Kharkarh Kalan Challo

Dialogue on GM Crops & Health Issues

Dialogue on

GM Crops & Health Issues

Organized by

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ACTION GROUP

KHETI VIRASAT MISSION, JAITU

1^st June 2008 , Sunday; Venue-: Wheat Auditorium, PAU, Ludhiana

Environmental Health Action Group (EHAG) of Kheti Virasat Mission extends a warm invitation to you to join us in a One day conference titled Say No to GM Crops for Health on 1^st June 2008.

Since the last three decades, thousands of farming community members suffered acute insecticide poisoning from deadly pesticides in Punjab. The last few years has seen a dramatic increase in the number of reports coming out which indicate that the prevalence of chronic pesticide poisoning in various forms is becoming alarmingly high in our people.

The list of poisonous substances in our environment is getting longer continuously - the latest addition to this list are the potentially harmful and toxic genetically modified crops. As in the case of other agrochemicals Transgenic crops are being pushed around as a solution for the agricultural distress. The interesting fact is that its it the same multinational agrochemical giants who are the also the promoters and benefactors of these novel product.

Genetic engineering (GE) or genetic Modification refers to a set of technologies that are used to change the genetic makeup of cells of plants and animals to bring about a desired function e.g. insect resistance, herbicide tolerance, etc. In the early 70s for the first time humans decided to alter the natural evolutionary process and create new plants and animals through techniques that involve complicated manipulations of genetic material and other biologically important chemicals. What has this interference cost us? Perhaps we will know when the last organism on earth has also lost its exclusivity.

In the 12000 year old history of agriculture there has been no technology that is as vehemently opposed by farmers, consumers and civil groups alike.

The major reasons for resistance against genetically modified crops can broadly be categorized in to three

1. Impact on health.
2. Impact on environment
3. Socio-economic impact

The first two are inherent while the third grows out of the commercial interests that drive this technology.

A history of accidents

One of the greatest concerns about genetically engineering living organisms is the uncertainty of the outcome. Added to this is the risk of contamination. The history of Genetic Engineering is splashed with grave accidents that should be treated as learnings.

Such a doubt was first raised when Dr. Arpad Putzai at Aberdeen University in Scotland relialised that the rats that fed on genetically modified potatoes ended up with malfunctions of vital organs and reduced immunity. Though there was a serious effort from the Pro-GM industries to cover up the study, the incident brought about a great change in the way policy makers and consumers perceived the technology. This was followed by several such incidents the latest of which is the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization’s finding that the insect resistant pea they created had reduced the weight of internal organs of the test animals .This led to CSIRO winding up the research on GM pea.

The gravity of such research revelations is amplified by the uncontrollability of transgenic crops once released in to the fields. Once in the open air, transgenic crops spread uncontrollably by cross pollination or seed transfer. GM contamination register (www.gmcontaminationregister.org) which is an annual documentation of such contamination by Greenpeace and Genewatch reported 39 new instances of crop contamination in 23 countries over the past year. Most of the contamination involved staple crops as rice and corn, but also included soy, cotton, canola, papaya and fish. Over the last 10 years, the GM Contamination Register has recorded 216 incidents of contamination in 57 countries.

. This uncontrollability has led to increased concern over health and biodiversity across the world and has become the basis of a precautionary approach towards the environmental release of Genetically Modified organisms. The precautionary principle was advocated by the Cartegina Protocol on biosafety, under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. The protocol came into force in September 2003 and has been ratified by 103 countries in the world, the notable exception being United states of America. India was one of the first signatories to the protocol. The two pillars of the precautionary approach are ‘prevention is better than cure’ and ‘the rights of those who stand to be affected by an activity, must be prioritized rather than those who stand to benefit from it’.

The Indian scenario

India should pay great attention to the precautionary approach because of its environmental and socioeconomic situation. Especially, when we are on the verge of opening the gates for Genetically Modified food crops to enter our market. The lessons from the firth and only commercially available Gm crop, Bt cotton stands testimony to the potential dangers of transgenic crops. The un accounted deaths of thousands of sheep and goats in different parts of the country after grazing on Bt cotton stubbles, the unexpected diseases that started showing up in the Bt cotton plants and last but not the lease an abnormally high incidence of skin allergy and respiratory problems in cotton cultivators and farm laborers are all writings on the wall that can be ignored at our own peril.

The government, regulators, agricultural scientists and professional bodies are not taking due cognizance of the gravity of the situation to initiate an appropriate action plan for elimination of pesticides and other toxic chemicals in a phased manner and to mitigate the environmental health crisis being faced by Punjab.

The anti-GM battle in India has reached a crucial stage - soon, Mahyco, the Indian avataar of Monsanto, would be walking up to the regulators for permission for the second [and last] year of large scale trials this Kharif [starting June 2008] of Bt Brinjal, the first food crop in India and the first such GM vegetable crop with Bt gene anywhere in the world.

Elsewhere in the world, especially Europe, more countries are clamping bans on GM crops. More regions are declaring themselves GM-Free. In India, the central government is steamrollering ahead, with its support to the biotech industry and showing its lack of vision for Indian farming again and again. Certain state governments are fortunately taking a long term, holistic view on genetic engineering and are appreciating the environmental, human health, political, economic and socio-cultural implications of such a technology on Indian farming and society. However, the Union of India is not upholding even this Constitutional right of state governments and is blindly moving ahead with its approvals of various crop trials and experiments.

