Agroecology Gains Momentum: Expert Calls For Sustainable Farming Practices In NE

Agroecology is a method of agriculture that applies ecological principles to create sustainable and reasonable farming systems, encompassing a broader perspective that includes fairness, natural resource management, circular economy principles, and social equity, such as women's rights.

Traditional farming practices have always been closely aligned with agroecological principles in India's northeastern region, and with rapid changes in agricultural methods, it is crucial to ensure that modernization does not compromise ecological balance or community well-being.

Business North East (BNE) conducted an exclusive interview with Minhaj Ameen, Co-ordinator of Consortium for Agroecological Transformations (CAT), a pan India, remotely working platform, who spoke at length about agroecology and the scope of agroecology in the northeastern region.

Here are the excerpts from the Q&A interview:

BNE: What is the scope of agroecology in the Northeastern region?

Minhaj Ameen: If you see traditional agriculture practices in the northeast, they are based on agroecological principles and have always kept community and nature in mind. But, the scenario is now transitioning in India and worldwide. So, we must be careful as adopting new agricultural practices may destroy the ecosystem and the communities and usurp their rights.

BNE: Do you think agroecology is affordable for poor farmers?

Minhaj Ameen: Agroecology is, first and foremost, about the rights and well-being of farmers. If farmers do not yield results in terms of sovereignty in agricultural practice, income, and reduced drudgery, then it is far from agroecological.

BNE: How many partnerships have you established to promote the cause?

Minhaj Ameen: If you think about Sikkim, it is an organic state. Their kind of agroecological approach is unique. It is a work in progress, and more can be done to make it work for the community and the farmers. The natural farming process is a form of agroecology supported by the government of India, with several states embracing it. District collectors are leveraging this new approach backed by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). It also has the support of many bilateral and global institutions.

BNE: How do you create awareness about agroecology?

Minhaj Ameen: India has over 100 million farmers, many of whom are marginal farmers working in extremely diverse agroclimatic zones. Our proposed agroecology approaches aim to enhance nutritional security for the country, farmer income, and a healthy ecosystem. Some of our partners have been implementing this across the country under different names - such as natural farming, sustainable agriculture, permaculture, organic agriculture, climate-smart agriculture, etc. While these approaches focus on specific aspects, agroecology serves as a broader framework that goes beyond farm practices, integrating farmers' rights, knowledge management, circularity, and natural resource management.

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BNE: What is the spread of agroecological farming in the coming?

Minhaj Ameen: The term Agroecology came later. Organic agriculture has been happening in the country for hundreds of years. We have lost it due to chemical agriculture that came in the 60s and 70s to some degree. Many people are going back to it. The data would be difficult. Some people would have adopted it partially, and some have adopted it completely. One can say that around 2-5 per cent of the country is involved in agroecological agriculture.

BNE: What kind of international cooperation your consortium is having?

Minhaj Ameen: Yes, we have many international donors and FAO, the agroecology coalition, and many other institutions supporting the work.

BNE: What is the future of agroecology in the country?

Minhaj Ameen: Our ambition is that in the next 10 years, we will help 40 million small and marginal farmers transition towards agroecology. 

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BNE: Please share some of your success stories/achievements.

Minhaj Ameen: We are just 18 months old, and our work is still in its early stages. We are standing on the shoulders of efforts made by hundreds of heroes, leaders, and dozens and dozens of organizations who have done this work. There are indeed some partial success stories across the country. Andhra Pradesh and RySS have done this work at scale.

In Orissa, the Orissa Millet Mission is in progress, under which millets are being promoted. It is a kind of agroecology. We have many districts in the country that have been declared organic.