to allocations and how these issues could be resolved in an equitable and sustainable manner. (checked on 1 Nov. 2017)
  79. Norway Has Perfected Plastic Recycling, by Charley Ross, on Norway’s plastic recycling scheme which is an incentivised deposit system for recyclable plastic, using ‘reverse vending machines’ as collection points for used plastic containers. These are then taken to specialised recycling areas (System has been in place since 1972). (checked on 5 Jun. 2018)
  80. Edible insects might be the future superfood by Simrit Malhi, on why eating insects is as good for the environment as it is for humans. (checked on 11 Sep. 2018)
  81. Building sustainable social and solidarity economies: Place-based and network-based strategies of alternative development organizations in India by Ashok Kumbamu. This article critically examines and analyzes place-based as well as network-based strategies of alternative development organizations that claim to be building sustainable social and solidarity economies (SSE) in the political context of neoliberal globalization. Using a case study approach, this article analyzes how SSE initiatives are aiming to reclaim control over the local agri-food sector. (checked on 24 Oct. 2017)
  82. Dharani: Nurturing the earth, fostering farmers’ livelihoodsby Joseph Satish V (University of Hyderabad, India) & C Shambu Prasad (Institute of Rural Management Anand, India). Timbaktu Collective, a non-profit organization in southern India, working for the sustainable development of rural communities with an emphasis on ecological principles and social harmony, promoted this business enterprise for procuring, processing and marketing the organic produce of farmer-members in the district of Anantapuramu. (checked on 31 Aug. 2017)
  83. INTACH pilot project reduces Assi River Pollution in Varanasi by 70% in two months, at least cost, without any structures. (checked on 24 Aug. 2017)
  84. Changing Perspectives – Water Resources in India (text of a lecture) by Shripad Dharmadhikari. Here he outlines the dominant perspective on water, some of the other perspectives, how the dominant view has been questioned and some of the interesting shifts that are emerging. (checked on 19 Dec. 2016)
  85. In Governing landraces and associated knowledge as a commons, authors Victoria Reyes-García and others argue that there is a need to regulate the common management of landraces and associated knowledge. The legitimization of common management of landraces and associated knowledge might strengthen common governance and at the same time promote agrobiodiversity conservation. (checked on 24 July 2017)
  86. In Traditional Agricultural Knowledge as a Commons, authors Victoria Reyes-García and others explore the governance of traditional agricultural knowledge (TAK) under the commons framework, or the idea that knowledge can be governed as a commons, i.e., as a resource used by a group of people who have self-developed a set of rules to manage the social dilemmas derived from the resource collective use. (checked on 24 July 2017)
  87. Reviving crop biodiversity, restoring food sovereignty – Nirman’s work on food sovereignty with the Kondh adivasi community of Odisha, which has a rich knowledge and experience of millets-based, mixed farming systems. By reviving the community based seed banks and cultural seed festivals, these tribal communities have regained their lost food diversity and sovereignty. (checked on 12 May 2017)
  88. When Women Have Land Rights, the Tide Begins to Turn – “For many indigenous people, it is the women who are the food producers and who manage their customary lands and forests. Safeguarding their rights will cement the rights of their communities to collectively own the lands and forests they have protected and depended on for generations.” Stephanie Keene, Tenure Analyst for the RRI, a global coalition working for forest land and resources rights of indigenous and local communities, told IPS via an email interview. (checked on 12 May 2017)
  89. Making Smallholder Farming Climate-smart: Integrated Agrometeorological Services has been published by WOTR. This paper is about the need to make agriculture more resilient to climate risks has been recognised and weather forecasts as well as advisories to farmers on how to cope with the attendant risks are being increasingly made available through various information and technology channels. (checked on 2 Dec. 2017)
  90. Dr. Mihir Shah committee on Restructuring the CWC and CGWB submitted its report in 2016 – title A 21st Century Institutional Architecture for India’s Water Reforms. It states that there is an urgent need to strengthen, restructure and redesign the institutions that played a stellar role in shepherding India’s water sector over several decades (the Central Water Commission and the Central Ground Water Board) so that the kind of leadership India’s water sector requires can be provided. (checked on 10 May 2017)
  91. Taking agroecology to scale: the Zero Budget Natural Farming peasant movement in Karnataka, India by Ashlesha Khadse analyzes how peasant movements scale up agroecology. It specifically examines Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), a grassroots peasant agroecology movement in Karnataka, India. ZBNF ends reliance on purchased inputs and loans for farming, positioning itself as a solution to extreme indebtedness and suicides among Indian farmers. (checked on 15 Feb. 2017)
  92. Bhaskar Save’s Natural Farming method by Bharat Mansata – In its purest, advanced form, it is a ‘do-nothing’ way of farming, where nature does everything, or almost everything, and little needs to be done by the farmer. (checked on 2 Jan. 2016)
  93. Community Driven Water Conservation Initiatives In 2016 Drought by Bhim Singh Rawat of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) (checked on 13 Jun. 2016)
  94. Sustaining the Liquid Mosaic: Longer Steps Needed – a critique of the Draft Water Framework Bill and the New Institutional Structure for water governance written by Nilanjan Ghosh and Jayanta Bandyopadhyay. (checked on 27 Dec. 2016)
  95. Agroecology as an Alternative Vision to Conventional Development and Climate-smart Agriculture, author Michel Pimbert. Here he critically reflects on what makes agroecology fundamentally different from Climate-smart Agriculture (CSA). This article focuses in particular on the more transformative elements of the agroecology and food sovereignty paradigm to clearly identify overlaps and divergences with CSA and explore its incommensurable values against conventional development frameworks. (checked on 27 Feb. 2017).