Bt Brinjal biosafety is questionable - in fact, we should not forget that the results of genetic engineering itself are very unpredictable and the very process of GE results in different unintended hazardous consequences.

The regulators sitting in Delhi have also proven themselves to be unaccountable, unscientific, wedded to conflicting interests and apathetic to the real experiences of farmers on the ground. If we continue to keep silent, more of this undemocratic thrusting down of unwanted, corporate technologies will continue to smother Indian farming as well as all of us - after all, you and I will not have any choices left if Bt Brinjal and other GM foods is allowed in. No systems of labelling will let you know if you are consuming Bt Brinjal or not, in this country.

It is in this context that we invite all right-thinking, pro-nature, concerned physicians, veterinarians, plant scientists and other sections of pro-people and right thinking persons to assemble on 1^st June at Wheat Auditorium, PAU, Ludhiana for a one-day dialogue to discuss various aspects of GM crops. If you want the government to take our message seriously, you should be there to show that you are against GM crops too. Please block the date, plan your travel straightaway and bring as many people as you can to the conference site.

Hope to see you in Ludhiana - remember, if we don't show our concern strongly now, it might be too late later on. Do join us.

Several environmental action groups, civil society organisations and medical professional groups are likely to participate in the programme. Prominent among them are:

Dr Davinder Sharma, Dr G V Ramanjaneyulu, Kavitha Kuruganti and Rajesh Krishnan

Your participation is of immense value to this dialogue and we look forward to your participation and support in evolving a participatory civil society strategy to combat the current crisis.

With regards

Yours truly

Dr Amar Singh Azad Working President Kheti Virasat Mission Patiala

Dr Inderjit Kaur Chairperson, Pingalwara Society Amritsar

Dr G P I Singh HoD, Dept of SPM, DMC&H and Convener, EHAG, Ludhiana

Dr Arun Mittra Dr Balbir Singh Dr Satish Jain Dr Jaswant S Thind

(Ludhiana) (Patiala) (MDOCH, Ludhiana) (Kapurthala)

Dr Manvir Gupta Dr Neelam Sodhi Dr Nirmal Singh Dr Harminder Sidhu

(Kotkapura) (Ludhiana) (Lambra- Jalandhar) (Raikot)

Dr K K Nayak Dr Satish Sharma Dr Rajinder Passi Dr Rajiv Shah

(Bathinda) (Jalandhar) (Phillaur) (Oswal Hospital)

Dr Ashok Goyal Dr Balbir Singh Bhaura Dr A S Maan Dr G S Mauji

(Amritsar) (Jalandhar) (Sangrur) (Bathinda)

Dr Mohinderjit Singh Dr Navteej Singh Dr Shub Prem Brar Manmohan Sharma

(Jalandhar) (Banur- Patiala) (Ecologist, Bathinda) VHAP, Chandigarh

Blazing Punjab: Flaming Fields

Blazing Punjab: Flaming Fields

Burning of Crop residue – Need of Civilizational Intervention

By Umendra Dutt

Every day I pass through villages and see fires in the just harvested fields. An absolutely avoidable ecological destruction and
environmental violence is going on at the hands of brainwashed farmers.
The trees, the earth friendly creatures, the micro organisms are getting destroyed for no rhyme or reason. Farmers are burning the wheat stalks just in order to save a few hundred rupees, time .This dangerous practice is bound to play havoc in a few years and these shortsighted misadventures are going to extract a huge price in terms of money, time, environmental health, ecosystem and natural resources.
Countless innocent, man and crop friendly living forms are being criminalised. These living forms actually rejuvenate and energise our soil, our mother earth.

Punjab is burning, really. A very painful scene we are witnessing every day around us. Madness, a mass psychosis of people unconcerned with the results of their own misdeed is happening around us, which is terribly upsetting. It is reminiscent of ‘thousand fires in Rome’, but at the end of those, Nero added another page in human history. But what are we achieving here with these unnecessary fires in our fields? We are burning Wheat crop residue in more then 5500 Sq KMs and 12685 Sq KMs in Rice crop residues and according to a study based on satellite data, the Emission Factors (EFs) for wheat residue burning as estimated CO- 34.66g/Kg , NOx – 2.63g/Kg, CH4 – 0.41g/Km , PM10 – 3.99g/Kg, PM2.5 – 3.76g/Kg .

These large-scale burning, releases trace gases, along with sub micron-sized aerosols, which are known to aggravate lung and respiratory diseases. And we address earth as Dharti Ma.

Burning of the crop residue not only adds to atmospheric pollution and emission of green house gases but also leads to loss of rich renewable soil rejuvenating organic resources. It gives me an uneasy feeling about our society, its contemporary character and it also indicates a kind of shallowness of my society. It is so disturbing that I questions my own self. We have to pose this question to ourselves and to the so called experts as to why this seasonal burning at all?

Who is to blame? Are our farmers responsible? What is the reason for this? Why our society is behaving like this? Are the changing life styles also contributing in this indifferent attitude of our society? Why our social scientists are indifferently quiet on this burning issue?

Is it simple that farmers are burning up crop straw to save few hundred rupees only? Despite knowing the adverse effects of this devastating practice? Why the farmers are intent to burn stubble?

