Themes

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.

VISIT THIS SECTION

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.    

visit this section

In Orissa 80% of the total population depends on agriculture. 83~86% farmers are smal 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.

VISIT THIS SECTION

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.

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 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.

visit this section

We need farming systems which would sustain and improve agriculture, improve community food sovereignty. We want to move towards establishing farming systems that are appropriate for and tolerant towards a specific area. Farmers need to gain more control over the production resources and managing the support systems.  They need help in dealing with risks, vulnerabilities and environmental change, including climate change.

Sustainable agriculture is based on the principle that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Orissa is the Indian state that is most affected by climate change. The states ecology and weather have undergone a noticable change. The last years it has been prone to severely extreme weather conditions. The people have almost yearly been shifted between floods and droughts, resulting in many casualties. The already dry lands are drying up even more, while the flood prone areas get more drowned. This already has shown its undeniable impact on agriculture in the state. If nothing is done, we have to worry for the future.

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.

visit this section