Millions of farmers in remote rural areas of India struggle to feed themselves and their families. At the same time, their environment - the resources on which they depend - is deteriorating daily: their yields decline as erosion and deforestation gnaw at vital resources, and wells run dry as the groundwater sinks. Driven ever further into debt by the pressure to pay for expensive yet unnecessary inputs, thousands of desperate farmers have taken their own lives. It does not have to be so. This book shows how sustainable agriculture can help India's farmers - especially those in poor, remote areas - pull themselves out of poverty. It details 14 examples of how development initiatives have helped farmers in some of the remotest parts of the country break out of the cycle of poverty, debt and environmental degradation, and improve their lives and livelihoods through agriculture that is economically, ecologically and socially sustainable. These examples cover organic agriculture, land and water management, and strategies to improve market access for small-scale farmers. The examples in this book have been chosen not only because they have been successful - but also because they can be replicated on a large scale. The analysis and lessons can be applied to a wide variety of situations, not just in India, but also throughout the world. Such large-scale application is vital if the Millennium Development Goals of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger and ensuring environmental sustainability are to be met. Sustainet is an initiative of the German Council for Sustainable Development in partnership with Bread for the World, German Agro Action, Misereor and GTZ (in Germany) and local organizations in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Contents
Published 2006 by GTZ Sustainet. Download full text
Also available from the Sustainet website, www.sustainet.org Role of Paul Mundy: Writeshop manager, editing, desktop publishing, overall responsibility for production |
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