Sundargarh (Odisha), Latehar (Jharkhand): Deep inside the lush sal forest in Odisha’s Sundargarh, Albisia Lakda, an Adivasi farmer living in Subdega block had divided the rice crop on her two-acre plot of farmland in two sections. With the monsoon fluctuating widely last year, parts of Odisha experienced long dry spells and crop failures. Now,...

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected vulnerable households’ livelihoods in developing countries. Using high-frequency phone survey data from the World Bank, we assess rural Indian households’ vulnerability and poverty status during the pandemic. Results reveal that over three-fifths of Indian rural households are vulnerable to poverty in the...

In 2023, the CGIAR Research Initiative on Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia (TAFSSA) addressed the nexus of poverty, social inequities, malnutrition, environmental degradation, and climate change through research and innovation. Collaborating with 10 CGIAR Research Initiatives, engaging with five bilateral projects aligned with Initiative goals, and partnering with two...

The more pigeon peas produce secondary branches, the more pods it will produce, leading to higher yields. 6 to 7 weeks after sowing, remove the tips of the main branches. This is called nipping. After a week, use half a mug of biofertiliser per plant or add it to irrigation...

Informal trade Informal cross-border trade plays a major role in the BIMSTEC region, given the shared borders between member countries such as India with Bangladesh and Nepal. Informal trade is defined through the exchange process and consists of unrecorded trade flows that escape official statistics. “Informality” refers to the nature of the...

Different crops and tree leaves provide different levels of micro and macro-nutrients when incorporated into the soil. This adds organic matter, boosts beneficial soil micro-organisms and enhances soil fertility.

On a rainy day in August, when the availability of fisheries resources is high in the Teesta river here, Bimal Das returned from a four-hour fishing trip with only three kg of fish. While sorting the fish from the ice slabs, a dejected Das contemplated quitting fishing to looking for...

The Andhra Pradesh Zero Budget Natural Farming project was implemented by India’s State of Andhra Pradesh in 2016 and renamed AP Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) in 2020. APCNF is recognised as a sucessful example of peasant-led agroecology by social movements, multilateral UN bodies, governments, and researchers. We offer more...

The publication offers a rich diversity of perspectives and insights from real-life experiences of 42 inspiring teams of youths in Africa and India who are blazing a trail as private extension and advisory service providers promoting agroecology through farmer-to-farmer learning videos. Each of the deeply compelling stories presented in this...

This technical report on Greening and Restoration of Wastelands with Agroforestry (GROW) will benefit for taking up restoration projects for achieving national commitments of Land Degradation Neutrality and restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, as well as creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion...

Global agriculture and food systems are not on track to achieve the targets set by Agenda 2030 to achieve zero hunger and eradicate malnutrition by 2030. There is an urgent need to develop strategies that can provide enough nutritious food for all in a manner that enhances livelihoods and does...

Dried Fish Matters: Mapping the Social Economy of Dried Fish in South and Southeast Asia for Enhanced Wellbeing and Nutrition, or DFM, is a Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada Partnership Grant project. The project spans a duration of eight years: 2018-2026, and involves research in six focus...

The relationship between farm size and productivity has been a topic of interest in agricultural research for decades due to the significance of agriculture in rural economies and its potential to reduce poverty and promote inclusive growth. The relationship between farm size and productivity is influenced by factors such as...

The indigenous tribal communities of the Nilgiri Reserve base their economy on the collection and cultivation of forest products (including coffee), handing down their cultural, agricultural and linguistic traditions from generation to generation. Accompanying the indigenous peoples of the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve in asserting their rights and commercializing their promucts, while...

Koraput district, in South Odisha, India, is characterized by warm and humid climate with 80% of the total annual rainfall received from the south-west monsoon in the months from June to mid-October. Agriculture is primarily rainfed with kharif (June-September) being the main cropping season. Finger millet is a major staple...

The link between increasingly severe climate events and the rising suicide rate among India’s farmers has long been a concern. But with the latest national data reporting the highest ever number of deaths by suicide, effective action to prevent the risk factors endangering farmers — and the climate events that...

A study in Andhra Pradesh compares three prevalent farming methods, analysing their overall benefits such as production, economic impact and social and health implications.The study concludes that community-based natural farming offers superior benefits in terms of higher yields, crop diversity and income for farmers.While natural farming is being increasingly adopted...

A pioneering new study analysing the costs and benefits of different farming systems gives new evidence to support agroecological natural farming as a key approach to help feed communities and transition farmers to nature-positive outcomes in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This first-of-its-kind research, led by impact data and...

Agroecology is an integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and social concepts and principles to the design and management of food and agricultural systems. It seeks to optimize interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment, while taking into account the social aspects that need to be addressed for a...

IGGAARL, also referred as Academy, is a collaborative institution set up by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, India with support from the Government of Germany on the 7th of July 2022. Now, after a year, it has geared up and launched a four-year Farmer Scientist Course (FSC) in Natural Farming....