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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>Valuing the diversity that feeds us [Commentary]</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/valuing-the-diversity-that-feeds-us-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/valuing-the-diversity-that-feeds-us-commentary/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Jun 2026 16:18:51 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[S. Gopikrishna Warrier]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[S. Gopikrishna Warrier]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[genetically modified crop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seed conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seeds]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/06/12144943/AP22143499795663-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Biodiversity, Food, Organic Farming, Plantations, and Plants]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[There was a native mango tree in the front yard of our home that my father bought for the family in the mid-1970s. He had retired from government service and had returned to Thrissur. It was a big, sprawling tree which bore copious fruits every year. When the mangoes were small, tender and clustered in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[There was a native mango tree in the front yard of our home that my father bought for the family in the mid-1970s. He had retired from government service and had returned to Thrissur. It was a big, sprawling tree which bore copious fruits every year. When the mangoes were small, tender and clustered in bunches, my mother had them plucked for pickle. As they ripened, she turned the fibrous fruits with tough skins into a sweet curry, which we poured on to our rice and ate at lunch.  We had to cut the mango tree in the early years of our stay in that house. We realised soon enough that though the tree was in our compound, it was perceived more as a local public property. Youngsters threw stones to make the mangoes drop, to pick the fruits. Their aim missed most of the time and the casualty was a broken roof tile in our home. And we could not afford replacing roof tiles ever so often.  I do not know if the mango tree was of the Chandrakaran variety that researcher Femi Benny wrote about. Needless to say, the stories about native varieties disappearing and giving way to market-friendlier varieties are talked about very often. Almost all old families in Kerala will recite names in Malayalam that described the fruit appropriately. For instance, one native mango variety was called Tholikayappan, which means bitter mango skin.  The story that many elderly would mention is that many of these varieties&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/06/valuing-the-diversity-that-feeds-us-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Assured paddy prices reshape farms</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/assured-paddy-prices-reshape-farms/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/assured-paddy-prices-reshape-farms/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 May 2026 12:38:40 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ayushi Sharma]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paddy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[soil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditional grains]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/05/15114005/paddy-purchasing-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=38193</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Chhattisgarh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Climate Change, Environment, Environmental Politics, Food, Organic Farming, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Sukhdev Sahu, a farmer from Kurud block in Dhamtari district, Chhattisgarh, is standing on the edge of his field. Around him, paddy cultivation stretches as far as the eye can see. &#8220;In the past, we used to grow a variety of crops here, including kodo, kutki, ragi, pulses, and oilseeds. Now, there is nothing but [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Sukhdev Sahu, a farmer from Kurud block in Dhamtari district, Chhattisgarh, is standing on the edge of his field. Around him, paddy cultivation stretches as far as the eye can see. &#8220;In the past, we used to grow a variety of crops here, including kodo, kutki, ragi, pulses, and oilseeds. Now, there is nothing but paddy,&#8221; Sahu says. Now in his sixties, Sahu remembers a time when he practiced organic farming in the early 2000s. He used to make manure from cow dung on his farm and saved seeds for the next season. He then had 20 cattle. But things changed when paddy started getting better prices. Today, on his 11 acres of land, he grows only paddy. When asked for the reason, he answers, “It is because of the price of paddy. No matter the variety, the government buys it at ₹3,100 per quintal.” This trend is not unique to Sahu. Recent data highlights a broader transformation in agricultural practices across the state. Over the past five years, the certified area under organic cultivation in the state has shrunk sharply. The area under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) certification was around 23,209 hectares in 2020–21, but by 2024–25, it had fallen to just about 6,822 hectares. This represents a decline of nearly 70%. The area under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), another Indian government scheme launched in 2015-16 to promote sustainable, chemical-free organic farming, has increased from 25,000 ha to more than one lakh ha in the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/05/assured-paddy-prices-reshape-farms/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Centring women in climate-resilient farming</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/centring-women-in-climate-resilient-farming/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/centring-women-in-climate-resilient-farming/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 Jan 2026 10:30:44 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sharmila Vaidyanathan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate-induced migration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme heat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gender]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[India climate policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rural economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rural India]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women in agriculture]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/13155634/Seed-Sowing-in-Kai-Thota_Image-Courtesy-Kai-Thota1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36455</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Conserving Agro-biodiversity and Environment and Her]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Karnataka]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Community based conservation, Environment, Food, Organic Farming, and