Then some more questions also need to have answers. Where is the solution? Can technology provide solution? Is it due to lack of technology and its application or adoption only? I think it is the unmindfull application of technology that is responsible for this crisis. Because technology doesn’t come in isolation, it carries a cultural imprint with itself along with a carbon footprint. Then, there is physiological baggage also. Any new technology we adopt, it impacts our way of thinking, our analysis, our perceptions and our relations with surroundings – the nature and the mankind.

We had propagated various new technologies in course of modern development and Green revolution. Our experts are proud of these new technologies; they are very fond of talking about its adoption rate, success rate and other benefits. We had started evaluating every thing mechanically in narrow terms of profitability. The green revolution agricultural paradigm has also displaced our value systems from agriculture; it has destroyed the very basic civilizational element in our convoluted agriculture vision.

When there is no moral code, no values, no beliefs, no ethics then certainly there will be no compassion at all, no feeling on oneness with our surroundings. Then the whole earth is supposed to be for our self-indulgence only, and the farm is only a piece of land, a mere area, which is owned by me, I am the owner of that , so it depends on me only - What I do to that land. I want maximum profits out of it, because I have to address my lust of money.

I was told by the experts to put poisons in my land to kill pests, they told me it is the development. I was taught by the experts and highly civilized persons that I should use machines – Harvester Combine to minimize my expenditure on human labour, as labour is a problem. Then one agriculture economist teaches me lessons of profitability – economic viability – and I was told that now I am a progressive farmer. When I was made totally self-centered unconcerned of my surroundings, my ecology, sustainability of life. Then this agriculture establishment celebrated my progress. They told me it is the way of life now; this is the new path of development. There is euphoria all around and no body has time to talk about my interdependence on Nature. New machines, technologies and new definitions have taken place of the wisdom I got from my ancestors.

The burning of crop residue should not be seen in isolation, we have to take a holistic picture. It is not a problem in itself… it a symptom of deep-rooted civilizational crisis of our society and our age. We have to address the crisis on much wider canvass.

Mankind is behaving like this towards every natural thing – wether it is water, air, trees, forests, animals, the mechanized mind and self-seeking way of life has made our whole society insensitive to nature. The crisis mitigation does not lie in technological interventions only. The agriculture expert mind- set and solutions suggested by it has already ruined our ecology and our agricultural heritage. Now we cannot ask them to suggest solutions. Those who were worshiped for more then four decades for their expertise now should not be asked for solutions, because they can provide another technological answer and mere technology is not a complete solution at all.

There are still thousands of farmers who have no rotavator or Happy-seeder but they are not burning the stubble. Agriculture implements are only tools to be used; the real answer is in our mindset, the vision and feeling of a relationship with Earth, other forms of life and whole ecology.

While NFL at Bathinda produces 5 lakh tons of urea which gives near about 2.5 lakh tons of nitrogen with lots of energy consumption, water consumption and environmental pollution, so one fifth of the total production of nitrogen is burned due to inefficient management systems put forth by the government.

Farmers burn 196 lakh MTs of straw every year, worth crores of rupees, besides losing 38.5 lakh MTs of organic carbon, 59,000 MTs of nitrogen, 2,000 MTs of phosphorous and 34,000 MTs of potassium every year. If government feels that this should be saved, it should take up a large campaign, asking farmers to use the straw as mulch, spread with Jeevaamrita kind of solutions. If it involves additional costs for the farmers, government should pay for it.

Several farmers associated with Kheti Virasat Mission who are practicing natural farming, have already adopted Jeevaamrita to mulch stubble in their farms. They are not into burning madness, not because of technology but due to their conviction. Off course farmer needs some methods to mulch all crop straw. Jeevaamrita provides appropriate solution.

We should develop a strong campaign asking Govt to initiate a process of asking people to adopt straw mulching; this would automatically lead to promotion of natural farming once we get space in the campaign. The prerequisite of the solution is a civilizational intervention to re-establish mother–son relation of farmer with Earth. We have to redefine the meaning of development, progressive farmer, profitability and sustainability. We have to evolve a new idiom to evaluate our contemporary ecological crisis.

The whole society and particularly the elite and experts must take the responsibility of their transgression; farmers are expressing the same what the society has taught them. This burning of stubble is the natural outcome of the economic and agriculture model we are pursuing from last fifty years. It is the result of a paradigm we had chosen, propagated by the experts of those times.

Let whole Punjabi society accept its role in this misadventure. This is the only one dimension of whole ecological-civilizational crisis that our society is facing and which will certainly affect lives of our future generations. We have to change Collective Mindset of our society and this can be only being done through a process for new model of development.

Let us start this voyage to build our own developmental paradigm to come out this self inflicting devastation.

Evaluating Draft Punjab State Water Policy

INITIATIVE FOR PUBLIC DEBATE ON PUNJAB STATE WATER POLICY

BY

KHETI VIRASAT MISSION,

State Water Policy debate Paper - 1

National Water Policy, 2002 retains the control over water resources with the government and ignores the involvement of local communities. It remains inert and ineffectual because it fails to ensure community management despite being hit by water shortages due to unsustainable exploitation of rivers and centralized water resource management. National Water Policy was adopted in 1987. It claims that since then, a number of issues and challenges have emerged in the development and management of the water resources. Therefore, the National Water Policy (1987) has been reviewed and updated in 2002.

