Food Security From Sustainable Agriculture, India

Summary

Create tangible changes in natural environment using community-based approach involving conservation and sustainable agriculture. Ensure food needs are met with livestock, horticulture, and seed-banks

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

The Thar Desert is an extremely arid and drought prone region that suffers from acute water shortage and crop failures. Small farmers depend on the monsoon, which can be erratic and unpredictable. There is a lack of crop diversification and due to limited resources, farmers leave their land fallow for most of the year. Labor-intensive farming methods, excessive reliance on high yield seeds use of fertilizers and pesticides leads to soil degradation and an increase in the cost of farming.

How will this project solve this problem?

Drought-preparedness training and capacity building. Bio-fertilizers from local materials that build plant nutrients and improve soil quality; seed bank to store and preserve traditional seeds; horticulture to increase income and supplement nutrition

Potential Long Term Impact

Ensure food security through sustainable resource management programs that take a community-based approach to creating tangible and positive changes in the natural environment, as well as in the lives of the poor.

Project Message

The GRAVIS approach puts the community at the center of action in a manner that resources are within their reach and they control. The activities are locally relevant, easily adaptable, and scalable.
- Balu Iyer, IDEX, Asia Program Director

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Excel file (projdoc.xls).

Resources