On May 29, the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayong), the premier policy ‘Think Tank’ of the Government of India, organized a convention with international experts with the aim of promoting agroecological agriculture in India. The experts united on the importance of producing food free of fertilizers, agrochemicals and pesticides,...

Bamboo and rattan are ideal resources for development that integrates poverty reduction and environmental sustainability, and INBAR’s priority is giving people at all levels the knowledge and skills they need for long-term development involving bamboo and rattan. Therefore, preserving bamboo extends its life and maintains its quality. Bamboo culms are...

Poor farmers in marginal areas continue to grow old crop varieties that are often susceptible to pests and disease, and which are less suited to current constraints and opportunities experienced by farmers. These farmers have had little exposure to new varieties, whilst those that have been released are often not...

Blowfly infestation of traditionally processed fish is a serious problem that results in significant physical and economic losses. It also leads to the unregulated use of inappropriate and hazardous insecticides by fish processors in some developing countries. This manual provides guidance on the biology of blowfly infestation and its control....

Bhavnaben Suthar of Dungarpur, India is a farmer and master trainer for SEWA Manager Ni School. She grows various crops including wheat, chana, and sarso in her farmland. The majority of farmers in their area also grows vegetables. However, their livelihood is deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As her farm...

It is now harvest season in Sagwara district in India. However, the country was placed under lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19. In effect, harvesting machines and laborers are not allowed to go outside or to travel to other villages. Without help from laborers, farmers will not be able...

Stock assessment tools and fishery management guidelines were synthesised into a framework guide. The guide assists fisheries managers in using Fisheries Management Science Programme (FMSP) stock assessment tools. It describes a process for writing and implementing a fishery management plan and shows how stock assessment tools can support fishery managers...

In Gamda Bamaniya village in India, many farmers cultivate wheat. However, right now they face challenges in terms of their livelihood. It is the harvest season now, but due to the lockdown being implemented in the country to stop the spread of COVID-19, laborers from other villages cannot travel to...

Vermiwash is the liquid that is collected after water passes through compost made by  earthworms. It is rich in plant growth hormones, micro-nutrients, and major nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.

Fruit flies are a major constraint to the production and export of fruit and vegetables in South Asia. Two techniques were developed. Bait Application Technique (BAT), in which food baits are mixed with a small amount of insecticide to attract and kill adults. Male Annihilation Technique (MAT) is where synthetic...

During a convention organized by the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog), international experts endorsed the significant efforts to boost agroecological and natural farming approaches in India. NITI Aayog highlighted the transformation and renewal of agriculture in India, addressing agroecology and natural farming as an alternative that can ease the excessive and...

Fifty-year-old Jharna Acharya is a social activist and a popular name among the Sabar, Lodha and Baiga communities of Paschim Medinipur and Jhargram districts of West Bengal. Her father, Kashinath Acharya, was a well-known activist of his district and had a profound influence on her life. He was associated with the...

Bamboo and rattan are ideal resources for development that integrates poverty reduction and environmental sustainability, and INBAR’s priority is giving people at all levels the knowledge and skills they need for long-term development involving bamboo and rattan. The following, is an overview of simple, traditional technologies and tools for processing...

Bamboo and rattan are ideal resources for development that integrate poverty reduction and environmental sustainability. INBAR’s priority is giving people at all levels the knowledge and skills they need for long-term development involving bamboo and rattan. The following technology describes how to use Bamboo as a material for treadle pump...

Wood is the major raw material for manufacturing matchsticks. However, the match industry has been dependent on only a few wood species for making match splints and these species are now in short supply. Therefore, bamboo, one of the faster growing plants, is a sustainable raw material source for manufacturing...

Bamboo and rattan are ideal resources for development that integrates poverty reduction and environmental sustainability, and the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan- INBAR priority is giving people at all levels the knowledge and skills they need for long-term development involving bamboo and rattan. Therefore, bamboo mat board, a plywood-like...

A first-of-its-kind survey in coastal Andhra Pradesh, India, revealed the peculiar vulnerabilities and demands of fishworkers who migrate regularly to Odisha, Karnataka and Gujarat. When the authorities enforced large-scale lockdowns to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the vulnerabilities of migrant workers were thrown into high relief. Other than the...

In India, tomato is both a high value crop, often exported to the Middle East, and an important subsistence vegetable grown mainly by women. Tomato leaf curl virus (ToLCV) and its whitefly vector, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.), are two of the most serious constraints to tomato production in India. When populations...

Helping to write a script for a farmer training video on vermiwash triggered my interest in trying it out myself, as I began to wonder if ideas from tropical India could work in temperate Belgium.  

In mountain areas, water continues to be a scarce commodity not only for irrigation purposes but even for drinking and other domestic uses. These challenges are encountered very frequently in India. These difficulties are present, inspite of the fact that important rivers namely the Sutlez, Beas, Ravi and their tributaries...