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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
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					<title>Forgotten vegetables could help make our diets more resilient</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/forgotten-vegetables-could-help-make-our-diets-more-resilient/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/forgotten-vegetables-could-help-make-our-diets-more-resilient/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Oct 2026 15:06:04 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sharmila Vaidyanathan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/10/06005737/KJK3139-2-scaled-e1791228498437-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=41401</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Conserving Agro-biodiversity]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture and Agroecology]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The clove bean is fondly known as mookuthi avarai in Tamil, an ode to its nose-pin-like appearance. Clove bean belongs to the same family as the morning glory, perennial fast-growing vines that are known for their brightly coloured flowers, and is not a true bean species. Once a common vegetable in south Indian kitchens, clove [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The clove bean is fondly known as mookuthi avarai in Tamil, an ode to its nose-pin-like appearance. Clove bean belongs to the same family as the morning glory, perennial fast-growing vines that are known for their brightly coloured flowers, and is not a true bean species. Once a common vegetable in south Indian kitchens, clove bean now remains immortalised in S. Meenakshi Ammal’s iconic cookbook Samaithu Paar (Cook and See in Tamil), first published in 1951. Today, clove beans are a rare, if not impossible sight in vegetable markets and seem to have completely disappeared from India’s culinary landscape. However, in one small farm in Bengaluru, landscape architect, natural farmer and founder of Hariyalee Seeds, Prabhakar Rao, continues to conserve the seeds of this and other long-forgotten vegetables. As Rao walks around his farm’s undulating land, pointing to heirloom vegetables like the Yerengere white long eggplant or various tomato varieties, he laments how vegetable markets today are dominated by hybrids. There was a time when the Yerengere white long eggplant was the only brinjal variety that went into the making of vangi bath or brinjal rice, says Rao. “People are all eating the same few vegetables, and the loss of vegetable biodiversity has not received a lot of attention. Why would it? Every vegetable that you use at home is available in abundance,” says Rao. Yerengere white long eggplant at Prabhakar Rao’s farm. Image by Sharmila Vaidyanathan. In a recent perspective article for PNAS, researchers warn that vegetable biodiversity is&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/10/forgotten-vegetables-could-help-make-our-diets-more-resilient/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Better demand could save indigenous fruits from being forgotten</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/better-demand-could-save-indigenous-fruits-from-being-forgotten/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/better-demand-could-save-indigenous-fruits-from-being-forgotten/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 Aug 2026 13:22:02 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Azera Parveen Rahman]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food security]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fruits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[indigenous]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[indigenous knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditional farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urbanisation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/21103128/kaafal-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=40347</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Nature-based Solutions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam and Meghalaya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Agroecology, Biodiversity, Conservation, Ecology, Environment, Environmental Economics, Food, Forests, and Indigenous Peoples]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[During my summer break in my hometown in northeast India’s Assam this year, I found myself craving a favourite summertime fruit from my childhood: Leteku, or Burmese grape. A quick run to the local fruit market offered fruits of different kinds, including imported kiwis and avocados, but not the one I was looking for. I [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[During my summer break in my hometown in northeast India’s Assam this year, I found myself craving a favourite summertime fruit from my childhood: Leteku, or Burmese grape. A quick run to the local fruit market offered fruits of different kinds, including imported kiwis and avocados, but not the one I was looking for. I finally found it at a weekly haat, a makeshift market where locals from nearby villages gather to sell their produce. “The availability of indigenous, local fruits has definitely decreased over time,” says Dharindra Nath Hazarika, head of the horticulture department at B.N. College of Agriculture under Assam Agriculture University. “There is a lack of research and documentation on this subject, so we don’t know the exact magnitude of the decline.” This loss is not restricted to just one region. In the neighbouring state of Meghalaya, for instance, local communities say they are observing that local fruits that once grew abundantly in people’s homesteads are now less commonly seen. Pius Ranee, executive director of North East Society for Agroecology Support (NESFAS), agrees. “Many traditional fruits, vegetables, and edible plants once commonly found in homesteads and villages are becoming less common. Older generations often recall a greater diversity of food plants around homes, fields and forests than what is seen today. While systematic data are limited, observations from communities across Meghalaya suggest that many indigenous and semi-wild food species are disappearing from everyday diets and local landscapes,” he shares. Poniol is another fruit found most notably in&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/better-demand-could-save-indigenous-fruits-from-being-forgotten/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Harvesting rice and crabs on one field offers farmers a climate-resilient alternative</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/harvesting-rice-and-crabs-on-one-field-offers-farmers-a-climate-resilient-alternative/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/harvesting-rice-and-crabs-on-one-field-offers-farmers-a-climate-resilient-alternative/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Aug 2026 16:59:06 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Azera Parveen Rahman]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crabs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nature-based solutions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women in agriculture]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/08/18120034/Women-farmers-releasing-crabs-in-the-paddy-field-in-Borborua-block-in-Dibrugarh-district-of-Assam-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas, Eco Hope, and Environment and Her]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Assam]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Agroecology, Biodiversity, Ecology, Food, and Organic Farming]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The harsh summer sun was beating down their backs, yet farmers in Assam’s Borborua block in Dibrugarh district went about their paddy cultivation. Waddling through paddy fields submerged in the rainwater of the past few weeks, they hummed songs and chatted as they planted Betguti (Oryza sativa), an indigenous variety of rice that holds the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The harsh summer sun was beating down their backs, yet farmers in Assam’s Borborua block in Dibrugarh district went about their paddy cultivation. Waddling through paddy fields