Farmers don’t commit suicide, they make sacrifice

In India, 34 farmers commit suicide every day; but the question is what drives them to do it?

How peasants are an indelible part of Sikh theology, history and tradition

The latest protests against the new farm laws only validate the importance of the peasant in Sikh religion and society

Punctured cover: India's crop insurance scheme loses sheen

Insurers withdraw from Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana as extreme weather events spike claim rates resulting in heavy losses

Lessons from semi-arid regions on how to adapt to climate change

Building on local experience and having access to current and expected climate trends is crucial to adapting to climate change for …

Being an Indian farmer…

Five things you need to know about an Indian farmer’s life and why they are on the streets this Republic Day 

Internal migration in India: Why, Where, How much

Millions leave there homes in India, especially its villages, in search of livelihood and flock towards cities relatively more affluent

Look back at the decade: Agrarian distress

A series to highlight crucial points in the second decade of the new millenium: We flag off with how near-zero income for farmers …

Environmental charter for the new government

Sustainable development, pollution, employment generation and agrarian crisis did not play major roles in deciding the outcome of the 2019 …

Elections 2019: Every fourth voter a distressed farmer

Though the farmers were not an issue in the general elections they now hold the fort for the world’s fastest growing economy despite being …

State election results grim reminder to how deep India’s rural crisis is

The Down To Earth’s coverage in the recent past has highlighted how the agrarian crisis led to what happened to BJP in Assembly polls

Does 2017 Tamil Nadu budget address water crisis, agrarian distress?

While government allocates fund for conservation of water bodies, farmers say their concerns not allayed

North India faces an acute fodder shortage, courtesy wheat crisis, climate change

Wheat straw is being sold at Rs 1,100-1,700 per quintal; it was being sold at Rs 400-600 per quintal last year

Blazing India: Labourers, farmers struggle most to live, earn

A new set of victims are people in hilly regions areas who are not prepared for such high temperatures

'Indian elections will always be unpredictable'

For 25 years, economist Ruchir Sharma has travelled the length and breadth of India analysing voting paterns, sociological landscapes and nuances …

What to expect before Modi’s 'maha' deal for farmers

With just four months left for general elections, the Centre's package for farmers, even if cleared, will be partially implemented and left for …

Point of no agri-returns Part 1: How India lost its historic agriculture recovery growth phase in just four years

Government reports say 2004-14 had the highest agriculture growth that has fast slipped back to near-zero growth despite normal monsoons and …

Odisha’s deadly farmlands: Another farmer commits suicides due to crop loss

Between 2001 and 2010, over 2,600 farmers committed suicide in Odisha and this year, drought has already broken their economic backbone

Bihar agrarian crisis : Why crores in diesel subsidies may not be the answer

Funds allocated in July for diesel subsidy haven't reached many farmers yet; irrigation projects needed, say locals

Farm income can go up by Rs 1,939 crore on one condition

India can achieve this if it replaces 1 per cent of the area under food grains with horticulture

One year after Mandsaur, farmers remain a disenfranchised lot; demands not heard

Besides loan waiver and MSP+50 per cent as remuneration, the farmers are now demanding fixed income

Farm distress: Crisis at large

High input cost, flawed MSP calculation and non-inclusive crop insurance scheme are problems perpetuating farm distress

Point of no agri-returns Part 5: 50,000 dedicated scientists, still, agriculture is an orphan of science

Technologies developed for agricultural purposes are mostly limited to farms around research institutions, says a government report

'560 farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra after hailstorms'

State minister says relief will be provided to even those farmers who have not taken loans though their applications were rejected

Republic’s task cut out: Back India’s farmers, don’t go after them

The focus needs to be steadfast on India’s agrarian crisis and problems faced by farmers, not on what happened or didn’t on …

World Soil Day: Tackle soil pollution and do away with food insecurity, says FAO

The UN agency says that addressing this issue will also help bring down soil degradation, stem rural migration and adapt to climate change