Indian agriculture has changed. From earlier a lifestyle to now livelihood, our farming has journeyed through revolutions. Food production increased but so did the problems of depleting soil fertility and rising debt. The green is fading and an evolution is now sought.
This video is an interview with Ardhendu S. Chatterjee, Executive Director, Development Research Communication and Services Centre (DRCSC), Kolkata who narrates the rise and fall of Indian farming system and the transitions it has undergone. The attempt at accelerating the production of food, brought in its wake tons of problems. It took some time to realize that the chemical pesticides killed more than just the pests.
The organic system of farming now seems to have arrived. While organic farming has its benefits, Ardhendu Chatterjee brings to light a holistic system of farming that has its roots in the local culture, local resources and local knowledge. This system of farming, known as ecological agriculture or sustainable agriculture integrates local plants, animals, birds in a manner that they complement each other, increase productivity of the soil and income of the farmer through the processing of agricultural waste. A beautiful conspiracy of nature !
Ardhendu Sekhar Chatterjee is the Executive Director of DRCSC and specializes in the fields of sustainable agriculture and natural resource management for food and livelihood security, participatory learning and evaluation, farm/ecosystem design, design of teaching and learning aids, nutrition gardening, eco-farming and agro ecological development planning.