submerged in the rainwater of the past few weeks, they hummed songs and chatted as they planted Betguti (Oryza sativa), an indigenous variety of rice that holds the promise of withstanding the increasingly unpredictable weather — erratic rainfall and long dry spells. Once the planting is done, they will release freshwater crabs in the field. Alongside the rice, the crabs will grow too, sustaining each other and offering the women a way to sustain their families amid rising concerns of climatic change and land degradation . This women-led integrated rice-crab farming method is emerging as a climate-resilient alternative to traditional paddy cultivation in Assam. Climatic changes challenge traditional ways Traditionally, paddy-fish farming has been practiced in pockets of Assam, particularly areas that are vulnerable to floods. In this type of farming, fish spawns are either introduced in the flooded fields where the indigenous Bau-dhaan rice variety is grown, or enter the fields during monsoon from adjacent water bodies and grow along with paddy. “This integrated farming practice in which fish is grown as a ‘second crop’, however, has become challenging because of the long dry spells that Assam has been witnessing,” said Samir Bordoloi, a farmer and advocate of natural farming techniques. “Now, we have heavy spells of rain, and then long dry spells,” he said. “Rearing fish during these dry spells is&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/08/harvesting-rice-and-crabs-on-one-field-offers-farmers-a-climate-resilient-alternative/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Why India&#8217;s tree-planting programmes are falling short</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/why-indias-tree-planting-programmes-are-falling-short/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/why-indias-tree-planting-programmes-are-falling-short/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jun 2026 15:06:52 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Aisiri Amin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agroforestry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tree plantation]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/02181943/AP24202402198176-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38482</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agroecology, Forestry, Forests, Plantations, Plants, Reforestation, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[For many countries, including India, increasing tree cover has become a core part of climate mitigation plans to improve biodiversity and ecosystems. ​From tree planting drives and festivals such as the annual Van Mahotsav, where India pledges to plant millions of tree saplings, to tree plantation programmes such as the Green India Mission (GIM), National [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[For many countries, including India, increasing tree cover has become a core part of climate mitigation plans to improve biodiversity and ecosystems. ​From tree planting drives and festivals such as the annual Van Mahotsav, where India pledges to plant millions of tree saplings, to tree plantation programmes such as the Green India Mission (GIM), National Afforestation Programme (NAP), and Sub-Mission on Agroforestry (SMAF), afforestation is high on the priority list of solutions. However, a question that often arises is: how effective are these initiatives? A new study, published in the journal Environmental Research Communications, attempts to answer this question by examining eight major government policies and programmes and their impact on tree cover, focusing on trees outside forests (ToF). Many of these programmes operate with state funding, which means citizens’ tax money supports various initiatives. Therefore, it’s important to understand how this funding is actually being used, says Pooja Choksi, researcher and founder of Ficus Research Consulting, and co-author of the study. Moreover, India has one of the largest land and forestry-based Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) — a country&#8217;s plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “This creates enormous pressure: achieving these targets requires significant behavioural and land-use changes from citizens, because only limited land is government-owned, and primarily forests,” she explains. This also leads to a critical question. “How will we realistically meet these NDCs using current (tree planting) programmes, especially when new programmes are introduced every few years?&#8221; Choksi asks. A plant nursery nurtured by the Forest Department in&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/why-indias-tree-planting-programmes-are-falling-short/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Vanishing mango landraces reflect the loss of shared landscapes [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/vanishing-mango-landraces-reflect-the-loss-of-shared-landscapes-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/vanishing-mango-landraces-reflect-the-loss-of-shared-landscapes-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>20 May 2026 18:17:04 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Femi E. Benny]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fruits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[garden]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home gardens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mango]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/20155047/18a5ec0f-6c7f-4af7-a416-aabc9536c200-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38274</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Agroecology, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Food, Trees, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In many rural villages of Kerala, the Indigenous mango trees were once more than just a tree. These trees meant shade, season, memory, and public abundance. People named such trees — naattu manga (country mango). The term did not refer to a single botanical variety, but to local mango landraces, trees that had emerged, adapted, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In many rural villages of Kerala, the Indigenous mango trees were once more than just a tree. These trees meant shade, season, memory, and public abundance. People named such trees — naattu manga (country mango). The term did not refer to a single botanical variety, but to local mango landraces, trees that had emerged, adapted, and persisted within village landscapes over generations. They stood in homesteads, along roadsides, near paddy fields as well as in school grounds, but its fruits belonged to many. Their ownership was often legible on paper, but in practice their fruits moved across households and compounds. A naattu manga belonged, in a moral sense, to the village. Across Kerala, traditional agroecosystems have been steadily reshaped by land fragmentation, compound walls, real estate pressures, road expansion, and the shift from mixed homesteads to more enclosed forms of landholding. The loss is not only ecological; it is also cultural. When a large old mango tree is cut, a village does not merely lose fruit. It loses a seasonal meeting point, a taste archive, and a lineage of local adaptation that may never be properly named before it disappears. Scientifically, these trees belong to the species Mangifera indica, but socially they belonged to a wider commons. A 2015 biodiversity appraisal described mango as a keystone species of Kerala homestead gardens. Many of these local varieties under M. indica persist only as scattered trees in homesteads rather than as formal orchards. Therefore, to conserve these Indigenous mango varieties from across&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/vanishing-mango-landraces-reflect-the-loss-of-shared-landscapes-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Roadsides, farms may shelter native bees in the northwestern Himalayas</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/roadsides-farms-may-shelter-native-bees-in-the-northwestern-himalayas/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/roadsides-farms-may-shelter-native-bees-in-the-northwestern-himalayas/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Mar 2026 13:03:56 