A compilation of Ecologically Sensible Good Practices
Imprints of Ecological Footprints ‌. A compilation of Ecologically Sensible Good Practices Aug 2016 Authors: MV Rama Chandrudu Beneta Mahanta Waseem Mohammad Anitha Reddy V MB Vali Saab Editors: K Suresh MV Rama Chandrudu Visuals:Cheriyal Nakashi Artists Family - Shri D Vaikuntam and his family members Mrs. D Vanaja (wife); D Vinay and D Rakesh (sons). Design and Layout : Ankush Copy Left : These case studies could be used for non-commercial use, with proper acknowledgement. Supported by : Indian Foundation for Humanistic Development, Bengaluru Produced by : WASSAN (Watershed Support Services and Activities Network) Produced for Leaders For Nature Program. This program is collectively organized by CII; Hivos; IUCN; Wild Life Trust of India. IFHD is anchoring the Leaders for Nature Program. Published by: IFHD, Bengaluru
Acknowledgements I am very happy to present "Imprints of Ecological Footprints ‌. A compilation of Ecologically Sensible Good Practices". I take this opportunity to thank all organizations and individuals who contributed to the process of documenting these good practices. They were kind to frankly share with us their experiences, thoughts, challenges and achievements. They also shared relevant data to substantiate any critical point from their experiences. Some of them even prepared the first drafts of these case studies. They also revised them, based on our feedback. All the organizations/ individuals happily gave consent for publishing these case studies and using them for learning purposes under "Leaders for Nature" program of IFHD, IUCN, CII, Hivos and Wild Life Trust of India. The entire process of producing this compilation was an enriching and fruitful experience. It is also a humbling experience for us to learn several lessons from these interactions and visits to several villages/ sites. We genuinely believe that this compilation truly enriches the learning processes of "Leaders for Nature" program. The Writeshop was one of the important events of this process. We got guidance and feedback on the '0' drafts from the participants of the writeshop. This was useful in refining the initial drafts. The participants of writeshop also made important suggestions on the presentation and utility of these case studies. From their busy schedules, they spared few days for refining these case studies, which is a very kind gesture. I thank everyone who participated in the writeshop. Their inputs are invaluable. I thank Ms. Aruna Rangachar Pohl, IFHD for having faith in WASSAN and entrusting us the responsibility of compiling these case studies. She is an active team member at all critical stages of the project and guided us on choice of case studies, structure/ framework, presentation, etc. The partnership with IFHD is really cherished by all of us, at WASSAN.
I also thank the family of artists of Cheriyal - Shri D Vaikuntam, Mrs D Vanaja, Mr D Vinay and D Rakesh, who visualized these experiences in their own unique style. My team -MB Vali, Anitha Vustela, Waseem Mohammad, Benita Mahanta, Radhashree who spent considerable time on this agenda. I also thank K Suresh for providing editorial inputs and support at various stages of this process. MV Rama Chandrudu WASSAN Aug 2016
Foreword It is almost three decades back, the threats to "Our Common Future" were formally identified and deliberations started gaining more steam and support from governments too‌ (Our Common Future,Gro Harlem Brundtland, 1987). Climate Change and its implications were also slowly getting recognized during this period. The need for "producing more with less" was also part of this thinking process, as a means to address the challenges of the future. Over a period of time, the world witnessed more economic distress, unemployment, political turmoil and ecological disasters across different countries and regions of world. Those early predictions seemed to be less threatening than the current reality. The global gloom got predictable companions - unscrupulous industrial growth, irresponsible urbanization, careless global politics, dishonest governments, self-centric citizenship, which tried to glorify the current trends as achievements and inevitable solutions. In the middle of such despair and misery, there is a hope. "Imprints of Ecological Footprints - A Compilation of Ecologically Sensible Good Practices" is a compendium of good practices that brings the efforts made by relentless civil society organizations, citizens and community based organizations, to change the direction of this trend. These experiences bring cheer and hope in the lives of thousands of rural, tribal and urban citizens in India, who are part of these experiences. They were able to take a different path that is less travelled and troublesome. There were several challenges, at each step and milestone. But they continued their journey and proved that "producing more with less" is possible. They also ensured that the ecological and environmentally sustainable processes are feasible for improving economic standards and quality of life of poor communities. These case studies give a hope and confidence that we can face the cruel world and transform the same into a comfortable place for all - including endangered species, poor and marginalized communities. While Corporate Social Responsibility is gaining more support
from governments, corporate agencies and development agencies, these experiences provide guidance and help them to think about alternatives. These experiences help the willing and discerning development agencies and investors in social change, to transcend the mundane "photo stories" of majority of current CSR interventions. They provide an array of options, strategies and ideas that proved themselves in different parts of the country. I thank all the organizations and agencies who shared their stories - highs and lows of it, with us frankly and completely. I thank them for providing leadership on the chosen theme - promoting biodiversity; conservation and governance of natural resources; promoting ecologically sensitive production processes; enhancing livelihoods by developing environmentally harmonious economic models and several others. These experiences are invaluable and are certainly useful for provoking thoughts in the minds of participants of "Leaders for Nature" programs, which are jointly organized by IFHD, IUCN, CII, Wild Life Trust of India, HIVOS and other like-minded organizations. I thank WASSAN for producing this compilation of case studies and supporting us in this endeavor.