It was happened in Punjab .The first draft September 1996 of the state water policy has totally ignored the stake of ecology and wild life on water, as it is a gift of nature to earth for the survival of life, which includes flora and fauna apart from human beings. Hence must ensure traditional systems like ponds for the conservation of water, which have been totally given go- bye in Punjab state Water Policy.

Punjab has its Second draft of Water policy in 2004. This new draft is again missing the important component of people’s perceptions and aspirations. Any policy in Punjab, must address the real threats of abusive water exploitation by the industrial and agriculture consumer, especially when 108 out of 137 developmental blocks are over exploited including, four critical blocks. Commercialization of water, entrance of big corporate houses like Price Water House Cooper in the water management related projects of urban as well as rural areas, and implementation of WTO are the other fears & qualms expressed by the civil society groups. State water policy draft was circulated in 2004 is virtually a copy of the National Water Policy and is full of deficiencies with anti people consequences.

As per the spirit of constitution, a welfare state is supposed to formulate pro-people policies and implement these policies at every cost. State Water Policy has been formulated and developed by the state government without any consultation with civil society groups ignoring public opinion. Kheti Virasat Mission is of the firm belief that a wide debate with all inclusive participation by communities, civil society groups, PRIs, academia, scientists, economists, politicians, farmers’ groups, women groups and of course government departments must be started in order to build up an issue about the importance of this policy for the Punjab.

With this view KVM proposes first paper as a food for thought, written by eminent environmental economist Dr M S Rathore, from IDS Jaipur, who has done critical analysis of National Water Policy 2002.

KVM welcomes suggestions, inputs and critical comments on this paper.

With regards

Umendra Dutt

==============================================================================

Gaps in Punjab State Water Policy

M.S.Rathore¹

The State Water Policy document outlines the government’s framework for the long term sustainable development and management of water resources in the state. It emphasizes on: (a) introduction of legislation for regulating ground water; (b) improvement in the efficiency and productivity of water utilisation for irrigation, domestic and industry; (c) monitoring and regulatory measures to enhance water quality at the sources and minimise pollution at the outlet; (d) preparation of flood control, drainage and drought management plans; (e) progressive handing over of management to the users; and (f) to achieve these objectives the state is strategizing to formulate participatory approach whereby all users and polluters whether from the public or private sectors are involved to bring out the desired results.

The state policy will enable the Government of Punjab to carry out adequate measures to preserve its water resources. The major water problems in the state highlighted in the policy document are:

• declining ground water table, presence of salinity, fluoride and iron
• pollution of surface and ground water leading to high incidence of water borne diseases, particularly among young children
• water logging and salinity
• flood hazards
• use of excessive fertilizers and chemicals in water causing water pollution,
• Industrial pollution and inadequate sewerage system and treatment plants in urban areas.

In order to address the above listed problems, the policy document has outlined seventeen objectives and detailed strategies. Of them the major strategy is to create and to divide Punjab State into six hydrological units for better water resource management. To facilitate this, the state has listed creation of a 4-tier system of government bodies, viz.:

1. Punjab State Water Resources Council (PSWRC)
2. Punjab State Water Resources Committee (PSWRC)
3. Punjab State Water Resource Technical Advisory Committee (PSWRTAC)
4. Regional Water Resources Technical Advisory Committee (RWRTAC).

These ideas of new organisational structures at local and state level is excellent and bold step provided there is a serious political will and administrative capacity to make reforms in the present departmental set up and given socio-political milieu. As it will require resolving inter-departmental conflicts and inter- personal conflicts between technical/non-technical personnel’s. The composition of these advisory committees seems to be good except that there is no place for social and technical experts/researchers and NGO and civil society representatives. Since this will be first of its kind in the country, the reform has to be carefully carried out so that its success is ensured.

The Action Plan is given on pages 8-23 b picking up items from the National Water Policy. The gaps and clarification on each is discussed below. The second part of the draft policy document provides comparison of the National Water Policy with the changed Punjab Water Policy. For each item in the National Water Policy there is either a changed item in the State Water Policy or endorsing the same as in the National Policy. This itself is a problem as the National Water Policy is framed, as per the constitution, to guide the respective State Government’s to formulate their own water policies, i.e. the national water policy should be treated as a guideline and not to be verbatim adopted by the State. Hence, the first part of the Punjab State Water Policy document, the listed water problems specific to the State should be addressed in the second half of the policy document. It is not necessary to even maintain the same sequence or address all the items in National Water Policy.

The State Water Policy document outlines the government's development framework for the long-term sustainable development and management of water resources in the State. It emphasizes on: (a) multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral, water planning, allocation and management, (b) establishment of a regulatory framework for managing water resources, including the full range of sector environment issues, (c) reorientation of government water institutions, coupled with increased participation of the private sector through farmer managed WUAs and other private sector entities,. However, there are major gaps in the State Water Policy document if it is analysed in the context of the objectives and the existing water problems faced by the society. The gaps become all the more significant if the intent of the policy are not clear and are not understood in the same light and sprit down the line by implementing agencies. Some of the gaps are discussed below.