  96. Book chapter Democratizing knowledge and ways of knowing for food sovereignty, agroecology, and biocultural diversity by Michel Pimbert. (checked on 20 Sep. 2020)
  97. Food – the tribal wayOn a tribal food festival that was part of the 8th CMS Vatavaran convention held in the Capital. It states: “The best part about (tribal) people is that they never overexploit the forest and are very precise about the time that a particular plant or shrub should be picked, dug up or cut.”  (checked on 5 Nov. 2015)
  98. Agroecology Case Studies (by Oakland Institute)The thirty-three case studies shed light on the tremendous success of agroecological agriculture across the African continent. They demonstrate with facts and figures how an agricultural transformation respectful of the farmers and their environment can yield immense economic, social, and food security benefits. (checked on 8 Nov. 2016)
  99. Return to the Source: Guardians of Seeds Fight Monsanto and Win! by Quincy Saul describes how small farmers of Monte Carmelo (Venezuela) once again took the lead in a struggle to fight back against the ongoing economic crisis through a program of grassroots action. (checked on 8 Sep. 2017)
  100. Indigenous Practices for Eco-friendly Storage of Food Grain and Seeds by Prakash BG, Raghavendra KV, Gowthami R and Shashank R. 60-70% of food grain produced in the country is stored at home level in indigenous storage structures and food grains are protected in home level by using indigenous technology. The twenty-four important traditional storage practices followed by the farmers are discussed in this paper. (checked 22 Apr. 2016)
  101. Behind the Rise and Fall of Growing Power by Stephen Satterfield discusses what the non-profit set up by Will Allen (a black ex-athlete) to keep marginalised black youth out of trouble and to train them in productive farming activity contributed to society. (checked on 27 Aug. 2018)
  102. IIT Gandhinagar scientists develop irrigation maps of India – Written by R. Prasad, this article is about High-resolution maps of major agroecological zones are available from 2000 onwards. The maps will be updated every year. (checked on 30 Dec. 2016)
  103. The article Waterworld: can we learn to live with flooding? discusses the question ‘Can cities be designed and adapted to live more flexibly with water – to treat it as friend rather than foe?’ (checked on 17 Jun. 2016)
  104. The month-long journey of the BioDiversity Festival in Telangana, halted in seventy-odd villages in four mandals on the way. The bullock carts were fixed with transparent boxes exhibiting (local) millets of different varieties – a news report. Read this and other reports in English and Telugu here. (checked on 26 Feb. 2016)
  105. Farmers go back to the roots in agriculture festival in Keonjhar district. (checked on 26 Feb. 2016)
  106. Food revolution: Growing futures on Buderim’s “eat street” by Jenna Cairney. Urban design, social inclusion, education, health and wellbeing, food security and the environment, are the main benefits and aims of this movement. (checked on 20 Mar. 2017)
  107. Let’s Cooperate! Rural Producers Collectives in India – Background and Case Studies. इसका अंग्रेज़ रूप आओ सहकार्य करें भारत में ग्रामीण उत्पादक समितियां – पृष्ठभूमि तथा अध्ययन  (checked on 20 Jan. 2017)
  108. Sikkim against the machine – on how the state pushed out agrochemical products and became the first all-organic Indian state (checked on 13 Feb. 2016)
  109. A Government Programme in Kerala is Turning Women into Agripreneurs by Ajitha Menon, describes how women in Kerala have been empowered, through Kudumbashree, to surmount the lack of land and finances, natural calamities and labour issues to make a living from farming. (checked on 29 Feb. 2016)
  110. Geneticist warns against dangers of fiddling with nature – In an interview, Geneticist P C Kesavan warns how Genetic Engineering causes disruption of coordinated molecular and cellular functions that evolved over millions of years. The immediate consequence of that is the other genes that were functioning normally begin to become abnormal. (checked on 28 Nov. 2015)
  111. Discussion paper on state of Organic Agriculture in India by Shilpanjali Sarma. (checked on 2 Oct. 2015)
