The centralized plant breeding techniques of the green revolution have yielded good results in more favourable agricultural environments. However, most low-resource farmers in marginal areas have not benefited from these varieties. As an alternative to centralized breeding, farmer participatory approaches using Participatory Varietal Selection (PVS) and Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB)...

Using participatory plant breeding, poor and marginal farmers in Eastern India, who previously grew old and low yielding land races, produced several new varieties of upland rice. Self-help groups produced truthful seed of these rice varieties, with production rising from 39 in 2002-2003 to 81 t in 2003-2004. It was...

The Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation (BAIF), is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that works across 60 000 villages in 16 states of India, reaching out to over 4.5 million farmers. In BAIF’s programme area in the Dharwad district of India, high mortality among goat kids in the rainy season was reported...

The centralised plant breeding techniques of the green revolution have yielded good results in more favourable agricultural environments. However, most low-resource farmers in marginal areas have not benefited from these varieties. As an alternative to centralised breeding, farmer participatory approaches using Paticipatory Varietal Selection (PVS) and Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB)...

This practice describes the efficacy of herbal de-wormers vis-à-vis their chemical counterparts. By means of a participatory research approach, the effectiveness of herbal de-wormers based on traditional knowledge has been tested successfully serving as a proof of the importance of local and often orally transmitted expertise to fight livestock diseases. ...

The centralised plant breeding techniques of the green revolution have yielded good results in the more favourable agricultural environments. However, most low-resource farmers in marginal areas have not benefited from these varieties. As an alternative to centralised breeding, farmer participatory approaches using Participatory Varietal Selection (PVS) and Participatory Plant Breeding...

Anthra, a non-profit organization working primarily on issues of livestock development in the wider context of sustainable natural resource use, worked with migratory shepherd communities in Maharashtra, India. Access to information on disease occurrence and remedial measures emerged as a constraint for shepherds on the move. Keeping in mind that...

The centralised plant breeding techniques of the green revolution have yielded good results in the more favourable agricultural environments. However, most low-resource farmers in marginal areas have not benefited from these varieties. As an alternative to centralised breeding, farmer participatory approaches using Participatory Varietal Selection (PVS) and Participatory Plant Breeding...

This good practice note based on the experiences of BAIF Development Research Foundation (Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation - BAIF), shows the importance of restoring common property resources by involving the communities directly, as a way forward for impacting positively on their quality of life. “Protection of Commons” has led to...

Poor farmers in marginal areas have benefited little from high yielding, "green revolution" varieties that have transformed the productivity of more favourable areas. In the states of northeastern India, farmers who cultivate upland rice on low-fertility, sloping soils continue to grow low yielding landraces that are susceptible to diseases and...

The Agroecology Fund’s second global Agroecology Learning Exchange, held in February 2020 in Karnataka, India, was an extraordinary gathering of more than 70 farmers and agroecology advocates from frontline organizations, researchers, allies, and donors. The Agroecology Fund’s mission, at its core, is to support a growing global agroecology movement to...

Common Property Resources (CPRs) are important for the livelihoods of the rural communities, especially poor. Various INGOs, NGOs and government organisations have facilitated and successfully demonstrated the model for development of common lands. This has been done by developing village institution mechanisms to bring in a bottoms-up approach to development...

This note highlights the importance of engaging members of the community in documenting the wealth of traditional knowledge regarding feed and fodder systems across different agro-ecological regions. This process enhanced their self-respect and dignity in terms of their heritage and inspired them to revitalise and reintegrate some of these practices...

Increased availability of fodder biomass (e.g. grasses, shrub and tree leaves) is possible through protected commons. This increased availability of biomass has in turn directly resulted in improved livelihoods. This Good Practice reveals how management of village dynamics, building awareness, finding local solutions and building technical acumen can create ownership...

The Aseel is reared under backyard poultry management systems and is a vital source of meat and income. However, this bird is threatened due to high production losses, infectious diseases and policies promoting non-local breeds. This practice describes how disease prevention and biodiversity conservation strategies helped women farmers in preserving...

Due to saline conditions, drinking and pure water is a major problem in coastal areas. Most of the open wells and tube wells in the coastal areas contain salty water. Rainwater harvesting is a viable option for solving the issue of drinking water. Construction of rainwater overhead tanks is a...

A well organized pro-poor initiative from a private company, Yashwant Agritech Pvt Ltd (YAPL), has produced and sold a productive synthetic hybrid bird suitable for rearing in harsh agro-climatic rural environments. It has proved to be a valuable source of income for the poor households. This practice has promoted participatory,...

This practice demonstrates how simple cost effective interventions such as low cost protein rich feeding, de-worming, vaccination, low cost housing, egg-candling, use of bamboo for poultry feeders and waterers, have strengthened household poultry production systems of tribal farmers in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh in India. A key factor that...

This practice documents the work of the Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN), a leading NGO in India, in regarding the organization and support for rural women to take up poultry rearing, and develop this into a successful market-linked enterprise. Women poultry rearers have been organised into a Poultry Producers’...

This good practice is aimed at addressing the growing degradation of common land in India. By controlling the use of communal lands through community participation, discussion and the creation of self-governing rules, many benefits have been noted.