The state water policy contradicts the basic premise of the sectoral reform by not clearly mentioning the decentralization of water resources management while aiming at people’s participation. This shows the intentions and nature of state of centralized command and control. It also shows complete lack of will in case of groundwater regulations even after lots of debate and discussion on the Groundwater Bill at various level, no time bound intentions or action are suggested.

The State Water Policy lacks long-term water vision to address the serious emerging problems, both in the rural and urban areas. Given the nature and extent of water available the State should re-define and formulate different sectoral policies keeping water saving in agriculture and controlling water pollution in urban and rural areas as its focal point.

The other important issue is about the process of policy formulation. None of the stakeholders directly concern were involved in the process of formulation of water policy. It is surprising that even most of the people’s representatives along with NGOs are unaware of the water policy document. May be because it is not available to public at large. Also it was never published in newspaper, even though water is a basic good and all living being on this earth, of course people of Punjab are affected by it. This further confirms the intentions of the state in not seeking stakeholders’ participation in water sector reform in the State.

Gender Issues in Water Resource Management

The Punjab Water Policy text is gender neutral in terms of descriptions. It uses several generic terms, i.e. farmers, water users, human lives, settlement etc. The recognition that development actors are both women and men, that they are constrained in different and often unequal way and that they may have differing, and sometimes-conflicting needs, interests and priorities, seems to be missing. The state water policy is gender blind.

The role of women in water resource management at household level and farm level is well recognized. However, when it comes to policy document it is almost missing. Even the present policy of decentralizing management of irrigation systems by handing over systems to Water Users Associations (WUAs) does not mention women representatives on the associations. An analysis of gender division of labour within the household reveals that fetching water is the main responsibility of women. Sexual harassment at water point is quite common.

The State Water Policy document is analysed point by point and the gaps identified are reported below:

1. In the policy document mentions (page 6) “As an initial step, Punjab State will be divided into six hydrological units of water resource regions” all are given equal weightage, as also the case in National Water Policy and all other state’s policies, no region specific strategy is mentioned. May be it is assumed that the proposed 4-tier institutions will take care of the location specificities. Generally the regional issues are not addressed unless specified. Unless eco-system approach is adopted it will be difficult to conserve, utilize efficiently and sustain the natural resources, particularly water resources. Infect, land, water and vegetation are all naturally linked to each other and, therefore, system approach to deal with the natural resources should be the first item in the NRM policy including water policy.

The objectives listed on pages 4 and 5 are not addressed in the subsiquent sections in the same sprit and weightage.

2. The NRM policies, till now, were more to establish and maintain the centralized control and management of the State over resources. The present policy document does intend to partially decentralize the management of water in the State. However, the issues of ownership and control over natural resources are unattended in the policy document. Unless this is addressed the management will lead to more conflicts among stakeholders.

3 Information System: State is planning to have a well-developed information system (item 6.3, page 17) but do not address few fundamental questions such as:

a. Data/Information for whom? (As the nature, frequency and coverage is directly related to the user)

· For policy makers, policy analysts

· For technical persons, i.e. engineers

· For farmers, NGO’s

As the needs, capacity and purpose of use varies according to the client.

b. Objectives of the data collection.

c. Access to data, or people have to exercise the ‘Right to Information Law’ to obtain the data.

d. Meteorological data is key to successful planning of water resources and there is strong need to improve it. Infact, given the high rainfall variability in the State it is advisable even to go for village level rainguage stations.

4. Project Planning: Institutional and procedural reforms are proposed in future project planning but no mention is made of the rehabilitation policy. Rehabilitation policy should be part of the project right from the beginning. Oustees should be rehabilitated in the command area only, before completion of the project.

5. Maintenance and Modernization: The future policy is to turn over of the system, i.e., the project be handed over to ‘Water User Association’. It is well established that top down approach has failed, and chances are more when recipients are not prepared for the transfer. HRD reforms will not work until they are linked to reward and punishment policy. Administrative reforms supporting HRD policy be carried out simultaneously.

6. Ground Water Development: The geophysical conditions, quantity and quality of groundwater vary across regions, therefore, differential strategy has to be adopted. Past experience shows that there is lack of political will to regulate groundwater. It is difficult to bring out meaningful Ground Water legislation and then implement it through governmental agencies. There has to be multiple strategy to deal with the grave situation, i.e. there is immediate need to put a check on withdrawal rate of groundwater. Irrigation is the main use of groundwater and farmers lobby is so strong that State failure is clearly visible.

There is a strong need to integrate economic policy, agricultural policy, industrial policy with the groundwater policy. Groundwater can not be independently dealt with. Also there are few terms, such as, social equity, require clear definition on the part of the State, so that there is similar understanding down the line in the executing agency.

8 Water Allocation Priorities: The major question is what is the basis or rationale of drawing these priorities? Is it economic, or social, political or adhoc? The given priorities apply only to bulk surface water storage tanks, and canals. Groundwater, which is mostly privately owned and controlled, is out of the preview of this priority. Even industrial demand is also met from groundwater. How this policy of prioritizing water allocation will work? If it doesn’t apply to groundwater than the major crisis, because most groundwater is used for irrigation, leading to fast depletion of water tables. The important issue is of source wise allocation priority.