  112. Millets: Future of Food and Farming by P. V. Sateesh of Deccan Development Society, on the nutritive and ecological values of millets. (checked on 29 Feb. 2016)
  113.  ‘How to leave industrial agriculture behind’ by IPES-Food’s first major report: ‘From Uniformity to Diversity: A paradigm shift from industrial agriculture to diversified agroecological systems’. (checked on 17 Jun. 2016)
  114. Exploiting Asia’s biodiversity can ensure food security, end hunger – “In order to feed our growing population, we have to intensify agricultural production in a more sustainable manner. There is no way we can do it without agricultural biodiversity.” (checked on 17 Jun. 2016)
  115. From Homogenous to Indigenous: Investing in Native Food Systems for a Resilient Future – The Slow Food movement. “The right of peoples to have control over their land, to grow food, to hunt, fish and gather according to their own needs and decisions, is inalienable.”
  116. In India, Remote Villages Hold Fast To Food Traditions by Carla Capalbo, describes the agricultural traditions of Meghalaya, where this year’s Indigenous Terra Madre festival was held. (Organised by the North East Slow Food and Agrobiodiversity Society (NESFAS)) (checked on 11 Jan 2016)
  117. Farmers in Rural Maharashtra are Fighting Climate Change. With Just a Mobile Phone. A weather-based and crop-specific information system that uses phone messages and awareness campaigns has been helping farmers in rural Maharashtra become climate change resilient. (checked on 9 Jan. 2016)
  118. Uncultivated Foods – The Hidden Treasure by Anshuman Das describes how uncultivated food is natural insurance for local people against climatic shocks, especially in the stress period during summer and rainy season. (checked on 13 Jun. 2016)
  119. 3 Ways Seeds Can Democratize Our Food System by Neil Thapar. US-based story describing how  seed libraries offer us an opportunity to become more civically engaged by reintroducing democracy into the food economy, reclaiming the seed commons, and empowering communities to begin creating their own local food systems.
  120. Where the global meets the local – a news article on India’s first indigenous Terra Madre Day event that has brought together leaders of indigenous tribes from all over the world so that they can share their knowledge of food, nutrition and bio-cultural diversity. (checked on 5 Nov. 2015)
  121. Grow your own organic vegetables in kitchen garden by Laiqh A. Khan. (checked on 2 Oct. 2015)
  122. A report on the Millet Festival held on 28 August 2015 in Nagaland, with annexures I, II and III. (checked on 4 Oct. 2015)
  123. An info-graphic detailing the PGWM process and some impact stories from PGWM (checked on 20 Jan. 2016)
  124. Farm fresh at your doorstep by Akila Kannadasan on how subscription-based organic greens delivery services are becoming popular in Chennai. (checked on 19 Oct. 2015)
  125. Seven years after Cyclone Alia, farming that nurtures food and faith in the Sunderbans by Usha Dewani Das describes how integrated farming has helped the local peasants overcome the devastation caused by cyclone. Integrated farming uses the natural behaviour of local animals and insects to grow diverse local plants making the best use of available space and terrain. The result is food security for the family for most of the year. (checked on 15 Oct. 2015)
  126. Want to double world food production? Return the land to small farmers! – A clearly reasoned article by GRAIN, on the just and ecological way to double world food production. (Checked on 9 Oct. 2015)
  127. Urban gardening practices in Bangalore: Towards a more localized food system? by Delfina Grinspan. (checked on 9 Oct. 2015)
  128. A lush green paddy field on Rooftop by Dr. D. Shine Kumar. The trend of terrace farming in urban areas has been steadily catching up across the state, of late. But, not many have opted to grow paddy on their terrace mainly because of space constraints and complicated cultiation methods. (checked on 1 Dec. 2015)
  129. Whose Sense Makes Sense: Using Philosophical Assumptions to Deconstruct Sustainable Development through the Lens of Organic Agriculture in Sikkim by Nicole Karsch. (checked on 9 Oct. 2015)
