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Promoting organic farming and livelihood generation of 20,000 farmers
State: West Bengal NGO: Mukti, Baikanthapur Tarun Sangha, Chetana Sangha Summary: Following 2007’s Cyclone Aila, Sunderban farmers experienced nutrient leaking and high salinity in their agricultural lands. In response, AID launched the Sustainable Organic Farming in the Sunderbans project in 2009. Currently working with around 20,000 farmers, the project seeks to reclaim agricultural land in addition to long-term objectives of fostering socioeconomic and scientific linkages of food and facilitating the use of environmentally, culturally, and socially sound approaches to farming. |
Details:
Since AID began its involvement in 2009, we have observed a number of quantitative and qualitative impacts of sustainable farming. These include:
● Extensive farmer outreach: In 2009, 25 farmers took up organic farming on parts of their land. Those 25 farmers trained another 400 farmers in 2010; in turn, they trained 800 farmers in 2011. In 2012, total trained farmers increased to 1,000, with organic farming being practiced on 550 acres. This knowledge sharing continued to spread, and today, we are working with 20,000 farmers to practice sustainable farming methods.
● Cost effectiveness: Sustainable organic methods help farmers save money on fertilizers and pesticides. Organically grown vegetables were found to be more resilient to weather and pests, thus bringing down costs.
● Social movement: As farmers became aware of the multiple benefits associated with sustainable and organic farming, these practices have provided hope and a sense of agency to farmers whose lands were damaged by Cyclone Aila.
● Gender equity: Sunderbans women had practiced organic farming in their kitchen gardens and were aware of the health hazards of chemical fertilizers even prior to AID involvement. This project helped legitimize their knowledge and paved the way for greater visibility and participation of women in agricultural issues.
● Participatory competence: This project succeeded in mobilizing farmers around related agricultural and livelihood issues: training farmers, enhancing their access to information and resources around sustainable farming, and creating conditions where they became active participants and agents in issues that concern them.
Insights:
Challenges:
Since AID began its involvement in 2009, we have observed a number of quantitative and qualitative impacts of sustainable farming. These include:
● Extensive farmer outreach: In 2009, 25 farmers took up organic farming on parts of their land. Those 25 farmers trained another 400 farmers in 2010; in turn, they trained 800 farmers in 2011. In 2012, total trained farmers increased to 1,000, with organic farming being practiced on 550 acres. This knowledge sharing continued to spread, and today, we are working with 20,000 farmers to practice sustainable farming methods.
● Cost effectiveness: Sustainable organic methods help farmers save money on fertilizers and pesticides. Organically grown vegetables were found to be more resilient to weather and pests, thus bringing down costs.
● Social movement: As farmers became aware of the multiple benefits associated with sustainable and organic farming, these practices have provided hope and a sense of agency to farmers whose lands were damaged by Cyclone Aila.
● Gender equity: Sunderbans women had practiced organic farming in their kitchen gardens and were aware of the health hazards of chemical fertilizers even prior to AID involvement. This project helped legitimize their knowledge and paved the way for greater visibility and participation of women in agricultural issues.
● Participatory competence: This project succeeded in mobilizing farmers around related agricultural and livelihood issues: training farmers, enhancing their access to information and resources around sustainable farming, and creating conditions where they became active participants and agents in issues that concern them.
Insights:
- Many farmers use excessive amount of expensive chemical inputs on their crops every year. Although this does not result in increased yields, it has increased the incidence of numerous health problems, including cancer.
- Both paddy and vegetable farmers are part of this movement.
- There has been large participation from women, who have been enthusiastic participants and trainers.
- Sustainable organic methods save on costs of fertilizers and pesticides, often generating savings of up to Rupees 1,500 for each bigha (one-third acre) of paddy land.
Challenges:
- Creating a market space for organic produce.
- Putting in place a regular network involving experts, practitioners, and farmers.
- Organic certification or Participatory Guarantee system for farmers
- Supporting the development and functioning of Mukti Organic Farmers Association (MOFA).