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hirra Azmat]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Beekeeping]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[honeybees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nature-based solutions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollination]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollinators]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/03/10235239/Amegilla_zonata_in_Sundarbans_National_Park_May_2025_by_Tisha_Mukherjee_03-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Jammu and Kashmir]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Agroecology, Biodiversity, Environment, Food, Himalayas, Insects, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On a stretch of roadside in Jammu’s Himalayan foothills, a small patch of wildflowers was buzzing with activity. Blue-banded bees (Amegilla), small carpenter bees (Ceratina), and even large, glossy carpenter bees (Xylocopa) clung to petals, feeding undisturbed as vehicles passed by. The patch was barely a few steps across the busy road, and yet it [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On a stretch of roadside in Jammu’s Himalayan foothills, a small patch of wildflowers was buzzing with activity. Blue-banded bees (Amegilla), small carpenter bees (Ceratina), and even large, glossy carpenter bees (Xylocopa) clung to petals, feeding undisturbed as vehicles passed by. The patch was barely a few steps across the busy road, and yet it hosted multiple native bee species at once. “It was one of the most surprising moments of our study,” says Yousra Mukhtar, a researcher at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, (SKUAST), Jammu. The study, published in October 2025, explored how non-honeybee (non-Apis) bee diversity shifts across different environments in the Jammu region of the northwestern Himalayas. The aim was to understand how native bee communities respond to increasing human influence. The team had expected to find rich bee diversity in undisturbed forests or meadows, places with no human interference. However, repeated field surveys told a different story. Over two years of field surveys, Mukhtar and her colleagues repeatedly found that moderately disturbed habitats, including roadside vegetation and agro-ecosystems were drawing in large numbers of native bees, feeding on flowering weeds and plants that had sprung up on their own. “It was a reminder that biodiversity does not always conform to our expectations of ‘pristine’ landscapes,” Mukhtar says. Pollinators play a crucial role in plant reproduction and food production, and the Himalayan foothill region is especially important for them. Where different climate zones and elevations meet, the region supports a mix of habitats, including forests,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/03/roadsides-farms-may-shelter-native-bees-in-the-northwestern-himalayas/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>A combined agroforestry model shows sustainable ways to mitigate climate change</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-combined-agroforestry-shows-sustainable-ways-to-mitigate-climate-change/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-combined-agroforestry-shows-sustainable-ways-to-mitigate-climate-change/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Jan 2026 16:51:44 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Tarini Manchanda]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agroforestry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jhum cultivation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Northeast India]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditional farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/29145226/IMG_3841-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36670</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Indigenous Knowledge]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Nagaland]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agroecology, Carbon Sequestration, Climate Change, Climate Change Mitigation, Ecology, Food, Himalayas, Plants, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Jhum farming plays an integral role in subsistence agriculture across the Northeastern region of India. Traditionally, jhum cultivation involved long fallow periods of 10–20 years. In recent times, however, these cycles have shortened and adapted to contemporary farming lifestyles due to increasing population pressures. As a result, the efficacy of jhum farming and shifting cultivation [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Jhum farming plays an integral role in subsistence agriculture across the Northeastern region of India. Traditionally, jhum cultivation involved long fallow periods of 10–20 years. In recent times, however, these cycles have shortened and adapted to contemporary farming lifestyles due to increasing population pressures. As a result, the efficacy of jhum farming and shifting cultivation has become a point of concern among scientific and environmental groups, particularly in the context of climate change and deforestation. Despite this debate, jhum farming offers several ecological benefits. It is considered carbon neutral, as carbon is sequestered during field preparation, while also helping to maintain the hydrological characteristics of the landscape, reduce soil erosion, and enhance soil organic carbon and nutrient levels. Farmers in Khonoma village in Nagaland have long recognised these advantages and have responded by integrating jhum farming with the pollarding of alder trees. Pollarding — a method of planting and pruning trees — has historically been practised across Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Northeastern regions of India. Research has highlighted the benefits of alder-based jhum systems, particularly the tree’s ability to retain soil nutrients and fix nitrogen. Over time, this practice has become an integral part of land management strategies adopted by farmers in Nagaland. Rice fields in Khonoma against the backdrop of forest lands. Jhum cultivation traditionally involved long fallow periods that have shortened in recent times due to population pressures. Despite concerns on the efficacy of the practice, it is considered carbon neutral, maintains hydrology, reduces soil erosion, and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-combined-agroforestry-shows-sustainable-ways-to-mitigate-climate-change/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Buckwheat draws renewed interest for its health benefits and resilience</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/buckwheat-draws-renewed-interest-for-its-health-benefits-and-resilience/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/buckwheat-draws-renewed-interest-for-its-health-benefits-and-resilience/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Jan 2026 12:39:43 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Hirra Azmat]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Beekeeping]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[honey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/29011131/Pic13-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36659</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Ladakh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Agroecology, Climate Change, Ecology, Environment, Environmental Economics, Food, Insects, and Mountains]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Buckwheat, once grown mostly in marginal soil in the Indian Himalayas, is now regaining attention for its nutritional properties and its ability to grow in harsh mountain conditions where other crops fail. Apart from being a dependable food source, the crop’s abundant flowers support beekeeping, leading to the production of high-value buckwheat honey. Scientists at [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Buckwheat, once grown mostly in marginal soil in the Indian Himalayas, is now regaining attention for its nutritional properties and its ability to grow in harsh mountain conditions where other crops fail. Apart from being a dependable food source, the crop’s abundant flowers support beekeeping, leading to the production of high-value buckwheat honey. Scientists