  130. The Cooperative Model as a Means to Alternative Development: Enabling Rural Peoples to Gain Economic Stability, Act Collectively, and Sustain the Local Ecology through Organic Farming by Laura Langner. (checked on 9 Oct. 2015)
  131. Nepali farmers get climate-smart by David Breashears / GlacierWorks describes how Farmers in Nepal’s Kavrepalanchok district are now getting around the problem of erratic rainfall by adopting simple ‘climate-smart’ practices like lining ponds with plastic to conserve water. (checked on 1 Dec. 2015)
  132. Korra or Quinoa! Press release by Millet Network of India: Comparing Quinoa (from America) with India’s own millets such as Bajra (Pearl Millet), Korra (Foxtail Millet), Sama (Little Millet) and Variga (Proso Millet). Each of these compete nutrient to nutrient with Quinoa as tabulated here. (checked on 5 Aug. 2015)
  133. Rare tribal foods and film festival part of the eighth CMS Vatavaran festival was a small sub-fest, ‘From Forest to Delhi: Tribal Foods of India’, organised to celebrate India’s rich and vibrant bio-cultural heritage of tribal foods and brought by indigenous forest people of the oldest surviving tribes from seven states. (checked on 13 Oct. 2015)
  134. How organic farming and right prices are helping Kerala farmers by Rohini Mohan describes how largely small and medium land holders here do sustainable, organic farming that rejects mono-cropping for biodiversity, preserves and shares local seeds, and embraces the market. (checked on 1 Feb. 2016)
  135. Save Our Rice Campaign – Empowering Communities for sustainable food security in the rice region of India by Sridhar Radhakrishnan – Article 1 and Article 2. (checked on 3 Dec. 2021)
  136. Organic agriculture key to feeding the world sustainably – A study analyzes 40 years of science against 4 areas of sustainability. Researchers have concluded that feeding a growing global population with sustainability goals in mind is possible. Their review of hundreds of published studies provides evidence that organic farming can produce sufficient yields, be profitable for farmers, protect and improve the environment and be safer for farm workers. (checked on 9 Feb. 2016)
  137. Links (5) to stories about millet farmers of Zaheerabad being far better off than those using seeds, pesticides and fertilizer purchased from the market grow cash crops like Bt Cotton : A silver lining in times of distress:  http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/a-silver-lining-in-times-of-distress/article7657571.ece
  138. Magic of milletshttp://www.deccanherald.com/content/283874/magic-millets.html
  139. Telangana government urged to declare state as ‘Millet’ state to prevent suicides by farmershttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Telangana-government-urged-to-declare-state-as-Millet-state-to-prevent-suicides-by-farmers/articleshow/48969705.cms
  140. No farmer ended life in millet land Medak: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/501001/no-farmer-ended-life-millet.html
  141. Millet Telangana : Solution to Farmers’ Suicides:  http://www.telugu360.com/millet-telangana-solution-to-farmers-suicides/
  142. Subsidize recharge of groundwater, not its extraction by Bharat Jhunjhunwala advocates dismantling all subsidies on water extraction and instead replacing them with subsidies on water recharging. (checked on 18 Aug. 2015)
  143. As the largest user of groundwater in the world, can India become groundwater secure?‘ by Amrtha Kasturi Rangan – the author emphasises that understanding scientific principles and spreading this knowledge among communities to design their water solutions could be an answer to tackling both groundwater crises and flood situations in the country. (checked on 25 Aug. 2015)
  144. Fad for Thought – an article that covers various aspects of organic food and farming. (checked on 21 Jul. 2015)
  145. Engineering an Organic India describes how students at the Guindy Engineering College (GEC) have started growing organic greens by setting up a farm utilising the hostel’s wasted food, on their campus. (checked on 18 Aug. 2015)
  146. Basking in the success of goat farming by Firoz Rozindar – an article about Imamsab Nadaf, who started with 62 lambs, now has 500 goats worth Rs. 7 lakh.