Villages]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[When Shilpa talks about her work at the community-supported agriculture initiative, Kai Thota (&#8216;home garden&#8217; in Kannada), her pride is palpable. “I was at home before this, but for the last three years, I have been taking good care of the vegetables. There are six of us here and we do everything from planting, watering, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[When Shilpa talks about her work at the community-supported agriculture initiative, Kai Thota (&#8216;home garden&#8217; in Kannada), her pride is palpable. “I was at home before this, but for the last three years, I have been taking good care of the vegetables. There are six of us here and we do everything from planting, watering, weeding, adding manure and harvesting. Everything is organically grown, and we don&#8217;t use any plastic,” says Shilpa. In her brief stint in this patch of land on the outskirts of Bengaluru, Shilpa has witnessed the vagaries of climate impacts, like excessive heat and unseasonal rains, affecting their labour day to day. &#8220;But, I really like what I do. I am happy to see these plants grow under our care,&#8221; she adds. Kai Thota&#8217;s community-supported agriculture model ensures that women like Shilpa get a consistent source of income. More importantly, she is recognised for her work and learns and grows in this model of agriculture, which ensures healthy soils and local biodiversity. According to the Ministry of Labour and Environment, women make up 62.9% of India&#8217;s agricultural workforce. Despite this significant contribution, they own only 12.8% of the land, and nearly 50% of them are unpaid labourers. To top it all, reports reveal how climate change disproportionately impacts women in low and middle-income countries, with female-led households losing $37 billion a year to heat stress and $16 billion a year to flooding. The agricultural sector is particularly vulnerable to climate impacts, as 82% of the country&#8217;s&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/centring-women-in-climate-resilient-farming/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Tribal farmers trace tradition to survive climate variabilities</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/tribal-farmers-trace-tradition-to-survive-climate-variabilities/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/tribal-farmers-trace-tradition-to-survive-climate-variabilities/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Dec 2025 17:18:36 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Ashwini Kumar Shukla]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cultivation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmlands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food systems]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[indigenous knowledge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[native plants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Paddy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rice]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/12/11153246/937797C2-CF84-4D52-A0A2-C0435BEB87BF_1_201_a-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36020</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Indigenous Knowledge]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Ecology, Food, Indigenous Peoples, and Organic Farming]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Jhalo Devi and her husband, Basu Oraon, tried cultivating hybrid paddy for five years. The result? Higher costs, more pesticides, and less nutrition. The couple are third-generation Oraon tribal farmers from Jahupkokotoli village in Gumla district of Jharkhand. Like many farmers in the state, they eventually made a choice — to abandon modern hybrids and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Jhalo Devi and her husband, Basu Oraon, tried cultivating hybrid paddy for five years. The result? Higher costs, more pesticides, and less nutrition. The couple are third-generation Oraon tribal farmers from Jahupkokotoli village in Gumla district of Jharkhand. Like many farmers in the state, they eventually made a choice — to abandon modern hybrids and return to the Indigenous rice their ancestors cultivated for generations. “Look how healthy these grains are,” says 64-year-old Jhalo Devi, standing in a field that defies the usual image of a lush green paddy crop. Under the winter sun, the grains glow like black diamonds. “This is our dehati dhan (native paddy), Kala Jeera.” The reasons are both practical and profound. “Hybrids get a lot of diseases; they don&#8217;t grow without pesticides,” says Basu, 60. In contrast, their Kala Jeera yields well, fetches a premium price, and needs no fertilisers. This shift is not merely about tradition; it is a strategic response to climate change and rising costs. Native varieties have evolved to withstand local adversities. “They have built-in resistance and possess diverse genes. In case of drought, flood, or pest attack, they perform better than hybrids,” explains Brijesh Pandey, scientist at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Gumla. Agroecologist Debal Deb notes that these folk varieties have an “amazing capacity for adaptation,” honed over generations to suit local soil, climate, and pests. Jhalo Devi and Basu Oraon stand in front of their paddy field where they grow native varieties of rice. Image by Ashwini Kumar Shukla. Indigenous&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/tribal-farmers-trace-tradition-to-survive-climate-variabilities/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Local Brazilian producers shape the menu at COP30</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/local-brazilian-producers-shape-the-menu-at-cop30/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/local-brazilian-producers-shape-the-menu-at-cop30/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Nov 2025 16:35:06 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Manish Chandra Mishra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate justice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COP30]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditional farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/11/19125641/IMG_6654-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35665</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Mitigation, Food, Impacts of Climate Change, Indigenous Peoples, and Organic Farming]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Ana Clara Brandão, an 18-year-old physiotherapy student from the Brazilian state of Pará, is spending her days working at Delícias Quilombolas, a family-run food stall that drew some of the longest queues at COP30&#8217;s Blue Zone, the secured, official venue for the ongoing UN climate conference. Her colleague Emily, 20, also a student, explained the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Ana Clara Brandão, an 18-year-old physiotherapy student from the Brazilian state of Pará, is spending her days working at Delícias Quilombolas, a family-run food stall that drew some of the longest queues at COP30&#8217;s Blue Zone, the secured, official