at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST-Kashmir) are now encouraging farmers to combine buckwheat cultivation with apiculture as a way to improve incomes and strengthen mountain agriculture. Buckwheat’s resilient properties Buckwheat is one of the pseudo-cereals (not belonging to the true grass family) that contains protein of high nutritional value, dietary fibre, resistant starch, vitamins and minerals. Buckwheat – both the common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tartaricum) – is a high-altitude, cool-climate annual plant. It is native to Central Asia, cultivated in China and other Eastern countries as a bread-corn. In India, the crop is widely grown in the high mountains of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. In South India, it is sporadically grown in the Nilgiris and Palani hills. What makes buckwheat particularly suited to these regions is its ability to thrive where other crops struggle. “Buckwheat adapts well to poor soils, high altitudes, and short growing seasons,” says Sajad Zargar, an associate professor in the Division of Plant Biotechnology at SKUAST-Kashmir. Zargar’s research focuses on conserving and improving diverse plant material to develop climate-resilient, nutritionally rich buckwheat varieties suited to sustainable agriculture in temperate&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/buckwheat-draws-renewed-interest-for-its-health-benefits-and-resilience/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>The expansion and conservation of trees outside forests has multi-fold benefits [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/the-expansion-and-conservation-of-trees-outside-forests-has-multi-fold-benefits-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/the-expansion-and-conservation-of-trees-outside-forests-has-multi-fold-benefits-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 Oct 2025 16:23:42 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mohan Chandra Pargaien]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agroforestry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rural economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rural India]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soil health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trees outside forests]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/10/06114421/A-pleasant-trees-growth-near-Shamsabad-INTERCHANGE-Hyderabad--768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=34929</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agroecology, Biodiversity, Conservation, Forests, Plants, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Trees Outside Forests (TOF) are trees that grow beyond legally notified forest boundaries. These include scattered trees on farmlands, roadsides, urban parks, small plantations, and homesteads across private, community, and government lands. They have been an integral part of human civilisation by playing a critical role in rural agroforestry systems, providing wood, fruit, fodder, and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Trees Outside Forests (TOF) are trees that grow beyond legally notified forest boundaries. These include scattered trees on farmlands, roadsides, urban parks, small plantations, and homesteads across private, community, and government lands. They have been an integral part of human civilisation by playing a critical role in rural agroforestry systems, providing wood, fruit, fodder, and improving soil fertility. In urban areas, TOF are excellent agents to enhance landscapes, regulate microclimates, and contribute to environmental and public health benefits. India has committed to creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO₂ and restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Bonn Challenge. TOF are one of the essential components to achieve these goals. Recognising the exceptional contribution and importance of TOF, the Forest Survey of India for the first time presented the report on TOF in its ISFR-2019 estimating an extent of 29.38 million hectares under TOF. Since 2021, the country’s total forest and tree cover has increased by 1,445.81 sq. km., with only 156.4 sq. km. attributed to the total forest cover. The majority of growth (about 89%) was from tree cover outside forest areas, accounting for nearly 1,290 sq. km. In the ISFR 2023 report, trees outside forests help project an overall rise in India’s tree and forest cover, despite poor progress within the recorded Forest areas. Key tree species contributing to the TOF volume include mango (13.25%), neem (7%), mahua (4.37%),&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/10/the-expansion-and-conservation-of-trees-outside-forests-has-multi-fold-benefits-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>How trees outside forests impact human well-being</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/how-trees-outside-forests-impact-human-well-being-outcomes/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/how-trees-outside-forests-impact-human-well-being-outcomes/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 Jun 2025 11:06:51 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Aisiri Amin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trees outside forests]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/06/04230704/7-pooja-choksijpg-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=32945</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas and Nature-based Solutions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agroecology, Ecology, Forests, Plants, and Trees]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Trees outside forests in places such as farms and grazing land, provide a wide variety of benefits to humans. Yet, there is limited understanding of how tree restoration impacts health, education, the economy, social well-being, and material outcomes — especially in South Asia, which has great potential for restoring trees. A new study published in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Trees outside forests in places such as farms and grazing land, provide a wide variety of benefits to humans. Yet, there is limited understanding of how tree restoration impacts health, education, the economy, social well-being, and material outcomes — especially in South Asia, which has great potential for restoring trees. A new study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters highlights this gap and offers insights to guide ongoing and future tree-based natural-climate solutions projects in the region. With the world facing escalating threats of climate change, tree planting has emerged as a popular solution. In India, the growing emphasis on tree planting initiatives to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has led to a rise in trees outside forest systems (ToF). These trees comprise 37.11% of India’s total tree and forest cover. India’s Forest Survey Report 2021 showed trees outside forests have increased by 13.09% from 2015, a stark contrast to growing stock inside forests, which saw a rise of only 4.60%. This indicates a shift in where trees are being planted. “There is a tree planting frenzy in the country and around the world, which is also surprisingly largely driven by ecologists. Beyond the carbon benefits, it makes me wonder whether there is interest in it because we can map it more easily. As we have breached the 1.5°C climate target, people seem to want to grab onto things that can be seen, counted, put in a report, and shown, such as trees,” says Pooja Choksi, ecologist and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/how-trees-outside-forests-impact-human-well-being-outcomes/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Farmers demand separate minimum support price for natural farming products</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/05/farmers-demand-separate-minimum-support-price-for-natural-farming-products/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/05/farmers-demand-separate-minimum-support-price-for-natural-farming-products/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>21 May 2025 13:25:53 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Vishal Kumar Jain]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chemical