There is an alternative to expensive high yielding agriculture which uses destructive chemical fertilizers. Swanirvar can successfully demonstrate how it is possible to survive on the basis of carefully planned optimum utilization of natural resources. Several farmers groups have been formed and they are convinced that there is an alternative to high yielding agriculture. Farmers have also created grain banks to protect themselves against bad times.

In addition we encourage the creation of vegetable gardens using the hitherto unutilized spaces of the household so that an option other than the market can be created.

The area where Swanirvar works is characterized by very high density of population and intensive high yielding agriculture. Therefore introducing the concept of sustainable agriculture in a region like this is a huge challenge. Swanirvar achieved has key interventions in:

• Soil and water conservation,
• Alternative pest management,
• Improving soil fertility with organic and bio-fertilizers,
• Use of non-conventional crops and plants,
• Popularization of integrated farming system,
• Socially useful tree planting,
• Food processing and preservation,
• Village level food storage and grain bank,
• Promotion of kitchen gardens as a useful alternative to buying vegetables from the market, and
• Promotion of herbal medicine.

Apart from this several trials have been conducted. Some of them are;

• Cropping system - mixed/inter cropping, poyra/relay crop;
• Nutrient - dhonche, azolla, subabul, gliricidia, compost, vermicompost, compost tea, rhizobium, azotobacter, rock phosphate, etc.;
• Soil water conservation - mulching, pedal pump;
• Cereals - wheat, maize, deep water rice, hira, basmati;
• Pulses/legumes - masur, mug, arahar, khesari, kalai, bakla, rajam, French bean, field pea, gai mug, aman barbati;
• Oilseeds- groundnut, sesame, linseed, sunflower, soybean; and
• Vegetables-ranga-alu, khamalu, mukhi kochu, pui saak, cassava.

There has steadily been a greater understanding of the need for sustainable agriculture among the farmers of the region. One of the remarkable cases has been that of Uday Das, who fell ill because of the use of chemical fertilizers, and then switched over to organic fertilizers and is now one of the leading proponents of the cause in the region.

Swanirvar has been keen in promoting kitchen gardening for the past 5 years in 9 villages in 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Women were encouraged to grow fruits and vegetables in their backyards to supply or augment the nutritional needs of their families.

After just two seasons of her garden, Kobita Mondal relates that, "We have already consumed all that we can, have given some to the neighbors and sold some in the market, and still we’re getting something from our backyard." Kobita’s garden consists of a 300 square foot plot near their home, planted with more than 30 kinds of fruits and vegetables.

News Flash!

November 27, 2005

Ananda Bazar

Patrika

English Translation

(MS Word)

Bengali Op-Ed piece (PDF)

on SHIKSHAMITRA