venue for the ongoing UN climate conference. Her colleague Emily, 20, also a student, explained the foods laid out in trays and baskets. She said they were serving açaí, biscuits made with Brazil nut, jambu herb and cupuaçu fruit, tapioca with egg and coconut milk, and regional juices prepared from cupuaçu, cacao and acerola. She said these were everyday flavours in Pará but unfamiliar to many delegates at COP30. In the run up to the COP30 which saw visitors from all over the world, the Brazil government put out a public procurement notice requiring restaurants inside the COP30 venue to source at least 30% of their ingredients from family farmers, Indigenous communities, traditional populations and agroecological networks. The sourcing rule was written into a public procurement notice after more than a year of discussion between the government and sustainable food advocates. Na Mesa da COP30, a coalition of over 40 Brazilian organisations, coordinated the mapping of producers and the dialogue with public authorities. Speaking to Mongabay-India, Monica Souza from Comida do Amanhã, one of the organisations leading the coalition, said, “Since Belém was announced as the COP host, we have worked with the government and the UN to map cooperatives and farmers networks so that the food served here is recognised&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/11/local-brazilian-producers-shape-the-menu-at-cop30/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Churpi from mithun milk could boost farmer incomes</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/churpi-from-mithun-milk-could-boost-farmer-incomes/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/churpi-from-mithun-milk-could-boost-farmer-incomes/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 Jun 2025 11:44:59 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Kasturi Das]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cattle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dairy sector]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livestock]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/06/12153704/Mithun-churpi2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=33083</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arunachal Pradesh]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Himalayas and Organic Farming]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Churpi, a variety of hardened cheese, is a popular traditional snack in the Himalayan belt of Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and parts of northeastern India. Primarily made from yak milk, it can also be made using cow or buffalo milk, and even the milk of chauris, a crossbreed of yak and cow. Arunachal Pradesh is known [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Churpi, a variety of hardened cheese, is a popular traditional snack in the Himalayan belt of Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and parts of northeastern India. Primarily made from yak milk, it can also be made using cow or buffalo milk, and even the milk of chauris, a crossbreed of yak and cow. Arunachal Pradesh is known for its Geographical Indication (GI) tagged churpi made from yak milk. Recently, a farmer from the Adi tribe of Arunachal Pradesh has developed churpi made from the milk of mithun — a semi-domesticated bovine species (Bos frontalis) native to Arunachal Pradesh and parts of Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland. Mithun has a very limited geographical distribution. An adult weighs between 400 and 600 kg and its productive life ranges from 16 to 18 years. Mithuns produce one calf every year. Tadang Tamut, who comes from a line of mithun farmers, collaborated with Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s (ICAR) National Research Centre on Mithun (NRCM) in Nagaland, to explore the idea of mithun churpi. Traditionally, yak churpi is fermented and smoked over several months or even years to develop its characteristic hard texture. Although Arunachal Pradesh is known for yak churpi production, the Siang district, where Tamut hails from, has no native yak population and therefore no tradition of making churpi. Instead, the local community rears free-grazing, semi-domesticated mithuns. Since churpi-making is unfamiliar to them, there is no infrastructure for it in the region. Mithuns are also difficult to milk. So, ICAR-NRCM is stepping in to help&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/churpi-from-mithun-milk-could-boost-farmer-incomes/" 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>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![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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					<title>More climate literacy and diversification could help tribal millet farmers adapt to impacts</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/more-climate-literacy-and-diversification-could-help-tribal-millet-farmers-adapt-to-impacts/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/more-climate-literacy-and-diversification-could-help-tribal-millet-farmers-adapt-to-impacts/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>26 Feb 2025 12:40:44 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Simrin Sirur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crop diversification]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crop loss]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Millets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditional farming]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/02/26102143/Finger_Millet_Field_at_Peddamunagalachedu_Village-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31631</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Nature-based Solutions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Impacts of Climate Change, Nature-based Climate Solutions, and Organic Farming]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Perched at more than 1,200 metres above sea level, Kolli Hills, a mountain block in Tamil Nadu’s Namakkal district, is a bastion of millet cultivation. The Malayalis – a tribal community inhabiting the Hills – have cultivated various millets for generations. The advent of climate change, however, is making cultivation more challenging, and its impacts [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Perched at more than 1,200 metres above sea level, Kolli Hills, a mountain block in Tamil Nadu’s Namakkal district, is a bastion of millet cultivation. The Malayalis – a tribal community inhabiting the Hills – have cultivated various millets for generations. The advent of climate change, however, is making cultivation more challenging, and its impacts haven’t gone unnoticed. India launched its Millet Mission in 2023, with the aim of creating awareness and increasing the production and consumption of millets across the country. States such as Tamil Nadu followed suit, introducing schemes that incorporate millets in public food distribution networks and offering subsidies for processed minor millets. However, these schemes not always suitable for the needs of millet farmers in places like Kolli Hills, said Israel