Aruna Rangachar Pohl IFHD, Bengaluru Aug 2016
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17 Diversity is the Key - SURE to be Successful…
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….We need to learn several new lessons…. in a way old methods have to be re-introduced… we realized that this is our life and also our livelihoods…we changed our agricultural practices these days…. We are more careful about our soils. We also diversified our crops. There are better incomes now… we are learning several new lessons .... " Mohan Lal, shared his thoughts on agriculture and livelihoods of farmers in his village. He was also reflecting on his role as a leader of the new institution called Ambedkar Kisan Club, Adhremkatala village, Barmer district, Rajasthan, India. Barmer district has 270 mm average annual rainfall. Barmer is amongst the districts with lowest rainfall in India. Dr Pradeep Pagaria, SURE indicates that this annual rainfall is actually increasing over a period of time. Data bases of SURE and government meteorological department indicate an increase in the annual rainfall to 300 mm, which should be reasons for celebrations… but there is a catch. While there is an increase Diversity is the Key
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in the annual rainfall, the number of rainy days per year has reduced from 20 to 10, in this desert district. This means that there is more rain in short span of time, causing more soil erosion and flash floods‌ more water is lost as run off, which is not useful for agriculture. The implications of climate change are confusing‌ while there is more water in the form of increased annual rainfall, farmers actually face more difficulties and water shortages. Climate change and its implications are staring in the eyes of small farmers like Mohan Lal. How to cope up with this? How to make ends meet, with vicissitudes of climate? How to ensure food and income security? These are the questions that linger in the minds of farmers in drought prone areas like Barmer. Development agencies like SURE, working in Barmer district since 1990, are also engrossed with similar questions. Did they find any solutions? About 1840 farming families from 55 villages of Chohtan block, Barmer district, Rajasthan are rediscovering old solutions for the new problem. SURE, a development agency in this district and the associated Krishi Vignan Kendra of this organizations are finding out tailor made solutions to the problems of these farmers. These solutions include revival of traditional practices and also bringing in new ones, at the field level. It is heartening to understand how farmers like Mohan Lal, Navla Ram and Thakara Ram improved the resilience of farming system and improved their incomes. Diversity is the principle. Navla Ram stays in a joint family comprising of his parents, 7 brothers and 1 sister. Three brothers including him are involved in farming along Diversity is the Key
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with his father. Four brothers and sister are studying in schools. The family owns 10 hect land of which 6 hect is being cultivated. The balance land is used for grazing and kept fallow for regeneration. Crops grown are Bajra and Jowar during Kharif season and Isabgol, Jeera, Mustard and castor during Rabi season. The source of water is deep tube well which is owned by the family. The power supply is erratic and they learnt to live with it. Navla Ram participated in several training programs, meetings and exposure visits organized by SURE. He also became member of Farmers Club in the village. This association had deep impact on his thinking and farming practices. He decided to change the way he cultivated cumin (jeera) on his fields. He procured cumin seeds (GC4) from SURE-KVK at 50% subsidy. Previously he was using HYV seeds which could give only one crop and could not be reused. He also followed the package of practices suggested by SURE-KVK, which helped him to reduce the cost of inputs such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides significantly. Earlier he was able to harvest 415 Kg/ hect and now he got 515 Kg/ hect, with these improved practices (including seeds). As the yield was higher, he could earn higher income too, which motivated him to increase the acreage from 2.5 hect to 4 hect. The incomes from cumin increased by 10,000 Rs, compared to previous years. SURE-KVK facilitated an informal partnership between the cumin farmers and ITC. As per this informal agreement, ITC agreed to procure the entire cumin if the quality is of high standard. Navla Ram has been also chosen as one of the persons who are assisting ITC in quality control of the cumin. It is a continuous process and he has to guide farmers throughout the life-cycle of the cumin crop from field preparation to drying. 192