fertiliser]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Natural Farming]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/05/20195305/2-e1747751246499-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=32693</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections and Conserving Agro-biodiversity]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Jharkhand]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Agroecology, Food, and Organic Farming]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Devlal Munda, who lives in Kaudi village of Ramgarh district in Jharkhand, was doing chemical farming on his 1.5-acre ancestral land till 2023. Due to the extensive use of chemical fertilisers and the vagaries of climate change, the quality of soil started deteriorating. Farm-friendly insects had also started disappearing from his farm. The yield was [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Devlal Munda, who lives in Kaudi village of Ramgarh district in Jharkhand, was doing chemical farming on his 1.5-acre ancestral land till 2023. Due to the extensive use of chemical fertilisers and the vagaries of climate change, the quality of soil started deteriorating. Farm-friendly insects had also started disappearing from his farm. The yield was good, but the expenditure on fertilisers was increasing year after year, which started bothering him. In the same year, he came to know about the agroecology-based programme, JIVA, launched by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to promote natural farming. It was being promoted by the Gramin Seva Sangh and the Patratu Tribal Project Development Committee, with the help of NABARD. Six villages — Lem, Bicha, Armadag, Jobo, Kodi and Lowadih — from Saki, Baridih and Bicha panchayats in Patratu block — were selected for the implementation of this scheme. “In this project, which was started with the help of ₹30 lakh from NABARD, farmers were trained to adopt natural farming. They were taught how to make cow dung manure and seeds were provided to them for free,” Vilas Sathe, Gramin Seva Sangh secretary, told Mongabay India. Munda decided to take advantage of this scheme. However, he had to face many difficulties. Devlal Munda in his paddy field in Kaudi village, Ramgarh district, Jharkhand. In 2023, Munda switched to natural farming, with the support of an agroecology-based scheme launched by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. Image by Vishal Kumar&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/05/farmers-demand-separate-minimum-support-price-for-natural-farming-products/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Coffee agrofarms can play a key role in restoring degraded forest, study says</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/04/coffee-agrofarms-can-play-a-key-role-in-restoring-degraded-forest-study-says/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/04/coffee-agrofarms-can-play-a-key-role-in-restoring-degraded-forest-study-says/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Apr 2025 13:53:07 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agrobiodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agroforestry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coffee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tea estates]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/04/17130647/Photo_4-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=32252</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Western Ghats]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Agroecology, Plantations, and Reforestation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The growing appetite for specialty coffee in India has also driven the demand for it to be more sustainably sourced. New research from the Western Ghats proposes coffee agrofarms could be sites not only for in-situ biodiversity conservation – meaning growing a variety of species on their farms – but also be sources of seeds [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The growing appetite for specialty coffee in India has also driven the demand for it to be more sustainably sourced. New research from the Western Ghats proposes coffee agrofarms could be sites not only for in-situ biodiversity conservation – meaning growing a variety of species on their farms – but also be sources of seeds and seedlings for forest restoration in nearby areas. In India, coffee is typically grown in rain-rich regions under the shade of trees, making the rainforests of the Western Ghats an ideal destination for cultivation. Growing coffee under shade takes longer and results in smaller yields compared to coffee grown under the sun, but produces a higher quality bean with a more full-bodied taste. In coffee agroforests that use a diversity of native tree species for shade, seeds that are normally cleared by farmers during canopy pruning can instead be collected, or “rescued,” in order to facilitate forest conservation and restoration, the research proposes. “In the past, some of those seeds might have survived and those trees might have grown, but today they&#8217;re getting slashed because farmers do not want trees growing in places that will compromise the productivity of their crop,” explained Anand Osuri, a scientist with the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) and lead author of the study. “The act of removing those seeds and seedlings is a form of rescue,” he added. Shade coffee agroforests and pockets of remnant natural forest form a dense and continuous tree canopy in Chikmagalur, Karnataka. New research from&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/04/coffee-agrofarms-can-play-a-key-role-in-restoring-degraded-forest-study-says/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>[Interview] How a Nagaland activist is reviving traditional practices to combat climate change</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/interview-how-a-nagaland-activist-is-reviving-traditional-practices-to-combat-climate-change/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/interview-how-a-nagaland-activist-is-reviving-traditional-practices-to-combat-climate-change/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Feb 2025 17:56:07 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Angana Chakrabarti]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[indigenous knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inspirational women]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Northeast India]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seed conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[weavers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women-based rural enterprises]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/02/10135832/Regional-meeting-on-Millets-based-agrobiodiverse-farming-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31434</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Nature-based Solutions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Nagaland]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Activism, Agroecology, Climate Change, Environmental Politics, Human Rights, Nature-based Climate Solutions, and Organic Farming]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the hills of Phek district, nestled within Nagaland&#8217;s verdant landscapes, the ethos of community reverberates through every village. The numerous youth and women societies, and tribal and students’ unions in these villages of the Northeast-Indian state paint a picture of social cohesion. So it made sense that for 51-year-old Seno Tsuhah, a social activist [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the hills of Phek district, nestled within Nagaland&#8217;s verdant landscapes, the ethos of community reverberates through every village. The numerous youth and women societies, and tribal and students’ unions in these villages of the Northeast-Indian state paint a picture of social cohesion. So it made sense that for 51-year-old Seno Tsuhah, a social activist from the Chakhesang tribe, sustainable development always began with initiatives that furthered a community’s well-being. Born in the early 1970s, Seno Tsuhah grew up in Chizami village perched amid the hills of the district, less than 100 kilometres