Sustainable Small-Scale Farming

AGRAGAMEE | India’s small-scale farmers are increasingly under stress: shrinking cultivable land, large corporations dominating seed and pesticide markets as well as the effects of climate change make it more and more difficult for Indian farmers to sustain themselves. With the support of RLS, Agragamee develops alternative modes farming with Odisha’s Adivasi communities to achieve food sovereignty and sustainable resource management.

Agragamee conducts regular trainings for Adivasi farmers on topics like multi-crop farming, ecological pest control or integrated land, water and forest management. In cooperation with local grassroots organisations, they aim to combine existing knowledge of the community with new farming  techniques to strengthen the communities’ resilience as well as independence from large companies. Throughout the cooperation, Agragamee will conduct field based research on the challenges and progresses in food sovereignty of the local population. Firstly, these results will be communicated to farmers and grassroots organisations in dissemination workshops to directly benefit local communities. Secondly, the research findings will be published to increase the public awareness for the situation of Adivasi farmers.

These agricultural activities are embedded within Agragamee’s overall work, which follows a more comprehensive approach and encompasses different aspects of village life. With their eco village concept, for example, they also address topics like children education, cleanliness and hygiene at public places, or countering alcoholism. Decisions are made democratically in the village community and Agragamee especially encourages women and landless families to make their voices heard. The project has been successfully completed in 2019.