In the districts comprising the Buddhist circuit in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, a model farm can be established by integrating the indigenous knowledge of the local communities with the principles of Buddhism
Buddhist principles reveal a divine connection with organic agriculture and further promote environmental conservation and protection. Representative photo: iStock.
Modern times demand sustainability, and every nation’s quest towards achieving it has been extensive. India has made decent progress in various domains, such as climate change and innovation while aiming to fulfil its global commitments.
However, India’s recent ranking on the Environmental Performance Index is surprising, as it is the lowest among all neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Agriculture is one of the major governing domains contributing to environmental welfare, and India has implemented a policy framework to strengthen it towards sustainability. This framework emphasises organic clusters and natural farming.
India has the world’s largest share of organic production, accounting for approximately 43 per cent of the total area. With policy paradigms such as the Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Padhati and the Namami Gange project, India has witnessed significant growth and is now home to around 1.3 million certified organic producers.
Also read: Natural option: Organic, natural farming not only profitable & sustainable but also productive
Indian organic ecosystem is expected to achieve a compound annual growth rate of about 20.5 per cent in the coming five years, according to agri data provider FiBL Statistics’ report for 2023.
However, the challenges of higher certification costs, limited exports and counter-dumping measures by developed countries have created stress for growers and the industry.
Various producers in developed countries like the United States choose not to seek third-party certification. Instead, they follow organic cultivation practices and market their produce as conventional.
The Indian government has also launched the Participatory Guarantee Systems, which focus mainly on quality assurance among active stakeholders and aim to address the challenges associated with third-party certification.
Now, imagine you are visiting a farm as a consumer and observing safe production practices. Would you rely solely on your experience or the certification tag of a third party? It’s a dilemma that many consumers face in the marketplace today.
However, despite this, the retention of organic certification among farmers is believed to be a serious issue and a riddle to solve, especially for the less educated and millions of farmers in countries like India.
The past experiences with certifications such as Global Good Agricultural Practices (G-GAP) and India Good Agricultural Practices (INDGAP) have only served to further highlight this issue.
Persistence and retention towards certification cannot be sufficed by mere training and capacity building through traditional methods. Innovative models need to be figured out. One such model could be the inculcation of spiritual philosophy with the socio-economic imaginary of farmers, leading to a shift towards a more meaningful life with mindfulness.
This can help establish a sense of connection with farming practices and with nature itself. It may sound philosophical, but recent evidence from a study based in Thailand shows that farmers have embraced Buddhist teachings on mindfulness, oneself, and the right livelihood to follow organic cultivation practices and establish a connection with the natural world.
There are also scenarios around the globe where monks have practised organic cultivation for self-consumption as well as for demonstration purposes. Buddhist principles reveal a divine connection with organic agriculture and promote environmental conservation and protection.
Also read: How 4 school girls are trying to get Andhra farmers to practise natural farming
Absorbing these learnings and leading the producers towards sustainable practices can be a game changer for a country like India, not just to improve the ranking but also to conserve the heritage and soft power for future generations.
Such sustainable culture in local food and cultivation practices can further contribute to the global production systems while interconnecting national and international regulatory frameworks with cognitive space.
Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Bihar comprise the popular Buddhist circuit, which is a global market of around 450 million visitors. This circuit includes seven significant districts: Kushinagar, Shravasti, Sarnath and Kausambi in UP, and Bodhgaya, Nalanda and Vaishali in Bihar.
In the districts comprising the Buddhist circuit in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, a model farm can be established by integrating the indigenous knowledge of the local communities with the principles of Buddhism.
Agriculture has always been an integral part of Buddhist culture. These principles have been implemented in several countries worldwide to promote sustainable and eco-friendly farming practices.
Furthermore, all these destinations have Krishi Vigyan Kendras, which can provide valuable scientific advisory services in addition to philosophical and indigenous practices.
The government’s One District One Product scheme may be aimed at creating model farms in the area, integrating local communities’ indigenous knowledge with Buddhist principles to achieve sustainability goals.
Buddhist principles have been relevant to agriculture since ancient times, and in certain countries, these principles have been put into practice. Model farms located strategically in these areas can lead to replication in distant places through a ripple effect.
Further sensitisation can be achieved through a multi-stakeholder approach involving Buddhist monks, non-profits, fellow farmers, local administration and others. Some non-profits that strongly advocate for organic farming with Buddhist principles include Association for Conservation and Tourism and Nature’s Beckon. These organisations have played a significant role in the organic transformation of Sikkim and other northeastern regions.
The modern-day consumers’ consciousness towards food hygiene is well-known, and the concept of food philosophy has recently been popularised to encourage individual consciousness towards ethical consumption.
Once established, these model farms and the final produce will find high demand in lucrative markets, leading to economic stability for local communities. These model farms can be connected through collectives, where producers can have their own stake as an organisation, and social entrepreneurs can be involved to ensure market linkages and brand building, ensuring the viability of such initiatives in the long run.
Additionally, the exchange of ideas and practices across various communities and territories would be quite interesting. The UP government has already identified agri and rural tourism model villages, while the Bihar government is focusing on the organic corridor project.
With such schemes, this proposed model can be wisely connected. This reimagining of food practices can be easily demonstrated to the millions of visitors who tour such circuits. Through local measures, these learnings can be taken to a global scale where the global production systems can find harmony. Such measures will help accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals.
Mohit Sharma is an assistant professor at Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar.
Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth
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