  147. Notification on the Constitution of Task Force on Organic and Non-Chemical Farming, by the Government of India. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  148. All’s ‘well’ in Hazare’s Ralegan Siddhi, by Radheshyam Jadhav. Every drop of rainwater collected, stored; No water scarcity even in a bad monsoon. (checked on 25 Sep. 2015)
  149. बाबा मायाराम के लिखे हुए ‘कैसे करें सूखे का सामना‘ इस Hindi लेख में बताया गया है कि सूखे से बचने के लिए तथा जलवायु बदलाव के कारण जो समस्याएं और चुनौतियां आएंगी, उनसे निपटने के लिए प्राकृतिक खेती, बारहनाज जैसी परंपरागत व्यवस्था वगैरह कारगर हैं. (checked on 4 Nov. 2015)
  150. Better nutrition despite drought – describing how Vayam, a civil society organisation working in the tribal belt north of Mumbai, they take care of the nutrition needs of tribals in low rainfall years.  (checked on 13 Oct. 2015)
  151. Bargur breed, the most sought-after cattle: Patronage for the Bargur breed of cattle has gone up as demand at the Anthiyur Cattle Fair indicates. Acc. to this article, farmers who have taken to organic crops are the ones who queue up for purchasing the Bargur breed of cattle. (checked on 18 Aug. 2015)
  152. Urban Water Systems in India: Typologies and Hypotheses by Mihir Shah and Himanshu Kulkarni advances a series of hypotheses that outlines a way forward for urban water systems. (checked on 28 Jul. 2015)
  153. Women Farmers are Guardians of Crop Diversity in the Andes – The maintenance of crop diversity is central to food security, nutritional diversity, health, and cultural traditions for rural communities globally. In the Andean highlands, smallholder women farmers use local knowledge and skills transmitted through generations to select and conserve seeds of traditional crop varieties. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  154. Where Water is Scarce, Communities Turn to Reusing Wastewater by Jacques Leslie. With the era of dam building coming to an end in much of the developed world, places such as California and Australia are turning to local and less expensive methods to deal with water scarcity, including recycling wastewater, capturing stormwater, and recharging aquifers.  (checked on 4 May 2018)
  155. In Farming for a Small Planet: Agroecology Now, Frances Moore Lappé writes about the alternative, relational approach—agroecology—to farming, that has already shown promising success on the ground. By dispersing power and building on farmers’ own knowledge, it offers a viable path to healthy, accessible food; environmental protection; and enhanced human dignity. (checked on 23 Apr. 2016)
  156. On road to resilience by Frank van Steenbergen discusses examples of how systematically improving micro-climate at a local level and not depending on global processes could help create a climate-resilient society. (checked on Dec. 2016)
  157. Reviving Knowledge: India’s farming, variability and diversity is a paper brought out by IIED, UK. The case study of a farming community reclaiming its knowledge of variability through the revival of mixed cropping and millet production shows that with support that complements the variable nature of rainfed farming tracts, communities can improve farm productivity and sustainability. (checked on 23 Apr. 2016)
  158. Shifting cultivation, livelihood and food security – New and old challenges for indigenous peoples in Asia (Publisher: FAO) – The document identifies external – macro-economic, political, legal, policy – and internal – demographic, social, cultural – factors that hinder and facilitate achieving and sustaining livelihood and food security among shifting cultivation communities, based on case studies conducted in India and neighbouring countries. Good practices in adaptive changes with respect to livelihood and food security, land tenure and natural resource management are also documented. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  159. Between city and country: domestic workers building food sovereignty: In Bolivia, increasingly well-organised unions of domestic workers, many of whom, migrating from rural areas to work in the city, maintain both rural and urban identities. They are both empowering their members and educating urban consumers about indigenous foods, healthy diets, agroecology, and the importance of supporting the small farm economy. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  160. Agroecology: Putting Food Sovereignty into Action: The report tries to make a case for increased support of agroecology by featuring the voices of community activists and champions of food justice in both developed and developing nations. The leaders describe the social, political, cultural, nutritional, and spiritual meanings of agroecology from their own perspectives and experiences. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  161. Threatened landscapes unite rural and urban communities: One of Japan’s most valued cultural landscapes includes rice terraces. In order to prevent them from abandonment, an innovative concept known as the Ownership System, was devised, which has today become a national movement based on the cooperation between rural and urban communities who combine food production with landscape conservation, cultural activities and environmental education. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  162. A letter (in Hindi) to the Prime Minister by Shri. Vijayji Jardhari, one of the farmers who lead the Beej Bachao Andolan (Save the Seed Movement) of Uttarakhand. See the same letter – typed version. उत्तराखंड के बीज बचाओ आंदोलन के किसान नेता श्री विजयजी जरधारीने देश के महामंत्री महोदय को लिखा हुआ खत. यही पत्र – टाइप किया हुआ. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  163. A post on the open letter to the Prime Minister by Shri. Vijayji Jardhari (above) by Shiba Desor. (checked on 24 Sep. 2015)
