South Asia
Neolithic Catalhoyuk in Turkiye’s Anatolia home to 8,600 year-old bread loaf
Bread loaf was fermented and made by mixing flour with water; wheat, barley & peas used in preparation
Is legal assurance of MSP for farmers viable? What are its implications?
A legal guarantee means that there will be legal provisions for farmers to get the MSP for all 23 crops when they sell them
Simply Put: No farmer, No food
Potassium in our soil is running low, threatening global food security – new study proposes a way out
A proposal for a resolution on potassium at a future United Nations environment assembly holds the key to intergovernmental action
Simply Put: Feeding the world
Farmers’ Protests 2.0: DTE reports from ground zero Shambhu border
DTE video journalists, Prabhat Kumar & Dhruval Parekh, at Shambhu border as Haryana Police fired tear gas on farmers crossing from Punjab
Indian farmers taxed $169 bn via export bans or restrictions in 2022: OECD report
India introduced export bans, duties or permits on several commodities in 2022 to stabilise domestic prices following the war in Ukraine and the …
Only the Gir indigenous cow breed is being promoted under Rashtriya Gokul Mission; here is why
Gir is a hardy, adaptable breed with high milk yield and calm disposition; experts however say genetically superior cows should be identified and …
In 2 years, 80% cashew producing units closed in Kollam
Huge operational costs and unfriendly government policies led to the closure of the units; it also left 0.35 million people jobless, mostly women&…
This Tamil Nadu farmer simplifies organic farming methods to encourage others to adopt the practice
Raising of overall farm income was the main motivation for Dharuman to adopt organic farming some 15 years ago
Kenya needs to grow more food: A focus on how to irrigate its vast dry areas is key
Only 19% of the area of Kenya officially assessed for irrigation has been developed
Collective response: Group farming helps small, landless farmers amid COVID-19 pandemic
Putting a new twist to an idea can provide a much-needed cushion to India’s bottom-of-the-pyramid farmers in trying times
New web-based platform to help with micro irrigation
Researchers have come up with a web-based application that helps design customised micro-irrigation systems for individual agricultural fields
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
India's Cow Crisis Part 2: Threat of decline looms over livestock economy after 35 years’ growth
The circular economy of cattle has ruptured, threatening livelihoods of India’s poorest. The value output of the livestock economy is Rs 9.…
European wheat not prepared for climate change
A group of European researchers found that the current breeding programmes and cultivar selection practices are not sufficiently resilient to the …
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
Gujarat declares drought after months of delay
While other states had declared drought months ago, Gujarat govt kept calling it a “scarcity of water”
You may pay a steep price but does the farmer make any money?
A farming household of five earns Rs 221/day, less than a person’s daily minimum wage
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
Pollinator Sanctuary: A new sustainable solution model from Canada
The concept could not only help in providing forage, shelter and nesting places for local bees and birds, but also play a pivotal role in …
Why companies are lobbying to push for hybrid paddy seeds in India
Most of India still cultivates rice from pure-bred seeds, something which prevents companies backed by multinationals from expanding their market
Scheme for promoting home gardens needed: Experts
It can ensure nutritional security of people living in areas where shifting cultivation is practiced
Now an app to help farmers practice precision agriculture
By determining health of the crops using hyperspectral imaging of crop leaves, the app could help in rational use of fertilisers
