Agriculture

Why farmers today need to take up precision farming

The century’s most valuable innovation in farm management is based on using Information and Communications Technologies

Agriculture

Decolonising the ‘idea of the farmer’ through the eyes of Munshi Premchand

A critical analysis of the Hindi author’s stories can help policymakers empathically tear into the cobweb that has the Indian farmer trapped at the intersection of poverty, migration, deprivation, and despair

Agriculture

Doha Model shows how to rein in water for irrigation

In spite of its challenges, digging of streams and creation of pond-like structures along their length can provide farmers with the much needed source of irrigation

Agriculture

India heads to an unprecedented rural economic crisis

Fifth consecutive drought for 1/3 districts, dipping rural wages, El Nino threatening monsoon have squeezed livelihood options for over 500 million Indians

Agriculture

Monsanto's troublesome trait

Bayer is battling seed companies and farmers in several countries over royalty on Monsanto's GM seeds

Agriculture

Does Centre’s move to hike MGNREGA wages hold any value?

While this news might excite millions of rural workers, in reality, the workers will only be handed disappointment and pain

Agriculture

Why linking MGNREGA payments to Aadhaar is a mistake

How did the government apply Section 7 of the Aadhaar Act to the payments of MGNREGA remuneration, which in no way seem to be in accordance with the guidelines of the Act

Agriculture

Is doubling India’s farmers’ income doable?

Science, technology and new knowledge can play crucial roles in supporting livelihoods for the vulnerable. Identifying right kind of tech support is crucial, especially in agriculture 

Agriculture

Himachal's fodder management initiative can help save lives of rural women

Many rural women in hilly states sustain injuries while collecting fodder; agro forestry initiative to help address this issue

Agriculture

The wise debate

As the world debates the effectiveness of industrialised agriculture, the good-old small farmer emerges victorious

Agriculture

The invisibility of gender in Indian agriculture

Why policy paralysis in granting entitlements to women in agriculture and farm widows needs to be addressed 

Agriculture

India's city compost policy needs overhauling

Promised financial incentives for sale of city compost did not prove to be a game-changer in promoting its marketing and production 

Agriculture

Jharkhand’s success story of fruit plantation under MGNREGA

The state’s experience in horticulture orchards can serve as a model for the country

Agriculture

Meghalaya farmer parliament: Will it help plug policy loopholes

In this well intentioned and executed parliament, both the government and the farmers appeared determined to make Meghalaya emerge as a role model for the rest of the country

Agriculture

Was there a victory for Monsanto in India's Supreme Court on a patent matter?

Media headlines, especially from business media houses and American media, continue to scream that Monsanto has had a “patent victory” in the Supreme Court of India 

Agriculture

Mushroom-growing Elm trees can empower Barot village communities

Small innovations often occur at the grassroot level, and these may hold clues for local and regional-level solutions

Agriculture

India’s cow crisis: A rebuttal to Sunita Narain

Down To Earth's Editor wrote how it is brutal to kill India’s ancient Uber economy: PETA India director offers a counter-point

Agriculture

'Thinking Glocal to solve India's paddy-straw burning crisis'

Since we live in an increasingly globalised world, we must make an attempt to seek global solutions to our local problem of paddy straw burning

Agriculture

Revolt of the rich and the poor

When a recent report says 26 people now own the same wealth as the world's poorest half and the IMF chief flags risks associated with India’s high fiscal deficit, here is a look at how 2018 was the year of revolt of the already-rich and the very poor

Agriculture

MGNREGA’s information system flawed, misguiding

The scheme's Management Information System destroys local accountability, promotes centralisation and administrative control and gives out wrong data

Agriculture

Promoting input-based enterprises to spread organic farming

Promotion around locally available options can be sustainable solution