from the capital of Kohima. At the time, an armed conflict was being intensely fought between the Indian government and Naga groups, who have been demanding sovereignty for decades. Tsuhah later became a member of the youth society and the women’s society in her village and was actively involved in various initiatives including women’s health care. Then in 1996, she started engaging with the North East Network (NEN), a regional women&#8217;s rights organisation, through the Chizami Women’s Society. She would go on to spearhead several projects supported by NEN, including starting a seed bank collecting several varieties of Indigenous seeds and Chizami Weaves, an initiative aimed at promoting local weaving and giving women weavers livelihood opportunities. Through these initiatives, Tsuhah and the others eventually realised that to improve the lives of the women in the community, it was essential to focus on ecology and Indigenous resources. Tsuhah, who also manages a school, started advocating for ecological farming&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/interview-how-a-nagaland-activist-is-reviving-traditional-practices-to-combat-climate-change/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Farms, fields threaten frogs in lateritic plateaus</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/12/farms-fields-threaten-frogs-in-lateritic-plateaus/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/12/farms-fields-threaten-frogs-in-lateritic-plateaus/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Dec 2024 13:30:55 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[amphibian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[landuse change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paddy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plateaus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Threat]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/12/18201103/Hydrophylax_bahuvistara-1-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=30778</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Nature-based Solutions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Maharashtra]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agroecology, Amphibians, Biodiversity, and Research]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A study finds that rapid changes in land use, particularly agriculture, significantly impact amphibian diversity found in the lateritic plateaus of Maharashtra&#8217;s northern Western Ghats due to changes in microhabitats. The study investigates how expansion of agriculture and agroforestry plantations impact amphibian diversity and abundance across natural plateaus, paddy fields, and mango and cashew orchards [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A study finds that rapid changes in land use, particularly agriculture, significantly impact amphibian diversity found in the lateritic plateaus of Maharashtra&#8217;s northern Western Ghats due to changes in microhabitats. The study investigates how expansion of agriculture and agroforestry plantations impact amphibian diversity and abundance across natural plateaus, paddy fields, and mango and cashew orchards in the Ratnagiri region of the state. Low-elevation lateritic plateaus in the northern Western Ghats are rock outcrop ecosystems that support endemic biodiversity. As most of these plateaus are outside protected areas and are classified as wastelands, they are increasingly being lost to human activities, especially agriculture. The team of researchers from the Nature Conservation Foundation and the Bombay Environmental Action Group led by Jithin Vijayan found that amphibian diversity was lowest in paddy fields, while abundance was lowest in orchards, compared to the relatively undisturbed plateaus. The lateritic plateaus of Ratnagiri are being rapidly converted to cashew and mango orchards, significantly impacting biodiversity. Image by Jithin Vijayan. “We examined how changes in habitat or microhabitat affect amphibians, primarily frogs,” Vijayan informs Mongabay India. “We found that both mango and cashew orchards, as well as paddy fields, impact amphibians, but in very different ways. This study also underscores the need for land-use impact assessments at both the community and species levels.” The research used community-level metrics (such as species richness and composition) alongside species-level analyses to understand the differential impacts of land use. Vijayan explains that focusing only on community-level responses, such as those of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/12/farms-fields-threaten-frogs-in-lateritic-plateaus/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/12/farms-fields-threaten-frogs-in-lateritic-plateaus/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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						<item>
					<title>Balancing conservation and agroforestry to tackle climate change</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/balancing-conservation-and-agroforestry-to-tackle-climate-change/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/balancing-conservation-and-agroforestry-to-tackle-climate-change/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Oct 2024 15:03:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agroforestry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chemical fertiliser]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[States]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/10/24121204/35934729586_fbd16ad805_k-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=30011</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Conserving Agro-biodiversity]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India, Kerala, and Madhya Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Agroecology, and Forestry]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[While agroforestry has the potential to combat climate change, India’s conservation-focussed forestry is hindering its growth, says a recent working paper. Agroforestry is a land management system that integrates crops and woody perennials like trees, shrubs, palms, bamboo etc. “Conservative-led (sic) forest policies have primarily focussed on increasing the area under the forest, but they [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[While agroforestry has the potential to combat climate change, India’s conservation-focussed forestry is hindering its growth, says a recent working paper. Agroforestry is a land management system that integrates crops and woody perennials like trees, shrubs, palms, bamboo etc. “Conservative-led (sic) forest policies have primarily focussed on increasing the area under the forest, but they have significantly hindered the growing of trees outside the forest,” says the paper authored by Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) of India, Karan Singhal and Naveen Bali. Bali works with a consulting firm Koan Advisory. It further explains, “The National Forest Policy of 1988 aimed to increase forest and tree cover and restricted the felling of trees without forest department approval. Further, in the Godavarman case (1996), the Supreme Court redefined the scope of forest conservation and suspended tree felling across the entire country. Such policies have discouraged private players (especially farmers) from entering the timber-growing business.” The paper, supporting agroforestry, highlights the fact that agroforestry plantations in India are spread across 28 million hectares, which is only 17% of total agricultural land. This is far less than the global average of 43%. The paper gives year-wise data to explain the impact of various events on India&#8217;s roundwood imports over three decades between 1991 and 2021. The Supreme Court ruling in the T.N. Godavarman case in 1996 which coincided with liberalisation of the import policy of wood and wood products, led to a temporary increase in&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/balancing-conservation-and-agroforestry-to-tackle-climate-change/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Farmers seek solar fencing machines to keep stray cattle at