Oliver King E.D., Director of Biodiversity at the M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF). “In agro-ecologies where tribal communities are cultivating a diverse bundle of millets, including less popular ones, it needs to be respected and encouraged. With mission-led schemes, there is a risk of homogenisation towards popular varieties,” said King, adding, “The right kind of incentive – either a form of assured procurement for extra millets, or access to processing facilities – can go a long way in ensuring crop diversity and resilience.” Although millets have earned a reputation for being climate resilient, changing weather patterns are adding to the challenges in sowing and harvesting millets. A recent study published in Frontiers in Climate surveyed millet farmers in Kolli Hills and found that changing&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/more-climate-literacy-and-diversification-could-help-tribal-millet-farmers-adapt-to-impacts/" 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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						<item>
					<title>Reviving forgotten wild edibles from paddy fields</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/reviving-forgotten-edibles-from-paddy-fields/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/reviving-forgotten-edibles-from-paddy-fields/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Feb 2025 15:01:15 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sharmila Vaidyanathan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wild foods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wild greens]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/02/07113227/Adiya-women-involved-in-paddy-transplantation._Credit-VipindasJPG-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31410</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Conserving Agro-biodiversity and Nature-based Solutions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Food, and Organic Farming]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In 2014, while walking through her fields in Pollachi town in Tamil Nadu, Sreedevi Lakshmikutty noticed something interesting. Several women from the neighbouring fields were foraging a wild plant that grew abundantly amidst the pulses in her fields. &#8220;I asked the women why they were foraging for this plant, and they explained that they don&#8217;t [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In 2014, while walking through her fields in Pollachi town in Tamil Nadu, Sreedevi Lakshmikutty noticed something interesting. Several women from the neighbouring fields were foraging a wild plant that grew abundantly amidst the pulses in her fields. &#8220;I asked the women why they were foraging for this plant, and they explained that they don&#8217;t find this keerai or edible green in their own fields. They called it Pannai keerai (flamingo feather in Tamil) and even plucked some for me and taught me how to cook it,&#8221; shares Lakshmikutty. As the co-founder of Bio Basics, an organic brand that champions heritage grains and provides market access to several smallholder farmers, Lakshmikutty was intrigued by the wild edibles that graced agricultural lands. In 2017, as part of the Save Our Rice campaign, a movement spearheaded by Kerala-based nonprofit organisation, Thanal, Lakshmikutty co-edited a 180-page report on the evolution of paddy cultivation spotlighting issues surrounding pesticide usage, mono-cropping and the loss of heritage varieties. A small chapter in the report was dedicated to the presence of uncultivated wild greens that grow along paddy fields of Wayanad district in Kerala. The chapter elaborates that these “weeds” offer immense medicinal benefits to the indigenous communities of the region. The report further explains that many of these plants are no longer seen in paddy fields due to the rampant use of pesticides and herbicides. The disappearance of wild greens from paddy fields might have remained a mere footnote in the broader conversation about conventional farming&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/02/reviving-forgotten-edibles-from-paddy-fields/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Climate change-induced pest outbreak in sugarcane fields impact quality of jaggery</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/climate-change-induced-pest-infestation-in-sugarcane-fields-impacts-quality-of-jaggery/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/climate-change-induced-pest-infestation-in-sugarcane-fields-impacts-quality-of-jaggery/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>28 Jan 2025 12:33:44 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Vishal Kumar Jain]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shailesh Shrivastava]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farm produce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[industry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sugarcane]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditional farming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traditional Knowledge]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/01/28093916/P4260470-1200x800-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=31258</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Jharkhand]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Food and Organic Farming]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The wheels of the machine spin fast, making a popping sound. A woman sitting near the machine is rapidly inserting sugarcane between the two wheels of the machine. The juice coming out is being collected in a tin box. Once the juice is extracted, the sugarcane bagasse is placed in the sun to dry. It [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The wheels of the machine spin fast, making a popping sound. A woman sitting near the machine is rapidly inserting sugarcane between the two wheels of the machine. The juice coming out is being collected in a tin box. Once the juice is extracted, the sugarcane bagasse is placed in the sun to dry. It will be used as fuel later. Right in front of the machine, four huge furnaces made of brick and clay are burning vigorously. The heat from these furnaces attempts to escape from the huge cauldrons placed on them. Arun Kumar, who hails from Gondalpura village in Jharkhand and his family members are working hard and fast­ – one person places bagasse in the furnaces, while another removes the impurities from the juice with an iron grate and yet another stirs the thickening juice with a wooden spatula. When you inhale the hot steam rising from the wok, you know that what is being made is special and delicious. This is pure jaggery made in many villages of Barkagaon block of Jharkhand and is supplied to many other states. The preparation of pure jaggery Barkagaon, which falls in the Damodar river valley, is famous for paddy, sugarcane, vegetables and other crops. Jaggery is produced in cottage industries in many villages of the block. Apart from Gondalpura, families in Kandatri, Harli, Simratari, Dunditaad, Balodar, Talaswar, Vishrampur, Sonpura and Mirzapur are currently engaged in making jaggery in more than 100 small-scale industries. The jaggery-making season starts in Diwali&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/01/climate-change-induced-pest-infestation-in-sugarcane-fields-impacts-quality-of-jaggery/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Your Environment This Week: Tigers in the hood, indigenous cattle, Rooftop farming</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/11/your-environmenth-this-week-tigers-in-the-hood-indigenous-cattle-rooftop-farming/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/11/your-environmenth-this-week-tigers-in-the-hood-indigenous-cattle-rooftop-farming/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>29 Nov 2024 18:00:57 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Mongabay India]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Saumitrashinde]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/11/27155806/signal-2024-11-27-155640_002-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=30532</guid>

					