  164. Delhi Declaration on Rivers-Let Our Rivers Live: In the last week of November (24 to 27 November 14) the India River Week (IRW) was organised at Delhi. It was organised by SNDRP, INTACH, Toxics Link, WWF, and Peace Institute. One of the important outcomes of the IRW was the adoption of the Delhi Declaration on rivers titled “Let Our Rivers Live”. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  165. 15 years on, Meghal flows again: By building check-dams, a group of villagers revived River Meghal in Junagadh district. It overflowed after the very first spell of rain this year. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  166. Seeding the Future: The use of modern seeds stands to erode the genetic diversity of local seed varieties in Nepal. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  167. Attending an urban food swap (at a transition town in Australia) by Shiba Desor (part of the Vikalp Sangam team). (checked on 28 Aug. 2015)
  168. The Absent Agriculturist in International Affairs: by A R Vasavi. Recognizing that agriculturists are also repositories of knowledge across the world will prepare us to face the complexities of global warming, climate change, the search for sustainable livelihoods and lives, and the strengthening of genuine grassroots based democracies. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  169. The work of the ants: Labour and community reinventing public water in Colombia. Water services in Colombia’s rural and peri-urban areas have traditionally been delivered by a rich variety of autonomous community-owned aqueducts. This action-research project documents the struggles of one such community to preserve and reinforce its aqueduct as an alternative to both private and ‘state’ modes of service delivery. (checked on 3 May 2018)
  170. Natural Farming succeeds in Indian village: Pratap C Aggarwal is well-known in organic farming circles in India despite keeping a low profile. His role in bringing Masanobu Fukuoka’s “One Straw Revolution” to India is well-known. Pratap worked at the Friends Rural Centre in Rasulia, Madhya Pradesh where he engineered a switch to organic farming. In this article he talks about the reasons he switched over and the results of his work. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  171. The Sustainability and Impact of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Interventions in IndiaBetween 2003 and 2007, Water.org and Gramalaya initiated community-level hygiene education courses and water and sanitation infrastructure development programs in 12 rural villages in Tamil Nadu. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  172. The Magic of Lapodiya’s Chowka by Shree Padre on the Chowka method of water conservation revived in arid Rajasthan. (checked on 2 May 2016)
  173. A brief photo update on activities carried out under the crowd-funded Ice Stupa Project in Ladakh till the end of 2015(Read a story on the same – Ice Stupa : Artificial Glaciers of Ladakh) (checked on 2 Mar. 2016)
  174. Subaltern strategies and autonomous community building: a critical analysis of the network organization of sustainable agriculture initiatives in Andhra Pradesh: In this paper the author Ashok Kumbamu examines and analyses the organization and functioning of grassroot associations of the poor and their strategies in building autonomous local communities that challenge the consequences of neoliberal globalization in general and the commodification of agriculture and food in particular. The author uses the organizational strategies and activities of the Deccan Development Society as an illustrative case study. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  175. A detailed report on the benefits and drawbacks of decentralised water harvesting programme that Tarun Bharat Sangh has carried out in Rajasthan, as part of an evaluation by SIDA, which partly funded the programme. Read the full report Project on Reviving and Constructing Small Water Harvesting Systems in Rajasthan. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  176. Profitable Farming and Prosperous Farmers is a report on an expert brainstorming session on the threats to farming, and ecologically sustainable, equitable ways out of this crisis, held on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Gene Campaign. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  177. The Pellipadugu Declaration, collectively visioned by the adivasi, dalit, shepherd, peasant, scientist and student communities who gathered between 28 and 30 Dec 2013 at the Food Sovereignty Summit held in the Adivasi Territories of East Godavari district, AP, asserts that food security can only be met through Food Sovereignty and places before the State a series of demands. It also condemns the recent attempts to take away their right to define their food systems. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  178. Forest Foods and Ecology Declaration by adivasi and other people gathered at the “Forest Foods & Ecology” Festival, held from December 12 to 14, 2014 in New Delhi, appeals for empathy and wise governance in forest areas. It calls for a holistic approach that respects all cultures and sustainable lifestyles, and safeguards the country’s rich ecological and cultural heritage. It commits to keep alive the rich heritage resources and traditions and appeals for public support through endoresement. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  179. A Report on the Forest Foods and Ecology Festival held in New Delhi – December 12 to 14, 2014. 1200 varieties of uncultivated forest foods were displayed at the Festival which was jointly organized by Living Farms, Kalpavriksh, SADED, Vividhara, Gandhi Peace Foundation and others. About 375 people participated, including representatives of 23 forest dependent communities from 13 states. (checked on 14 Aug. 2015)
