Themes
Themes
We feel the need to share the experience we have gathered by working on the field. In this section you can find more in depth articles on issues Living Farms is working on. This section will be the gradually increasing back-bone of our work.
The Dongria Kondh
The dongria kondh are an indigenous group living in the remote hills of the Niyamgiri range in the South of Orissa. The hill is not only their god but also their home and livelihood. For hundreds of years they have lived there in a sustainable way. In this section you can find articles about the Dongria.
Rice in Orissa
Orissa is the birthplace of Rice. For centuries rice has played an important role in it's culture and Religion. The international "Save Our Rice" campaign wants to save this rich tradition. In this new section you can find in-depth articles on rice in Orissa.
Agriculture in Orissa
In Orissa 80% of the total population depends on agriculture. 83~86% farmers are small and marginal and 48% farmer house holds in indebted. Today, Orissa stands at a crossroads.It can either intensify its agriculture further by continuing to adopt a model of more external inputs including GM seeds which would tighten the control of external agents on food & farming systems and disempower the people.We need farming system which would sustain and improve agriculture, improve food sovereignty.We want to move towards establishing farming systems that are appropriate for and tolerant towards a specific area. In this section you can find more in-dept of articles on it.
INDIA: A second Green Revolution is not the answer
by Living Farms and GRAIN
India's Union Government is allocating some US$ 86.3 million to push a Green Revolution into India's eastern states. It is a hefty sum to bring a ghost back to life. But it is not just the amount that farmers, activists, scientists and consumer groups were raising their voices against at a recent workshop in Odisha. It is the government's disregard for the alternatives that exist and the havoc that the Green Revolution has already wreaked on the country.
Read more: INDIA: A second Green Revolution is not the answer
Food sovereignty
Our seeds, our sovereignty
Living Farms works together with landless, marginal and small farmers to establish sustainable farming system which would empower communities to uphold their food sovereignty.
One of our core objectives is food sovereignty. The right to safe and nutritious food produced through environment friendly, culturally appropriate and sustainable agriculture systems.
Indigenous Seeds Festival
Many traditional seeds varieties are almost lost. Fortunately there are remarkable and positive community conservation initiatives like the Indigenous Seeds Festival. This colourful celebration was organised by Lok Vikash Sangathan, a local farmers' organisation and networking partner of Living Farms.
Genetic engineering
Genetic Modification in agriculture threatens people's food sovereignty. It can put an end to crop biodiversity. This technology allows a few multinationals to have total control over agriculture thus displacing the farmer. Unintended side-effects of GM can be harmful to those who consume it, to those who grow it and to the environment.
Case Studies
Many people have to face hard times because they come in touch with the negative aspects of new technologies. But things are not only going the wrong way. Initiatives are taken to improve the conditions of the people in the field. We find it is our duty to show you what is really happening on the field. Regularly we will publish a case study of one of our field workers in this section.