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities and Towns, Elephants, Organic Farming, and Tigers]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[This week’s environment and conservation news stories rolled into one. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch the latest high quality, original video stories from nature’s frontline in India. To receive a weekly email roundup of stories, please sign-up for our newsletter. Unlocking the secrets of the grooving gibbons New research show that adult female [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[This week’s environment and conservation news stories rolled into one. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch the latest high quality, original video stories from nature’s frontline in India. To receive a weekly email roundup of stories, please sign-up for our newsletter. Unlocking the secrets of the grooving gibbons New research show that adult female crested gibbons perform captivating dances in both captive and wild settings. Indigenous livestock breeds have evolved to brave harsh climates Research efforts are now directed towards identifying the genetic markers that contribute to these resilience traits. No-fuss approach to food helps golden jackals thrive A wide-ranging diet of of golden jackals may be contributing to their successful distribution and survival. The missing tigers of Ranthambore Recurring disappearance of tigers from Ranthambore National Park raises concerns about wildlife management at the park. Fungus, not kodo millet, responsible for Bandhavgarh elephant deaths Initial investigations into the elephant deaths revealed traces of a type of poison in their stomachs. Living in fear as tigers leave the woods for the hood Chandrapur district in Maharashtra is at the epicenter of human-tiger conflicts, with fatalities from tiger attacks on the rise. The mental health of residents living on the frontlines of these conflicts is severely impacted, with fear, anxiety, and unresolved grief palpable among the families of victims and survivors of tiger attacks. Speaking with Nature: Ramachandra Guha discusses his new book &amp; Indian environmentalism In this episode of the Mongabay Session, S. Gopikrishnan Warrier, Managing Editor of Mongabay India,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/11/your-environmenth-this-week-tigers-in-the-hood-indigenous-cattle-rooftop-farming/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>[Commentary] From fallow to forest: Letting nature regenerate</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/commentary-from-fallow-to-forest-letting-nature-regenerate/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/commentary-from-fallow-to-forest-letting-nature-regenerate/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Oct 2024 13:55:22 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[T. Ramakrishnan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sandhya Sekar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/10/17131728/IMG-20241017-WA0025-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=29832</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Everyday Solutions and Nature-based Solutions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Organic Farming, Trees, and Water]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[I was a computer engineer by training, but I was increasingly exposed to environmental, economic, social, and political issues. I started looking for ways to both reduce my eco-footprint and contribute positively to addressing those issues. That, combined with my rural upbringing, gave me enough impetus to quit my job in the hope of doing [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[I was a computer engineer by training, but I was increasingly exposed to environmental, economic, social, and political issues. I started looking for ways to both reduce my eco-footprint and contribute positively to addressing those issues. That, combined with my rural upbringing, gave me enough impetus to quit my job in the hope of doing something good for society. My mother (T. Sayammal) and an older sister (R. Selvamani) were also keen on returning to our rural roots. They had enough experience, knowledge, and enthusiasm for such a move. We then started looking for land to buy. We were particular about not buying land that was being farmed since we had planned to use most of the land we buy for purposes other than farming. Around that time the organic farming movement was gaining a foot hold in our state. Participating in meetings and other outreach programs with members of that movement, we came to know people in many parts of the state who has some similar interests as us. Thanks to one such new friend, S. R. Sundararaman, we came to know that this parcel of land was up for sale. This is the story of our work on 37 acres of land in Erode district, Tamil Nadu, that was lying fallow when we bought it in 2002. A small portion was being used for rain-fed cultivation. We learned from local farmers that this sparsely forested area was gradually converted to farmland by settlers moving in from other areas,&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/commentary-from-fallow-to-forest-letting-nature-regenerate/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Can organic farmers’ markets encourage chemical-free farming?