  180. A study on Alternative Public Distribution System: A Novel Initiative of Deccan Development Society by Ch. Srinivas & S. Abdul Thaha (Study commissioned by DDS) (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  181. Organic Food is Nutritionally Far Superior to Non-Organic Produce: This note offers a ground-breaking meta-analysis of 343 studies led by Newcastle University, U.K., which has found that organic food delivers significantly more benefits compared to non-organic food. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  182. Systems Approach to Agriculture by Tamasin Ramsay describes the work of the Rural Wing of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University (BKWSU). With the majority of its members living in agricultural villages, they have integrated the practice of introducing systematic thought-based meditation at all stages of the crop cycle, with methods of traditional organic farming. This is proving to be very beneficial. Meditation is practiced on raw seeds, then at the subsequent  stages of sowing, watering and harvesting of crops. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  183. Forests as Food Producing Habitats: An Exploratory Study of Uncultivated Foods and Food and Nutrition Security of Adivasis in Odisha, commissioned by Living Farms, Odisha, is based on work done in the districts of Rayagada and Sundargarh. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  184. The Farms of the Future by Isabel Marlens discusses the future of cultivation. The author explains why changing the way we grow and eat food is one of the most powerful tools we have for changing our economies and society as a whole for human health and happiness. (checked on 22 Jun. 2019)
  185. NGOs’ role in livestock improvement – A case of ANTHRA by Nitya Ghotge and Sagari Ramdas focuses on the development of livelihoods of marginalised communities including pastoralists, dalits and tribal groups. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  186. At the Telangana Food Sovereignty Summit – 2015 (February 22-24, 2015) organised by the Food Sovereignty Alliance, the Matthadiguda Declaration for Food Sovereignty (includes text in Telugu) was adopted. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  187. Gardens of Growth is an annotated “list” of all the produce and value added products that Vanastree members and local craftspersons have grown or created from 2003 to 2015. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  188. Start your own kitchen garden – S. Alageswari has made it her mission to spread awareness on ‘organic’ lifestyles. (checked on 26 Aug. 2015)
  189. Small space, lush garden – The new mode of kitchen gardening is gaining momentum in Bengaluru and other cities, thanks to an increased awareness about safe food and the necessity of developing a healthy lifestyle. (Checked on 26 Aug. 2015)
  190. Community supported agriculture thriving in China, by Judith Hitchman: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is one of the best examples of a successful, alternative food distribution system, providing real income to producers and affordable healthy food for consumers. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  191. Producers and consumers build new food practices: Initiatives based on ‘short chains’ between farmers and consumers are slowly but surely gaining ground in the Netherlands, a country with a strongly industrialised food system. Looking for ecological, healthy, and fresh food, urban consumers are now creating innovative channels that support local and organic food producers. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  192. Nuances of nutrition by Lisa Antao. A pioneer of organic foods in the city, Kavita Mukhi talks about her journey, nutrition and why we need to go organic.
  193. Marathi title ‘Anna he Apurnabrahma‘ by Shahu Patole covers the cuisine of backward castes of Maharashtra state. His article ‘Majhyaa Khaadyasanskruticha Shodh‘, on this book was published by Lokmat. शाहू पाटोळे यांचे ‘अन्न हे पूर्णब्रह्म‘ म्हणजे महाराष्ट्रातील उपेक्षितांच्या खाद्यसंस्कृतीचा धांडोळा. या पुस्तकाविषयी ‘लोकमत’मध्ये प्रकाशित झालेला पुस्तक लेखकाचाच लेख: ‘माझ्या खाद्यसंस्कृतीचा शोध‘. (checked on 26 Aug. 2015)
  194. An info-graphic detailing the Participatory Ground Water Management (PGWM) process and booklet on the impact stories from each of the PGWM core resource centres (under the PGWM programme run by Arghyam). (checked on 2 Sep. 2015)
  195. The Untold Success Story: Agroecology in Africa Addresses Climate Change, Hunger and Povertyabout 33 case studies across Africa that provide irrefutable facts and figures on how agricultural transformation – respectful of the farmers and the environment – can yield immense economic, social and food security benefits while ensuring climae justice and restoring soils fand the environment. (checked on 20 Nov. 2015)