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The family of Navla Ram has also purchased livestock with the profit from cultivation of cumin. Livestock is also an important means of income. The dung is used as manure to the fields, which helped in improving soil fertility. Overall he was very satisfied with the package of practices and continues to follow them. There are 600 farmers like him, who adopted new package of practices and are earning good income. The motivational factors for the cumin farmers include - good quality seed (supplied by SURE-KVK); low external inputs based agronomical practices and market linkages with ITC. Since there was no local wholesale market, earlier farmers had to go to Unjha, 300 km away in Gujarat to sell cumin. For small farmers it was not financially feasible to transport their produce so far. The local markets are not developed and pay much lower price. Middlemen are another important hurdle in realizing the fair price. In this background, the procurement of cumin by ITC from a local collection centre provided a significant support and convenience to the farmers. As ITC clearly indicated the quality standards, which means "zero chemical pesticide" in cumin, farmers completely stopped use of chemical pesticides and switched over to alternative methods of pest management, with guidance from SURE. This not only helped in cost reduction, but also sustained the local ecology of the farms. Experience of Thakara Ram is also similar, but with a different and unusual crop - Shankhpushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis). Thakara Ram of Alamsar village is a small farmer. He is passionate about planting trees and greening rural landscapes. He practices rain-fed agriculture in his 2 bighas land which does not have any irrigation facilities. 194
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Thakara Ram has open mind and was willing to experiment with agriculture. His meeting with Dr Pradeep Pagaria during Kisan Goshti was a turning point for him. After participating in this meeting, Thakara Ram decided to make his agriculture little adventurous. He decided to cultivate shankhpushpi on his plot, under rain-fed conditions. He got necessary guidance from SURE-KVK on the agronomical practices related to these medicinal plants. He spared 2 bhigas land for these crops. He was also motivated by the fact that Dabur India Ltd has agreed to buy the seeds and straw from him. Dabur India Ltd also supplied seed/ plants through SURE-KVK, to these farmers like Thakara Ram. Many farmers are not aware of the importance of Shankhpushpi as a medicinal plant. They considered this just as a wild grass and useful only as a fodder. However, introduction of the agronomical practices by SURE-KVK and market linkages with Dabur India Ltd changed this perception. Thakara Ram was cultivating Shankhpushpi for last two years (2013-14; 2014-15) and produced 18 kg of seed in first year and 25 kg of seed in second year. He sold these seeds at 1600 Rs/ kg to Dabur India Ltd. Based on this good experience and income, he intends to increase the acreage under Shankhpushpi. He also earned good amount of money from selling straw to Dabur India Ltd. With all these efforts, the status of Shankhpushpi suddenly grew from a weed to a medicinal plants that gives good income to farmers. As this medicinal plant could grow in drought prone areas and under rain-fed conditions, there is a large scope of producing this medicinal plant in the district. About 255 farmers are currently cultivating Shankhpushpi with the support of SURE-KVK. Some farmers are also cultivating this medicinal plant as an intercrop with castor. For promoting diversity in agriculture and robust climate resilient 196
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farming systems, SURE-KVK promoted Life Cycle Method of cultivation. The approach of this method is to carefully study the life cycle of each crop and analyse the requirements of crops at each stage - from preparation of land to harvesting and marketing. Based on the critical needs of each stage, necessary technical and institutional solutions are provided. As an illustration, when the high yielding variety of cumin was not very effective, SURE-KVK promoted another variety of seed that is much better than high yielding variety. This was a traditional variety that could be used multiple times, unlike high yielding variety. Various solutions are promoted to improve water management, pest management, soil fertility improvement, processing/ marketing