</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/can-organic-farmers-markets-encourage-chemical-free-farming/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/can-organic-farmers-markets-encourage-chemical-free-farming/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 Oct 2024 12:15:02 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chemical intensive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health impacts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[organic farming]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/10/15102140/ANC_5807-scaled-e1728969536183-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=29895</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Nature-based Solutions]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Health impacts, Impacts of Climate Change, and Organic Farming]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Horticulture Centre, located across from the renowned Sim&#8217;s Park in Coonoor, was set to welcome organic farmers from the Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu on June 29, 2024. The centre aimed to provide a platform for farmers to sell their chemical-free produce directly to customers. Organised by the Tamil Nadu Department of Horticulture in [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Horticulture Centre, located across from the renowned Sim&#8217;s Park in Coonoor, was set to welcome organic farmers from the Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu on June 29, 2024. The centre aimed to provide a platform for farmers to sell their chemical-free produce directly to customers. Organised by the Tamil Nadu Department of Horticulture in collaboration with The Nilgiris Organic Horticulture Farmers’ Association (TOHFA), the Coonoor farmers&#8217; market is second such attempt in the district, after the success of a similar one in Ooty (officially, Udhagamandalam), another town in the Nilgiris district. “The Ooty market attracts a lot of tourists, but we expect a more consistent, resident crowd here,” Nimmi John of non-profit The Earth Trust and one of the organisers of the market, told Mongabay India, a day before the launch. A buzzing organic farmers&#8217; market in Coonoor. Such markets are being organised in the Nilgiris to encourage chemical-free farming and to create a market for organic farmers. Image by Abhishek N. Chinnappa/Mongabay. At 10 a.m. the following day, the centre welcomed a handful of farmers from across the district and a steady stream of customers eager to purchase fresh, chemical-free produce. The diversity of offerings was impressive: wild greens, local seasonal fruits and vegetables, pickles, dried nuts, and spices, alongside familiar staples. Athishta Kumar, a pear farmer, sold hundreds of pears within the first couple of hours of the market opening. “I have 40 pear trees on one acre of land, which give me a good yield,” Kumar&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/can-organic-farmers-markets-encourage-chemical-free-farming/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Indian farmers choose cocoa amid global shortage</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/indian-farmers-choose-cocoa-amid-global-shortage/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/indian-farmers-choose-cocoa-amid-global-shortage/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 Oct 2024 13:15:33 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rashi Goel]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cacao]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chocolate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cocoa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/10/01045303/Image-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=29745</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Climate Change, and Organic Farming]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Naveena Krishna Shastry C.G., aged 47, owns a 20-acre large multi-crop farm in Punacha, Karnataka. Here, amidst his primary crops of coconut and areca nuts, he grows cacao trees. The Campco chocolate factory, around 15 kilometres from the farm, is one of his biggest customers. He also sells to a few artisanal chocolate brands. Naveena’s [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Naveena Krishna Shastry C.G., aged 47, owns a 20-acre large multi-crop farm in Punacha, Karnataka. Here, amidst his primary crops of coconut and areca nuts, he grows cacao trees. The Campco chocolate factory, around 15 kilometres from the farm, is one of his biggest customers. He also sells to a few artisanal chocolate brands. Naveena’s father, C.K. Gangadhara Shastry, began to grow cacao on their farm 50 years ago. “Cadbury India (a commercial chocolate brand) was helping farmers to start growing cacao back in the 1970s. Since it is an intercrop and grows well when planted between rows of coconut and areca nut, my father decided to start growing it,” he shares. Cadbury India (now Mondelez India) spread cacao cultivation to Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu after a pilot project in Kerala where they managed to grow cacao successfully on an experimental farm in 1965. India however, is not among the world’s largest producers of cocoa (from the cacao trees) and until recently, India had been importing to fulfil around 70% of its cocoa requirements. Around 70% of the world’s supply of cocoa comes from the leading cocoa-producing countries of West Africa. However, recently, West Africa faced a cocoa crop failure in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon &#8211; countries that account for a majority of the world’s cocoa. Challenges such as ageing trees and disease coupled with erratic rainfall and a heat wave inhibited the growth of cocoa flowers and pods and resulted in a massive shortage of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/10/indian-farmers-choose-cocoa-amid-global-shortage/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>[Commentary] Challenges in scaling natural farming with bio-input resource centres</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/commentary-challenges-in-scaling-natural-farming-with-bio-input-resource-centres/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/commentary-challenges-in-scaling-natural-farming-with-bio-input-resource-centres/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>15 Aug 2024 10:00:30 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Joshua LoboM. Manjula]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Natural Farming]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/08/15044512/pexels-equalstock-20238488-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=29023</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Conserving Agro-biodiversity]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Chhattisgarh and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture and Organic Farming]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In the union budget 2024, the emphasis on low-carbon farming practices, breeding crops for climate stress, and a non-populistic approach, seemed to be the hallmark for agriculture. The cut in fertiliser allocation is a bold political move, given the upward trend in fertiliser consumption observed since 2017. The call for breeding for climate stress tolerance [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In the union budget 2024, the emphasis on low-carbon farming practices, breeding crops for climate stress, and a non-populistic approach, seemed to be the hallmark for agriculture. The cut in fertiliser allocation is a bold political move, given the upward trend in fertiliser consumption observed since 2017. The call for breeding for climate stress tolerance brings much needed focus back on agricultural research. The commitment to transitioning one crore farmers to natural farming, while adopting a value chain and branding