Because of our seed bank, we have native varieties again. By using indigenous seed our costs have reduced as we can grow and keep our own seed. So, we don’t have to depend on the market. In our seed bank, we also train farmers how to grow crops organically, free...

This study provides a quantitative assessment of the Indian dairy sector and aims to determine the underlying factors of the observed price movements. We analyse producer prices over time, differentiated by milk-producing ‘zones,’ and identify the underlying factors that might explain the observed discontinuities or interruptions in producer prices. The...

Developed in the Hurgaov region of Rajasthan (India), where droughts are frequent, this project allowed the promotion and conservation of rainwater through rejuvenating traditional rainwater harvesting water bodies (Naadi) with the participation of the community. 

Local varieties often cope better with drought and other stresses, and outperform modern varieties when grown under ecological conditions. Collect traditional varieties by visiting seed savers in their homes, or while attending seed festivals and farmer training events. Seed savers and seed producers select the varieties they like most. These...

Foot rot is a frequent disease that affects the hooves of cattle, sheep and goats and makes animals limp. Foot rot is caused by bacteria that enter the soft tissue of the hooves through wounds and cuts in the skin, which may have been caused by thorns or small stones....

Paddy stubble burning poses a major threat to agricultural sustainability in Northern India and an innovative conservation technology ‘happy seeder technology’ is a potential solution for it. Most of the innovation adoption studies usually focus on farmers’ and farm characteristics without giving much emphasis on farmers’ perception regarding the attributes...

The state of Andhra Pradesh in India has been promoting chemical-free agriculture under a programme launched in 2016. In the last six years, it has worked with 0.63 million farmers across six districts on Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF). Researchers from the University of Reading in the UK and Rythu...

Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) is a grassroot agrarian movement and a state backed extension in Andhra Pradesh, and has been claimed to potentially meet the twin goals of global food security and environmental conservation. However, there is a lack of statistically evaluated data to support assertions of yield benefits...

In 2018, the state of Himachal Pradesh in north India launched an initiative to convert all its farmers to natural farming (NF), an agroecological approach. The aim was to address multiple challenges related to rural livelihoods, high input costs, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. This paper is based on a...

Women livestock rearers, who attended the ‘Animal Rearer Award for Women’ ceremony organised by the NGO Anthra, led by Dr. Nitya Ghotge, in Pune, Maharashtra, India, greatly appreciated the farmer-training videos on herbal medicines in animal healthcare, that were jointly developed by Anthra and Access Agriculture.

Smallholder farmers in India are on the frontlines of the climate and agrarian crisis and they include most of the farming population in the country. They face high input costs, are very sensitive to climate risks, lack knowledge of sustainable agricultural practices, and experience crop yields that are ~50% lower...

The national council meeting of the National Platform for Small-Scale Fish Workers (NPSSFW) was held in Kolkata, India, on November 6-7, 2023. The main objectives of the first day of the meeting were to discuss the issues and challenges faced by smallscale fishworkers in the country and to strengthen the...

Access Agriculture participated in the Agrowon Agri Expo held in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India, 13-16 January 2023, received very positive response from all the visitors, in particular farmers.  “Many farmers visited our stall, seeking various types of information from us. We distributed flyers on Access Agriculture in Marathi language to about 3,500...

Attracting over 3,000 visitors, the Access Agriculture booth was one of the most happening places at the International Pavilion of Millets & Organics – International Trade Fair, which was held, 20-22 January 2023, in Bengaluru, India. Access Agriculture’s booth was graced by agricultural ministers of various states, farmers, extension agents, university...

In his inspiring speech to the Access Agriculture Entrepreneurs for Rural Access (ERAs), who were participating in a training programme, the Director General of the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Dr. P. Chandra Shekara, described each ERA as ‘a digital library and a mobile encyclopaedia.’ He thanked Access...

It was the monsoon of 2019 when Stefan and I set forth on our agrobiodiversity hunt into the dense forest and other food production systems of Umsawwar community in Meghalaya. Kong Therisa Nongrum and Kong Angela Nongrum, who are custodian farmers from the community, volunteered to lead us on this...

I spent my summer vacations at my grandma’s after my 6th-grade examinations. Grandma lives in a small village in Kerala in India. It was always fun to be at her place, spending my days playing, helping in the kitchen and feeding the cows. I rarely visited grandma every year as...

In this study, we assessed the PPR disease status, its economic cost, the financial viability of vaccination, and the perspectives of field veterinarians on the PPR vaccination programme implemented in Karnataka state, India. In addition to secondary data, cross-sectional surveys undertaken during 2016–17 (survey I) and 2018–19 (survey II) from...

The Family Farming Knowledge Platform in collaboration with the Barefoot Guide Connection organized a series of “writeshops”, writing classes to support practitioners to write their own experience, generating knowledge which highlight the practices, changes, innovations and impacts of what they do in support of family farming. These writeshops represented an opportunity...

Agroecology is an integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and socialconcepts and principles to the design and management of food and agricultural systems.It seeks to optimize interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment, whiletaking into account the social aspects that need to be addressed for a sustainable and equitable food system. Natural Farming...