9 Drinking Water: Policy is completely silent on the issue of urban-rural conflict over sharing of water resources. There should be clear policy on priority and preference in drinking water supply to rural and urban population. If water is transferred / supplied from rural to urban areas than how to compensate rural population be mentioned. Also there is no mention about how to ensure equal access to water particularly to poor and marginalized sections. There should be clear guidelines for each source of drinking water supply for its ownership and use.

There are bad experiences of privatization of urban water supply services in different parts of the world, before suggesting this policy a careful review should be undertaken. Some Public-Private partnership model be evolved and tested in Punjab before giving clean chit for privatization.

Clear guideline be given as how the quality of drinking water will be handled. There are successful efforts in dealing with fluoride and other pollutants problems, those be taken note off before finalizing any policy.

10 Irrigation Water: There is a basic problem in understanding the irrigation issues and that is the reason for not finding clarity in irrigation water policy. The major policy questions are:

i. Extensive v/s intensive irrigation

ii. Protective v/s productive irrigation

iii. Productivity, per unit of land or water

iv. Sources of irrigation; large v/s small dams, traditional v/s modern dams or structures

v. Objective of water saving through drip or sprinkler or change in cropping pattern

vi. How to regulate use of water on farm?

vii. On and off farm efficiency in water

viii. Equity in distribution of water. Warabandi ensures only limited equity in water distribution

ix. How it is in line with the agricultural policy or other sectoral policies of the state?

x. Demand side v/s supply side management issues.

All these need to be clearly addressed in this section.

11. Water Rates: It is a welcome step to include demand side management in the Water Policy. But certain things need clarity right from the beginning. These are:

i. What is the objective of increasing water rates? To increase efficiency in water use, change in production system (cropping pattern), improve economic viability of the canal or irrigation system?

ii. Think in the context of new economic policy, WTO and status of our farmers vis-à-vis rest of the world and decide about water rates.

iii. Maintain parity between agriculture and industry i.e. terms of trade, while fixing water rates, as it will directly affect agricultural output prices.

iv. If surface water (irrigation water) and drinking water is privatized how to ensure fair prices to marginal and small farmers or poor rural and urban consumers.

12 Participation of Water Users: It is restricted to irrigation sector only. As there is plan to have River Basin Approach to Water Resources Planning no mention is made of representation of people on Water Resource Authority, River Basin Authority, etc.. However, participation without decentralization of power i.e., ownership and control over resources has no meaning.

13 Water Zoning: Unless the proposed zones are linked to the overall strategy of water resources management it will create more confusion. The proposed zones are overlapping and crosscutting, so how to resolve this issue? River Basin Zones is not mentioned but will this be made the basis for all the planing and strategies? More elaboration is needed on what will be the strategy for each of these zones and who will implement it.

14 Water Conservation: What is given is the role of state in conservation of water but what the different stakeholders are supposed to do is not mentioned. PRIs, NGO and people can play important role in conservation of water resources need special mention.

In case of domestic water supply distribution losses particularly in the urban supply is substantial and can be checked with little efforts, need mention in the policy. Similarly, in agricultural sector on and off farm efficiency is of outmost importance. Some mention is needed of the traditional conservation practices and those should be encouraged. Conservation through public awareness is a very important component and their involvement is must. The policy document needs to be widely distributed and debated across the state.

15 Drought Management: Water is critical input in drought management. Invariably drought leads to drying up of surface water sources. Groundwater storage is the best to deal with drought conditions. Therefore, the policy should be to conserve groundwater storage and use as buffer stock for drought years. Present sectoral policies in fact encourage maximum use of groundwater resources. On the contrary, the policy should be to check the use of groundwater and in the next step recharge groundwater.

Traditional services are found to be serving even today during drought periods so those be protected and maintained. Local coping strategies to fight with drought need to be strengthened special policy measures. Finally, water security should be the first objective of the state in the drought prone area and this should be mentioned as the basic policy objective of the State.

There were large number of water bodies in most villages of Punjab, those are either used as waste dumping ground or encroached for housing and other use, or their catchment areas are blocked so no water comes in them, etc. There is need for special plan for rejuvenating these water bodies to ensure the future of groundwater in the state.

16 Training and Education: Training should be important component of the restructuring plan of the water sector reforms in the state. However, its success will largely depend on the attitude of the state employees working in water related departments, mostly in the Irrigation and PHED. Presently training is not linked to their promotion or posting so it is considered to be a punishment. Even the postings in the water related training institutions is considered to be a punishment posting. Therefore, the importance of training needs to be established first before any policy actions.

PHED Policy

The main objective of the drinking water supply departments policy is "Universal access to safe drinking water covering all villages and habitation". However it is nowhere explained what they mean by universal access, is it to villages and scattered settlements, marginalised section of population, equal access, etc.? Also what is the notion of safe water; is it the fluoride and brackish water people are drinking is considered to be safe, polluted water in urban areas, etc.? Also no mention is made of how to ensure access to water by all sections of population, particularly poor and marginalized section as even today there are large number of people not allowed to have water from wells, village pond, Bawri or different drinking water sources. Untouchability is widely practiced.

State has a differential norm providing safe drinking water to the rural and urban population based on the life style, available technology, and complexities in managing high-density urban population. Rural drinking water issues are classified under four broad categories, namely, coverage, level of supply, quality of water and sustainability of supply. In all these aspects the source of supply play important role. In the X Plan the major thrust will be to switch over from ground water to surface water wherever it is possible. It is because of depletion of groundwater and quality of groundwater.

