The fire-fighting children of the Khasi Hills and the decline of traditional farming in north-east India
In North-east India, children of the Khasi Hills (Meghalaya) learn slash and burn cultivation, an intergenerational yet controversial indigenous …
These 9 smart foods are often overlooked
They are good for human and environmental health but have been ignored due to a lack of awareness, research, policy support and market oppurtunities
Rice for kings
Black rice is indigenous to the Northeast, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha. In Manipur, it is considered food as well as part of traditional …
Natural embrace
Are we ecological serial killers or benevolent conservationists? Muriel Kakani narrates some refreshing perspectives of camel herders in Rajasthan
The Kani learning
How benefit-sharing between a research institute and the Kani tribe went awry
The loss of our breeds
Buy an Indian breed from Australia
Born Again
A rural organisation breathes life into the listless people of Melaghar village
Solo Performances
Besides the communities who have done exemplary work in the field of environment, several individuals are making a difference in the lives of …
Above All Differences
A caste-ridden society transforms the depleted forests into a green haven
Hamlets reborn
Although Bhaonta-Kolyala village walked away with the Down To Earth-Joseph C John Award, the judges came across several such communities worthy …
Working women
In Guraiya village , it's women empowerment all the way
Awarded : Bhaonta-Kolyala
... for reviving the Arvari river, for showing that a healthy ecology and good water management mean prosperity, for proving that drought is a myth
NEEDED: A WAKE-UP CALL
Foresters need to throw away their blinkers. Scientists need to prioritise areas of research
TRAMPLED DESTINIES
What happens if conservation is based on half-baked knowledge? Ask a person rendered homeless by wildlife managers "No conservation strategy …
WORKING IN ISOLATION
A mutual lack of trust and understanding between forest officials and wildlife scientists may be responsible for the mismanagement of India's …
CONSERVATION TO DEATH
Misguided conservation efforts are leading to depletion of biodiversity and exploitation of poor people
The secret garden
Want to know about a lost variety of rice or a cure to asthma? Answers lie in the notebooks of schoolchildren and women of the Sundarbans and …
Give native knowledge its due place
Drugged by chicken
Antibiotics in meat make disease-causing bacteria resistant to cures
We must explore India’s forgotten recipes, switch to good food culture: experts
In an era of convenience food and TV dinner, it’s a challenge to rediscover our traditional foods
Paan loses flavour
Iconic paan no more appeals to farmers, traders and common people. They say the contagious spread of chewing tobacco, especially gutkha, is fast …
The Monsanto way
How the US multinational won state governments and influenced policy
Paying farmers for ecological services
A belief in tradition
It was a unique ceremony for a unique award given to a unique rural community of India. In what is perhaps the first ceremony of its kind, …
Back in f(l)avour
Entry of high yielding hybrid rice has spelt doom for traditional diversity in the Konkan belt. Thanks to a science academy, the ancient legacy …