approach is commendable for its mitigation emphasis. However, forward linkages through branding and certification, and the backward linkage through the bio-input resource centres (BRCs) would help ensure sustainability of this transition. Certification would help distinguish natural farming outputs and fetch premium prices for products and improve profitability. Whereas, BRCs will provide farmers access to bio resources in which animal manure, neem and bio culture play an important role. The government intends to set up 10,000 need-based bio-input resource centres (BRCs). This proposal will help address issues of raw material paucity, high maintenance cost of cattle, and the labour-intensiveness of bio-input production processes, which are the most cited factors that limit natural and other non-chemical input-based farming practices from being scaled up. Read more: Budget balances coalition demands, job challenges and green initiatives Organic and natural farming policies The budget is high on intent with specific commitments on transitioning farming in India to a low-carbon pathway. However, the real test of the commitment will be in its translation on ground. A&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/08/commentary-challenges-in-scaling-natural-farming-with-bio-input-resource-centres/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Rising temperatures alter insect-crop interactions and impact agricultural productivity</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/rising-temperatures-alter-insect-crop-interactions-and-impact-agricultural-productivity/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/rising-temperatures-alter-insect-crop-interactions-and-impact-agricultural-productivity/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 May 2024 14:15:15 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sharmila Vaidyanathan]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[insects]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/05/07122117/28-spotted_potato_ladybird_beetle_25118595684-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=27696</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Climate Connections and Conserving Agro-biodiversity]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Food, Global Warming, Insects, and Organic Farming]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In September 2023, Rajesh Krishnan, farmer and CEO of the Thirunelly Agri Producer Company Ltd. in Wayanad, Kerala, noticed something strange in the region&#8217;s paddy crops. The crops began displaying onion-like shoots, leaving Krishnan and the other members of the FPO (farmer producer organisation) flummoxed by the unknown occurrence. “By the time we realised that [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[In September 2023, Rajesh Krishnan, farmer and CEO of the Thirunelly Agri Producer Company Ltd. in Wayanad, Kerala, noticed something strange in the region&#8217;s paddy crops. The crops began displaying onion-like shoots, leaving Krishnan and the other members of the FPO (farmer producer organisation) flummoxed by the unknown occurrence. “By the time we realised that something was wrong and got the regional agricultural station to intervene, we were already in the midst of a widespread pest attack,” Krishnan shares. The onion shoot is a signature trait of the rice gall midge, a mosquito-like insect known to attack paddy crops. The pest has a short life cycle of 15-20 days and the affected tillers (grain-bearing branches) fail to produce paddy as the larva feeds on the growing shoot. Yield damages range around 30-40% of the crops, depending on the region. Apart from the onion shoot, the presence of deformed leaves and tube-like eggs are also symptoms of a gall midge infestation. &#8220;Earlier, the main pests that we looked for were leafrollers and stem borers. We are all organic farmers and we use natural procedures to prevent an infestation by stem borers, which usually surface once every three or four years. Leafrollers are a regular feature, but they are manageable pests. We have never witnessed a gall midge attack on our farms, so we were completely unprepared for it,&#8221; explains Krishnan. He adds that the pest attack reduced their paddy yields by 50%. A rice bug on a rice plant. Photo from&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/rising-temperatures-alter-insect-crop-interactions-and-impact-agricultural-productivity/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Say cheese! Traditional pastoralists embrace innovation with artisanal cheese</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/say-cheese-traditional-pastoralists-embrace-innovation-with-artisanal-cheese/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/say-cheese-traditional-pastoralists-embrace-innovation-with-artisanal-cheese/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Dec 2023 11:35:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Azera Parveen Rahman]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[artisanal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cheese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traditional farming]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/12/25105259/Cheesemakers-Arpan-Kalotra-and-Bhimsinhbhai-Ghangal-of-Panchal-Dairy-making-goat-milk-cheese-in-Kachchh-Gujarat-min-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=25808</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Eco Hope and Indigenous Knowledge]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Gujarat and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Environment, and Organic Farming]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[At a cheese-tasting event in Chennai recently, one of the cheese varieties on display was marinated feta from fresh goat milk. It was made in a small cheese-making unit in Sayla, a village in the Kachchh district in Gujarat, by two young men of the maldhari or pastoral community, Arpan Kalotra and Bhimsinhbhai Ghangal. Panchal [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[At a cheese-tasting event in Chennai recently, one of the cheese varieties on display was marinated feta from fresh goat milk. It was made in a small cheese-making unit in Sayla, a village in the Kachchh district in Gujarat, by two young men of the maldhari or pastoral community, Arpan Kalotra and Bhimsinhbhai Ghangal. Panchal Dairy, a venture started in January 2022 by Kalotra and Ghangal, is one of a motley group of artisanal cheesemakers who are spearheading a niche yet steadily growing artisanal cheese market in India. Panchal Dairy makes 10 varieties of cheese — chèvre, halloumi and marinated feta from fresh goat milk; aged goat-cheese varieties tomme and tymsboro; and ricotta, pecorino and manchego in the specialty sheep-cheese variety. Since goat milk is available only for seven months a year, aged cheese is an alternate option for the rest of the months. Feta cheese by Camel Charisma in Rajasthan. Photo by Camel Charisma. Artisanal cheese stands out in a growing cheese market India’s cheese market was valued at Rs. 71.3 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow to Rs. 