Progress report for
Subsistence Agriculture for Green Economy and Subsistence Life
Achievement at a glance
Agriculture is the highest Life-line (Jeevan Rekha) element of all Human beings. It is familiar in different names like: Organic Agriculture, Eco-Agriculture, Biological-Agriculture, Green Production Farming, Climate-resilient Agriculture, Natural Farming and Subsistence Agriculture etc. The latest technology and the highest contributions of the modern scientific world for the Agriculture sector is the Hybrid Farming. But, Subsistence Agricultural farming is a high quality traditional cropping pattern of the Indigenous Communities, completely different from the Hybrid Farming and something different from Organic Farming. It is also known as Dry-land Farming. Moreover, the crop is Eco-friendly, Climate friendly, Climate Resilient, Climate smart, Carbon smart, Water smart, Energy smart, seed-generating and for sustainable use of land. The Aims and Objects of this farming are to strengthen the Green Economy, provide Food Security, Health Security, Financial Security and Employment to the poor indigenous Community for a subsistence life and for a Resilient Climate to save the Nature and save the Planet. Subsistence Agriculture is also for elimination of Poverty SDG-01, Hunger SDG-02 and SDG-12 (Sustainable Consumption and Production Pattern, if the Nature-based Solutions are applied. Different type of Paddies and Millets like Suan Paddy, Koddo Paddy, Konda Paddy, Pea, Cowpea, Black Paddy, Tunei Paddy, Mustard, Beans, Ragi, Black gram and Zinger are being produced.01. Providing Food Security and Health Security.
02. For the Economical growth of Tribal community.
03. Providing Financial Security.
04. Providing Employment facility.
05. Preserving the quality of the Soil.
06. Make the area free from Pollution.
07. Reduce the use of Chemical fertilizers and Pesticides.
08. Make the Climate smart and Resilient.
09. Facilitate the the biodiversity to grow with.
10. Reduce the dependency on Seed purchase.
11. Check ecological Imbalance.
12. Resilient Environment.
13. Institution Mechanism.
14. Building the Capacity of the Tribal farmers.
15. Impact and scale up.
Challenges faced in implementation
Since inception, we have been working with the Tribal Community and taken the strategy “Nature-based performances and Community Sector Partnership”. The community members are working deliberately as our best well-wishers and providing enormous support for our success. We have also got strong belief upon Nature-based Solution and Community Sector Partnership which are the strongest weapons to play a descriptive role with commitment and dedication. Furthermore, there are some barriers and cross roads to overcome the situation for which we must have to take the assistance of the Community Organizations. Community Organization is a very stronger and larger platform for challenging all crucial and critical situations and taking decisions in a common platform. It is also a very powerful media to acquire some vulnerable and constructive works without any hindrance. We being the field Executors, have the knowledge and understanding of local circumstances like accessibility and adaptability towards the local situations.We have not yet faced any Problem/Challenge as we have taken some prophylactic measures mentioned below:
“Good Practice Management Systems” to control the upcoming events and the response to damaging events.
Integrated Counseling on the co-existence of Human beings and the Nature and also mitigate the potential Risk.
Retaining the involvement of stakeholders beyond the initial designed project period to retain the good will and reduces risks of malicious damage.
Stakeholders will avail the opportunity of further incentives through the transfer of technologies and the implementation of their own Water Conservation societies..
The appropriate experts will provide their technology, feed backs, methods and approach for the successful implementation of this Project and the Community members will be highly educated.
Involvement of Community Members will bring the Community support to safe-guard the project activities in future with a view of their own survival.
Next Steps
Bikash Ranjan RautrayBeneficiaries
In view of implementing this project, it is the high time to strengthen the lively-hoods of the Tribal people residing in forest areas. But, surprisingly the Tribal people are illiterate, ignorant and innocent and their financial situation is very precarious. Though they strive hard from morning to evening in their fields in the jungle, the entire benefits go to the third party Money Lenders and Business fellows. But, they worship the Land and Forest as their Goddess as the Tribal lively-hood is absolutely based upon the Land and Forest. As a part of their routine work they plough the forest land and do some subsistence Agricultural farming. They also collect so many forest produces like mangoes, jack fruits, tamarinds, sal leaves, sal seeds, siali leaves, resin, lac, mohua flower, honey, prop roots, amla, black-myrobalan, Belaric-myrobalan, and fire woods etc., and sale in the local market. So, it is apt prioritizing to create a world of opportunity for restoration and conservation of the economical sustainability of these forest dweller poor Indigenous communities as the Agriculture stakeholders in Forest area. But, due to their pathetic economical background, illiteracy and ignorance they are being exploited in different manner. Lack of knowledge on the utilization of opportunities and the advantages of the Nature, they are not so conscious of taking care of the Natural resources. Due to the above occurrence, we have to provide lively-hood empowerment support with awareness transmission along with Environmental education to strengthen the lively-hood of Forest dweller community and bring them to the main stream of life so as to save the People, save the Nature and save the planet.
Actions
• Best Practices: Apply different strategies and indigenous knowledge to generate / enhance multiple streams of livelihoods support opportunities and better environmental impact for small holder farmers at the community level, through targeting, farmer testing, and out scaling of the profitable portfolios.• Capacity Building: To provide capacity building trainings to the development workers and community Development Workers, representatives of the people and other stake holders interested in the issue on a range of topics related to livelihood enhancement in conjunction with Subsistence Agriculture.
• Institutions: Establish a viable Special Purpose platform for small holders to access marketing of their produces by building linkages with appropriate institutions for managing transactions, negotiations and harmonization of capacities. This body would also be able to provide forward and backward linkages between the community and the markets. The body shall be formed by the community members.
• Production Economy: During the year under correspondence, we have applied strategies, tools and methods available with us and cultivated the following crops and the people were benefited as below:
I. Black Rice Paddy: 60 Acres, Beneficiaries: 60 families, Production in Quintals: 900.00
II. Koddo Paddy: 40 acres, 60 families, Production in quintals: 480.00
III. Ragi (VL Madura-204): 20 Acres, 60 families, Production in Quintals: 45.00
IV. Mustard (PUSA N-28), 25 acres, 50 families, Production in Quintals: 150.00
V. Til (Utkal): 25 Acres, 40 families, Production in Quintals: 105.00
VI. Beans (Anupam): 30 Acres, 60 families, Production in Quintals; 220.00
VII. Maize (VNR-4226), 30 acres, 60 families, Production in Quintals:
VIII. Blackgram (TRAN-1), 30 Acres, 60 families, Production in Quintals:225.00
• Impact Scale up: Analysis and dissemination of best practices by the chief of the Project.
• Monitoring, evaluation: Monitoring and evaluation are the vital parts of the project to galvanize the programmes and get good result.