  196. A formal Declaration to Recognise, Empower and Support women farmers was made at a National Convention of Women Farmers held in Bapatla, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, by women farmers from 18 states of India. (checked on 23 Mar. 2016)
  197. An Evening with Millets and Markets: Some experiences is and output of a public event organised as part of the training program on millets for the partners of ‘Comprehensive Revival of Millets‘ initiated by the Department of Agriculture, Andhra Pradesh. (checked on 30 May 2016)
  198. Return to the roots – As erstwhile Andhra Pradesh faced its worst agrarian crisis, a group of farmers began to explore non-chemical and organic farming, returning to natural ingredients and practices. The result was better yield, safer farming methods, and a means of escape from debt. (checked on 30 May 2016)
  199. Made it – Enabavi village farmers are teaching and learning ways of increasing productivity without applying synthetic chemicals. Agriculture is a happy story in Enabavi. (checked on 30 May 2016)
  200. European Water Movement statement from FAMA in Brasilia (checked on 29 Mar. 2018)
  201. A heart warming story of local alternative, feeding school kids in a run down British industrial town – The school that shows good food is not just for posh kids – by Aditya Chakrabortty. (checked on 9 May 2018)
  202. Permaculture Garden Produces 7000 Pounds of Organic Food Per Year on a Tenth of an Acre – About a family has converted the remaining tenth of an acre into a tiny food forest that produces 7000 pounds of food per year with no synthetic fertilizers. (checked on 9 Oct. 2018)
  203. The Farming Systems Trial: Celebrating 30 years published by Rodale Institute explains why Organic farming is far superior to conventional systems when it comes to building, maintaining and replenishing the health of the soil. For soil health alone, organic agriculture is more sustainable than conventional. When one also considers yields, economic viability, energy usage, and human health, it’s clear that organic farming is sustainable, while current conventional practices are not. (checked on 13 Dec. 2018)

Newsletters

  1. Family Farming Knowledge Platform Newsletter brought out by Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.
  2. Subscribe to the newsletter from Gaia Foundation. You can choose to get News and updates and / or Earth Jurisprudence Newsletter. (checked on 7 Dec. 2020) The Gaia Foundation envisages a new era in which humans are living in a respectful, just and mutually enhancing relationship with the Earth, with all her life forms and with each other.
  3. LEISA (Low External Input and Sustainable Agriculture) is about the technical and social options open to farmers who seek to improve productivity and income in an ecologically sound way, using local resources and natural processes optimally, and, if necessary, use externl inputs in a safe and efficient manner. It is published quarterly. (pdf available, can also be read on-line) Special issue on Water as a Lifeline for Livelihoods (checked on 26 Dec. 2015) Dec. 2017 issue on Millet Farming Systems (checked on 29 Dec. 2017) Agroecological Value Chains Mar. 2018 issue (checked on 19 Apr. 2018) Small holder farm enterprises – Sep. 2018 issue of the magazine. (checked on 3 Oct. 2018) Agroecology – The future of farming – Sept. 2019 issue. (checked on 6 Dec. 2019)   Nurture plants – Save the planet – December 2019 – Issue (checked on 6 Jan. 2020) Mar. 2020 issue – Celebrating 20 years of knowledge exchange on Agroecology (checked on 15 Jun. 2020)
  4. The EPW special issue on Water Governance (published in Dec. 2016) brings together a set of responses to the report of the Committee on Restructuring CWC and CGWB, chaired by Mihir Shah. (checked on 30 Dec. 2016)
  5. Eternal Bhoomi features positive initiatives and stories of activists, philosophers, farmers, teachers, artists and others about living with conciousness of being earth citizens, also great perspectives and articles by renowned writers and thinkers from around the world. (checked on 29 Feb. 2016)
  6. Special Issue on Agroecology Transformations: Connecting the dots to enable agroecology transformations – includes six articles sharing new insights into the process and kinds of transformations needed to enable agroecology as a model for a more just and sustainable food system. (checked on 28 Feb. 2020)
  7. The Milleteer volume 1 issue 1 and issue 2 – bi-monthly newsletter of the Millet Network of India, which has about 120 members across the length and breadth of the country. It is currently involved in a range of interventions in about 8 states including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland. Jan. 2016 issue. (checked on 20 Jan. 2016)
  8. The Genetic Resource, Ecology, Energy and Nutrition (GREEN) Foundation publishes bi-annual reports, and quarterly newsletters in English and Kannada depicting on-going activities and programmes. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  9. Farmers’ Forum magazine published by Bharat Krishak Samaj (BKS) one of India’s leading non-partisan farmer’s organisations.
  10. Permaculture Magazine offers practical solutions for self-reliance. (checked on 25 Jun. 2015)
  11. Deccan Development Society newsletter June 2018.

Story Tags:

Loading...