262.6 billion by 2028, exhibiting a growth rate of 24.06 percent, according to the market research agency IMARC. Aakriti Srivastava, the founder of Bahula Naturals which makes camel milk cheese in Rajasthan, the CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of artisanal cheese “shows an upward trend of 22 percent”. She dedicated the growing interest for artisanal cheese largely to the upward mobility of the people in the cities. Camel&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/say-cheese-traditional-pastoralists-embrace-innovation-with-artisanal-cheese/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Kerala farmers go bananas over diversity</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/kerala-farmers-go-bananas-over-diversity/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/kerala-farmers-go-bananas-over-diversity/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>20 Dec 2023 17:29:28 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Arathi Menon]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agrobiodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[banana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmer]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/12/20162628/ANC_30-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=25750</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Indigenous Knowledge]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Kerala]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Biodiversity, Conservation, and Organic Farming]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“Every district in Kerala has its favourite banana,” said Nishanth K., a 49-year-old banana farmer, from Kerala’s Wayanad district, who has over 250 varieties of bananas on his farm. “Wayanad and Kannur like mannan (a type of banana). Chenkadali (red banana of Cavendish variety) is very popular and culturally significant in Thiruvananthapuram and is sold [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[“Every district in Kerala has its favourite banana,” said Nishanth K., a 49-year-old banana farmer, from Kerala’s Wayanad district, who has over 250 varieties of bananas on his farm. “Wayanad and Kannur like mannan (a type of banana). Chenkadali (red banana of Cavendish variety) is very popular and culturally significant in Thiruvananthapuram and is sold there for a handsome Rs. 80 a bunch, whereas in Wayanad, it fetches only one-fourth the price. Peyan, grown mostly in Tamil Nadu, is a favourite in Kollam district but not so much anywhere else,” he explained. His farm is nothing short of a museum of bananas, showcasing rare varieties from across the globe. Some unusual but native varieties include perumpadali which bears fruit bunches that can grow up to five feet in size, krishnavazha with a black stem and leaves and pachachingan which has fruits that remain green even after they ripen. There is also the stunningly red-leaved Siang Ruby from Thailand, Walking or Running Banana that propagates its suckers (saplings) at least five feet away from the main tree and the very curious looking Praying Hands from Philippines that has fruits that resemble two palms in prayer with each “hand” typically made up of six to seven individual fruits fused with each other. Different varieties of harvested bananas on Nishanth&#8217;s farm where he grows about 250 varieties of the fruit. Photo by Abhishek N. Chinnappa/Mongabay. Why everyone loves a good banana Native to tropical Asia, banana is believed to have originated along the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/kerala-farmers-go-bananas-over-diversity/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Reviving anyat millet to reconnect a community with its culinary roots</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/reviving-anyat-millet-to-reconnect-a-community-with-its-culinary-roots/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/reviving-anyat-millet-to-reconnect-a-community-with-its-culinary-roots/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Dec 2023 14:09:55 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sanskrita Bharadwaj]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Arathimenon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[agriculture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Millets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tradition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[women-based rural enterprises]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2023/12/18105913/Founder-of-Gepo-Aali-Dimum-Pertin-centre-with-the-women-farmers-of-Sibuk-village-in-Upper-Siang-district-of-Arunachal-Pradesh-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=25718</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Conserving Agro-biodiversity, Eco Hope, and Indigenous Knowledge]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arunachal Pradesh and India]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Community based conservation, Environmental Economics, and Organic Farming]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As she grew old, the late Mati Pertin, who passed away at 97, craved the food that she grew up eating. She missed anyat millet dearly. It used to be a staple during her youth, when she lived in Damro village in Upper Siang region of Arunachal Pradesh, said her granddaughter Dimum Pertin. Now, the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As she grew old, the late Mati Pertin, who passed away at 97, craved the food that she grew up eating. She missed anyat millet dearly. It used to be a staple during her youth, when she lived in Damro village in Upper Siang region of Arunachal Pradesh, said her granddaughter Dimum Pertin. Now, the traditional millet is being cultivated only by a handful of farmers. Mati belonged to the indigenous Adi community in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. Considered one of the most populous tribes in the state, the Adi community is spread across the districts of Siang, East Siang, Upper Siang, West Siang, Lower Dibang Valley, Lohit and Namsai. Millet varieties such as Job&#8217;s tears or adlay (called anyat in Adi) and foxtail millet (locally called ayak), have been traditionally grown and consumed in the state. As Dimum Pertin was desperately looking for anyat for her grandmother, she felt a need to preserve it. An entrepreneur and a development studies professional, Pertin had also done a course in agroecology. She started her own venture, Gepo Aali, which translates to “the seed of comfort” and works in collaboration with local and indigenous farmers to revive specific tastes and lost cultural practices around millets. “Children of the Adi community do not know what anyat is, since we grow so little these days,” Pertin said. She also plans to revive other traditional crops that have faded into oblivion similarly. Around a year old, Gepo Aali specifically works on reviving the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2023/12/reviving-anyat-millet-to-reconnect-a-community-with-its-culinary-roots/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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