For urban areas major emphasis will be on improving distribution system to minimize losses through rectification of leakage, prevention of pollution through old and defective pipelines, rejuvenation of WTP and pumpsets, reduction of unaccounted water etc. Also besides the conventional supply side management approach there will be greater emphasis on demand side management. Recognizing pricing of water as an important instrument of demand management will do this and tariffs will be designed accordingly. Water pollution is considered a threat and measures will be taken to check misuse and pollution of drinking water sources. Concern is also shown about water conservation and reuse. Economic incentives, laws and regulations, and public awareness are the measures proposed to deal with the problem. State failure in universal access to drinking water through centralised modern systems is evident. In the process traditional systems of drinking water have been severely eroded, thrown into disuse and even eliminated in most parts. Still there are areas and population not covered by the present system dependent on traditional sources. One of the reason for this neglect was government's emphasis and open bias in favour of large, complex and costly systems with low capital efficiency ensuring that the power and authority stays with the bureaucracy and the community remains bonded to it (PHED, p.6). On the other hand traditional systems use low cost, user-friendly techniques and were easily kept in good operational condition by local communities. The shift in the policy is that if drinking water supply in rural Rajasthan has to be sustainable, equitable and community based, then the traditional systems have to be rejuvenated and developed along with the modern systems.

Nanak Kheti Workshop

State Workshop on Natural Farming – The Nanak Kheti

Dates: 26 & 27 March 2008,

Venue: Chiranji Lal Dharmshala, Jaitu [Faridkot]

In continuation of its endeavour to conserve ecology and natural resources of Punjab and to make its agriculture free from chemicals, debts, exploitative technologies and anti-nature mind set, the KVM is organising a

State Level Workshop on Natural Farming-The Nanak Kheti

Nanak Kheti symbolizes farming with urge for wellbeing of all

The workshop shall be addressed by eminent ecological agriculture warrior

Dr G. V. Ramanjaneyulu

Executive Director

Centre for Sustainable Agriculture [CSA], Hyderabad

He commands a constructive revolution of librating agriculture from exploitative technological regime of agri-business corporations and agriculture establishment.

The CSA has brought more then 7 lakh acres from 1800 villages in to ecological agriculture fold across the Andhra Pradesh under their Non Pesticide Management program. KVM as CSA partner has created several successful models of Natural farming in Punjab.

This workshop will also discuss the disastrous impacts of cultivating genetically modified crops.

Dr Sudhir Kaura

Eminent expert on genetic engineering, plant biotechnology from Hisar, Haryana who worked in a laboratory dealing in BT Cotton similar dangerous plants for about 11 years. Now After Deeply understanding Adverse effects of Genetically Modified Plants, He is effectively Opposing these transgenic plants for the last about 8 years in north India in association with farmers and pro-farmer organisations. He shall be discussing on different hazardous aspects associated with the BT cotton cultivation and will also speak on practical alternatives to BT cotton and chemical farming.

Cattle, especially the Indian humped cows are an important & indivisible component of our agriculture and civilization. KVM has invited Dr Ranjit Singh from Jaisalmer who is working for the conservation and propagation of India's most tolerant cow breed THARPARKAR. He will be guiding the farmers for the adoption of this high milk yielding traditional cow

Umendra Dutt

Executive director

+919872682161

For more information:

Dr Gurbakhsh Singh China Dr Harminder Sidhu Dr Anupreet Tiwana Charanjit Singh Punni

The Nanak Kheti: Natural Farming with passion for wellbeing of all

By Umendra Dutt

They are neither environmentalists, nor economists nor religious preachers nor trained agriculture experts nor a health professionals, but they still posses and practice the wisdom of all these. They practice Guru Nanak’s precept of Sarbat da Bhala meaning the wellbeing of all, in their farming. They are the natural farmers of Punjab.

Their farms are laboratories of happiness for all and encompass every living creature on earth, every life form. It is farming with passion for the wellbeing of all; one can call it spiritual farming, natural farming, non-violent agriculture or simply Nanak Kheti. These farmers are even taking care of a large verity of birds, earthworms, honey bees, butterflies and fireflies and many more magnificent life forms. For these farmers all living creatures are part of a family and - it is their family.

KVM preaches to adopt famous verses of Guru Granth Sahib in farming practices: “Pavnu Guru, Panni Pita Matta Dharat Mahat”, Air is Guru, Water is father and Earth is mother. This holy guiding principal should be part of the life, practice and mission of farmers who want to do natural farming.

There is a silent and constructive revolution happening in Punjab to save the environment, regenerate ecological resources to bring back soil productivity and re-establish ecological balance in the farms. This is the natural farming movement of Kheti Virasat Mission (KVM), a civil society action group headquartered in the Jaitu town of Faridkot district. The movement is led by experienced farmers who believe in principal of Sarbat da bhala," says Amarjeet Sharma, a farmer from Chaina village, district Faridkot who heads the village level Vatavaran Panchayat. Vatavaran Panchayats are local-level community institutions working as participatory civil society initiatives.