bay</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/farmers-seek-solar-fencing-machines-to-keep-stray-cattle-at-bay/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/farmers-seek-solar-fencing-machines-to-keep-stray-cattle-at-bay/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 Apr 2024 16:19:50 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sumit Yadav]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cattle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/04/22160531/Anjarle_Bridge_and_Cows-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=27491</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Uttar Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Agroecology, and Renewable Energy]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[For the past many years, the farmers of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in the country, have been facing difficulties while guarding their fields. The fear of stray cows and wild animals, that destroy their crops, now discourages farmers from diversifying their crops and sowing maize, potato, pigeon pea, urad and moong. Stray cattle [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[For the past many years, the farmers of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in the country, have been facing difficulties while guarding their fields. The fear of stray cows and wild animals, that destroy their crops, now discourages farmers from diversifying their crops and sowing maize, potato, pigeon pea, urad and moong. Stray cattle damaging crops has emerged as a major issue in Uttar Pradesh since 2017. The government is taking various measures to relieve farmers of the strays, but all are proving inadequate. Every year, many farmers in the state lose their lives due to attacks by wild animals, cold temperatures and insect bites while guarding their fields from cattle and other animals that damage the crop. Stray cattle also became a political issue during the Assembly Elections in 2022. During his election campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to free the farmers from the issue of stray cows damaging crops, at a public meeting held in the Asoha block of Unnao district. “We will soon bring a scheme which will free the farmers of Uttar Pradesh from stray cows,” he had said. After the formation of the government in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath talked about implementing the Mukhyamantri Khet Suraksha Yojana to help the farmers manage stray cows. Under this scheme, solar fencing machines that deterred animals from entering fields were to be provided to the farmers at a discount. Earlier, this scheme was to be implemented only in Bundelkhand with a proposed budget of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/farmers-seek-solar-fencing-machines-to-keep-stray-cattle-at-bay/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/farmers-seek-solar-fencing-machines-to-keep-stray-cattle-at-bay/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Developing cutting-edge technology for climate-sensitive agriculture</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/developing-cutting-edge-technology-for-climate-sensitive-agriculture/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/developing-cutting-edge-technology-for-climate-sensitive-agriculture/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Apr 2024 12:30:05 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme weather events]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/04/09125224/094A7226-1-scaled-e1712765270924-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=27293</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Innovations]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Agroecology, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Research, Satellite Imagery, and Technology]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[This three-part series reports the advances in agricultural technology in India. Part 1 discusses the emerging technologies in the pre-sowing stage. Part 2 and Part 3 throw light on the technologies in use in the crop growth stage and the post-harvest stage. Farmers in India are always responding to the weather. However, predicting rainfall and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[This three-part series reports the advances in agricultural technology in India. Part 1 discusses the emerging technologies in the pre-sowing stage. Part 2 and Part 3 throw light on the technologies in use in the crop growth stage and the post-harvest stage. Farmers in India are always responding to the weather. However, predicting rainfall and weather events has become a challenge in recent times. With the country’s population likely to touch the 1.7 billion mark by 2050 and the food demand expected to rise, farming needs to become less climate-dependent and more cutting edge. Agricultural technology, abbreviated as agritech, aims to solve agricultural challenges such as low productivity, climate-resilience, soil infertility, low farm incomes, credit and insurance, fragmented supply chains, post-harvest losses and more. For some researchers and startups, the solutions begin even before the seeds are sown in the field. Engineering climate-resilient seeds Present day rice is a product of domestication of wild rice by our ancestors. But the crop faces various environmental stresses due to a changing climate. While both rice and millets evolved from the same grass family millions of years ago, millets can now withstand harsher temperatures and require lesser water than rice. What traits have the millets gained, that rice has lost? This is what the researchers at The Millet Lab, University of Hyderabad are trying to understand. “Crops today face multiple stressors which lead to heavy agricultural losses. Biotic stressors such as diseases (fungal, viral, bacteria) and abiotic stressors such as drought, heat, salinity,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/developing-cutting-edge-technology-for-climate-sensitive-agriculture/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/04/developing-cutting-edge-technology-for-climate-sensitive-agriculture/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>[Commentary] GROW with agroforestry, a step towards sustainable land management</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/03/commentary-grow-with-agroforestry-a-step-towards-sustainable-land-management/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/03/commentary-grow-with-agroforestry-a-step-towards-sustainable-land-management/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Mar 2024 13:21:29 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Abdul Qayum]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agroforestry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[carbon sequestration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[forests]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/03/28112626/Arrival_of_Monsoon_in_Maharashtra_Western_Ghats-e1711605713591-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=27109</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Conserving Agro-biodiversity and The Indian Forest Story]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Agroecology, Carbon Sequestration, Forestry, Forests, and Land Rights]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Agroforestry, the amalgamation of agriculture and forestry within the same land area, may seem straightforward, yet its intricacies often require significant scientific intervention to optimise outcomes. Traditional methods for evaluating, accounting and studying biophysical parameters of remote or inaccessible wastelands have become increasingly expensive and time-consuming over time. Obtaining information from landowners is frequently incomplete, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Agroforestry, the amalgamation of agriculture and forestry within the same land area, may seem straightforward, yet its intricacies often require significant scientific intervention to optimise outcomes. Traditional methods for evaluating, accounting and studying biophysical parameters of remote or inaccessible wastelands have become increasingly expensive and time-consuming over time. Obtaining information from landowners is frequently incomplete, inadequate and constrained by the challenges of incorporating timely changes. The data presently available, falls