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 

Agriculture

Will contract farming law relieve agrarian distress?

Although the proposed law promises to alleviate the suffering of India’s farmers, it needs a research-backed approach 

Agriculture

It's time we shift farmers' economic burden

Assured net income, including assured minimum support price for crops, can put an end to farmer suicide cases in India

Agriculture

In poll-bound MP, Rajasthan, the cow finds space in manifestos, not cowsheds

Farmers are leaving their cattle and cowsheds are in a pitiable condition but they hardly figure in political parties' poll promises

Agriculture

The zero budget farming discord

There is unease over the crusader of natural farming, Subhash Palekar, for renaming the technique after himself

Agriculture

Green and golden Srikakulam

Several efforts are being made to turn Andhra Pradesh’s remote, coastal district green and empower tribals in the process

Agriculture

World Food Day: Preserving food diversity vital to achieve zero hunger by 2030

Increasing production of staple crops such as wheat, rice and maize cannot meet the rising food demand. That is why we need to fall back on traditional foods

Agriculture

Farmers and smartphone politics

Can pre-poll sops like giving smart phones with internet connectivity to farmers increase farm income?

Agriculture

India needs a comprehensive approach to prevent pesticide related suicides

Most persons who engage in suicidal behaviour don't want to die but the government lacks proper data on the incidence of pesticide poisoning to make informed policy decisions 

Agriculture

Farmer producer organisations need their very own Amul

Instead of encouraging them on paper, the government has to create a few model FPOs in the country and provide institutional support to them

Agriculture

Will Paul Ehrlich's prediction finally come true?

The Green Revolution may have prevented the fate that was forecasted for a world bursting at the seams and unable to feed itself. But unlimited population growth means that doomsday could be well within sight