and learning processes, etc. As part of this approach, multiple crops and intercrops are promoted, which provide resilience to rainfed farms. Farmers became more aware of the cropping systems and relevance of new crops in the farming systems approach. As a result of sustained efforts since 2011 and bringing in new approaches into farming systems, 1840 farming families are now able to establish robust farming systems at the plot level. They could diversify the crops, establish seed banks; improve soil fertility by applying farm yard manures/ vermi composts; enhance incomes by cultivating medicinal plants/ spices; establish kitchen gardens; improve animal husbandry practices and livestock profiles; establish farmers institutions for collective learning and establish direct linkages with markets for better price realization. Introduction of medicinal plants into farming systems (including linkages with corporate agencies) triggered new enthusiasm among farmers as they started getting higher incomes from the same plot, with 198
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little extra effort. They also focused on food crops for household level consumption, ensuring self reliance of food. They also learned to work together and solve problems collectively. They are able to create their own favorable climate as a protective shield from the implications of the vagaries of climate change.
MV Rama Chandrudu, WASSAN Based on Interactions with Dr Pradeep Pagaria and team SUREKVK, Barmer; Field visits to selected villages; Literature from SURE-KVK.
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About Cheriyal Paintings Shri D Vaikuntam and his family members Mrs. D Vanaja (wife); D Vinay and D Rakesh (sons) are keeping the tradition of Cheriyal Paintings of Telangana state, for generations. All members of the family are engaged in protecting and conserving this rare art form, that is not likely to survive for long. This is the only family in the country that is still engaged in this traditional art form. The Cheriyal Art has a unique character - red color background; vivid presentation of figures (men, women, animals, flowers, plants and others) with unique strokes and style. This art form belongs to "nakashi" form of paintings in India. But Cheriyal paintings contextualized this nakashi format to local Telangana and improvised it, with their unique styles. Apart from paintings and scrolls, Cheriyal Masks are also very attractive and unique with their bright colors and large eyes. D Vaikuntam received several awards from Central/ State governments, for his unique contribution to Cheriyal Art. D Vaikuntam and his family members agreed to present the key messages of these case studies. They spent time with us to understand the essence of each case study and presented it in their own style. These pictures further enriched the experiences, which are already exemplary in several ways. WASSAN thanks the family of artists of Cheriyal for their support in visualising these case studies. Pictures of some of the paintings/ scrolls and masks could be seen on this blog: http://vaikuntamnakash.blogspot.in/
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"…..In the middle of such despair and misery, there is a hope. "Imprints of Ecological Footprints - A Compilation of Ecologically Sensible Good Practices" is a compendium of good practices that brings the efforts made by relentless civil society organizations, citizens and community based organizations, to change the direction of the trend. These experiences brought cheer and hope in the lives of thousands of rural, tribal and urban citizens in India, who are part of these experiences. They took a different path that is less travelled and troublesome. There were several challenges, at each step and milestone. But they continued their journey and proved that "producing more with less" is possible. They also ensured that the ecological and environmentally sustainable processes are feasible for improving economic standards and quality of life of poor communities…"Aruna Rangachar Pohl, IFHD, Bangaluru. "……these experiences are invaluable and are certainly useful for provoking thoughts in the minds of participants of "Leaders for Nature" programs, which is organized by IFHD, IUCN, CII, Wild Life Trust of India, HIVOS and other likeminded organizations.The entire process of producing this compilation was an enriching and fruitful experience. It is a humbling experience for us to learn lessons from the interactions and visits to their villages/ sites. We genuinely believe that this compilation truly enriches the learning processes of "Leaders for Nature" program" - MV Rama Chandrudu, WASSAN