short of providing a comprehensive understanding for effective land management, making it challenging to distinguish the impacts of increased anthropogenic activity from those of climate change. Scientific intervention therefore, has become imperative. The integration of geo-spatial tools, particularly remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS), has proven indispensable in overcoming these challenges. Satellite data, harnessed through remote sensing and maneuvered through GIS, not only addresses these limitations but also provides a more robust decision support system. This approach aids in prioritising wasteland areas for enhanced productivity. The recent report Greening and Restoration of Wasteland (GROW) with Agroforestry from NITI Aayog covers three areas for agroforestry promotion: reducing import of wood and wood products; carbon sequestration to combat climate change at global and national level; and addressing sub-optimal use of arable land. The initiative contains promising recommendations. Cultivating spices in a forest in Kerala. Photo by Vignesh Vinod/Pexels. Agroforestry and its accrued benefits The GROW with Agroforestry initiative will yield a natural resource-based spatial data, geospatial technology and spatial modelling which will lead to tremendous scope in developing decision support systems&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/03/commentary-grow-with-agroforestry-a-step-towards-sustainable-land-management/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/03/commentary-grow-with-agroforestry-a-step-towards-sustainable-land-management/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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						<item>
					<title>[Interview] Chukki Nanjundaswamy shares what it takes to train farmers in agroecology</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/08/interview-amrita-bhoomi-learning-centres-chukki-nanjundaswamy-talks-about-farmer-to-farmer-agroecology/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/08/interview-amrita-bhoomi-learning-centres-chukki-nanjundaswamy-talks-about-farmer-to-farmer-agroecology/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 Aug 2022 16:41:54 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Anna Lappé]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Nandithachandraprakash]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agroecology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[training]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/08/08120330/farm-india-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=19464</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Karnataka]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Agroecology, Environment, Interviews, and Organic Farming]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[About a four-hour drive southwest of Bengaluru, nestled in a verdant valley near B.R. Hills in Karnataka, Amrita Bhoomi is an agroecology learning centre that offers farmer-to-farmer training focused on agroecology. The centre was born out of organising efforts of the local farmers’ movement KRRS (Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha) founded by Professor Mahantha Devaru Nanjundaswamy [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[About a four-hour drive southwest of Bengaluru, nestled in a verdant valley near B.R. Hills in Karnataka, Amrita Bhoomi is an agroecology learning centre that offers farmer-to-farmer training focused on agroecology. The centre was born out of organising efforts of the local farmers’ movement KRRS (Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha) founded by Professor Mahantha Devaru Nanjundaswamy in the early 2000s. The leadership of this movement envisioned a teaching centre where farmers could share their agroecological practices, learn new techniques, and situate themselves in a Gandhian tradition of organising for social justice. In 2002, movement leadership purchased the land that the centre still occupies today, a biodiversity haven home to 80 cultivated acres growing dozens of varieties of crops from dryland horticulture – like mangoes and jackfruit – to coconuts and bananas, modelling rainfed farming in lieu of expensive irrigation. Shortly after breaking ground, Nanjundaswamy passed away, but his daughter Chukki Nanjundaswamy, who was 22-years old at the time and having been raised in the movement, joined the centre’s leadership and has been growing the organisation ever since, working to create an organisation that can be an inspiration for local farmers, and many more who visit from around the world. As part of a series on agroecology for Mongabay, author and sustainable food advocate Anna Lappé had a chance to catch up with Nanjundaswamy. The two last met in person in early 2020 just before COVID-19 lockdown, when Lappé travelled to Amrita Bhoomi as part of an international learning exchange organised by&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/08/interview-amrita-bhoomi-learning-centres-chukki-nanjundaswamy-talks-about-farmer-to-farmer-agroecology/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Rare Gunther&#8217;s toad sighting highlights farms as biodiversity hotspots</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/07/rare-gunthers-toad-sighting-highlights-farms-as-biodiversity-hotspots/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/07/rare-gunthers-toad-sighting-highlights-farms-as-biodiversity-hotspots/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Jul 2020 13:03:23 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sahana]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/07/13103509/Sarus-duet-in-wheat-farmer-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=10481</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas and Eco Hope]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andhra Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agroecology, Biodiversity, Community based conservation, and Conservation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“Forests are protected areas in name only. Sometimes we see better protection of biodiversity in the adjacent agricultural lands,” said C.S. Saneesh, a research fellow at Spatial Interaction Ecology Research Group at the Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, Germany. He drew this inference from a recent sighting of a rare toad – the Duttaphrynus hololius or [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“Forests are protected areas in name only. Sometimes we see better protection of biodiversity in the adjacent agricultural lands,” said C.S. Saneesh, a research fellow at Spatial Interaction Ecology Research Group at the Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, Germany. He drew this inference from a recent sighting of a rare toad – the Duttaphrynus hololius or Gunther’s toad – in the rock pools of the 200 square km farmlands in the Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh. Saneesh, along with his colleague Anil Sarsavan, was doing an amphibian survey for the Foundation for Ecological Security, to assess the impact of the watershed activity by NABARD (National Bank For Agriculture and Rural Development) at the Somrajkunta village in Anantapur. Range-restricted, Gunther&#8217;s toad, also called Malabar toad or rock toad, is endemic to the Deccan Plateau and the Eastern Ghats. This sighting was surprising considering this amphibian is a lesser-known species. Shy and elusive, these toads are nocturnal and are picky of their habitats. They breed only in the undisturbed rock pools exposed to direct sun. “Even a slight disturbance to their habitat would send them scurrying,” said Saneesh. Any trees or shade around the pool are not preferred. The pools where the researchers spotted the toad were on the rocks about 10 metres above the ground — an ideal habitat for the toad. These sightings were significant for various reasons. For one, Saneesh spotted about 30 of these toads in the farmlands while he couldn’t spot even one in the forest (Kadiri Reserved&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2020/07/rare-gunthers-toad-sighting-highlights-farms-as-biodiversity-hotspots/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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