KVM is a farmers movement dedicated to natural farming, conservation of natural resources and traditional wisdom. Most of farmers associated with KVM work through its Vatavaran Panchayats. KVM farmers are farmers with a mission, vision and action. These farmers have taken pledges to start natural farming in one go or in a phased manner. KVM currently has around a 100 formal and 800 informal members.

The natural farmers of Punjab say that the land has witnessed the destruction of the environment as a consequence of chemical farming. In particular, the soil ecology has suffered a devastating blow in the last few decades as it has lost its nutrient pool. The burning of paddy straw has further destroyed the soil's health. But during the last four to five years, the soil in several parts of Punjab has been regenerated and rejuvenated by natural farming. These natural farmers are convinced, so much so that their feet feel happy and healthy coming in contact with the soil. “You can see earthworm castings, which had completely disappeared in the fields,” says a visibly happy and proud Hartej Singh of Mehta village in Bhatinda district. "Our farmers will offer you a handful of soil which you will find soft and with all the natural aromas that are associated with the infinite life of our earth. That is the kind of work we are doing," he adds.

KVM has evolved a distinct philosophy that defines soil as the 'source of infinite lives'. "Yes, it is true and we have experienced it," avers KVM chairman and a farmer from Rai Ke Kalan village of Bathinda, Harjant Singh. If the soil is rich in microorganisms, its texture is soft, full of natural essence and ample quantities of moisture are kept intact. Then the soil gives healthy crops, and there is a lesser need for irrigation.

Harjant Singh further elaborates on the scientific premises of natural farming. All living organisms require nutrition and minerals for their growth. Plants, being stationary, receive all their nutrition from their surroundings and from natural life processes. They get carbon dioxide and water from nature and by the process of photosynthesis, the required amount of sugars is produced. Similarly nitrogen in the air is captured by rhyzobia bacteria in soil for the plants. These microorganisms perform different functions for the plants. "By using the chemical inputs, especially the pesticides, we have destroyed the delicate microbial equilibrium of soil and tilted the game in favour of external chemical inputs thus making the situation even worse," says Singh.

KVM farmers use Jeevaamrita (a cow urine based microbial preparation) to revive microbial activity in soil. With the application of Jeevaamrita and Ghan Jeevaamrita (a solid form of Jeevaamrita), the soil is gradually becoming rich in the humus, yield has increased, and other life forms are coming back in the fields, says Charanjeet Singh Punni, another KVM farmer from Chaina village and a natural farming trainer. Punni highlights another aspect of natural farming. "Although the sunlight of some of its radiation is essential for the photosynthesis, it is a threat to the soil bacteria. Mulching is the best answer to this."

Mulching is an essential part of natural farming. Natural farmers aver that when the soil is covered with various forms of mulching, the results are unimaginable. Earlier the soil had lost all soil bacteria, microbes and earthworms. But after adoption of Jeevaamrita and mulching, the farms are again becoming wealthy in soil health. Krishnan Jakhar of village Dhaba (near Dabawali), Vinod Jyani of village Katehra, near Fazilka, Swarn Singh of Karamgarh Shattran, Madan Lal of Bullowal in Hoshiarpur, Jarnail Singh in Meharu, Nakodar and other natural farmers of the KVM network are using inter crops, plant residue, fallen leaves, bushes, weeds and sometimes even the wheat straw or the paddy straw cuttings spread in the fields to cover the naked soil. “Besides protecting the bacteria and retaining the moisture, this also keeps the temperature of the soil low and it never goes beyond the 40 degrees Celsius, which is the upper limit for the survival of microbes,” tells Ajay Tripathi, associate director of KVM.

KVM farmers have redefined, reestablished and regenerated their mother-son relation with the soil. They feel a spiritual bond, an oneness with the soil. That is why they are against all forms of agro-chemicals and burning of fields - to them it is a form of violence against the earth.

There is a common question usually asked to KVM activists. Does natural farming economics work? This spiritual soil science is also more financially beneficial to these farmers. After adopting natural farming they are spending far less from earlier chemical farming days. Natural farming is more cost effective and input efficient says Amarjeet Dhillon a small farmer from Dabrikhana village, who owns only two acres of land. For example, farmers having sugarcane and black gram in their farms have to spend virtually nothing on inputs asserts, Dhillon. He cities several examples where farmer had spend only Rs.100-200 on inputs for one acre as against Rs.3000 by a chemical farming farmer. "Some of us had stopped cash out flow to cities any more to purchase Urea, DAP and pesticides and thousands of others have reduced this out flow of cash in a big way", he adds.

On an average in Malwa's cotton belt farmers are spending Rs.7000 on chemical inputs per acre annually in normal conditions. If there are more pest attacks, then there may be no limit to this amount. There is a rough estimate that every village is spending a large sum of money -- from Rs.40 lakhs to Rs.6 crores -- purchasing agro-chemicals, depending upon area of cultivation and cropping pattern. Natural farmers want to stop the loss of village wealth by bringing down farmers' spending on agro-chemicals. This is Kissan version of Swadeshi movement says Chamkour Singh of Dhudhike village of Moga district. Dhudhike is famous for being the birthplace of eminent freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai and other martyrs of Gadar movement. “Our farmers are no more going to serve MNCs or big agro-chemical corporations. We are evolving a framework for an agricultural Swadeshi movement in Punjab. We are going to redefine Boycott and Swadeshi in the present context and scenario that is why KVM has given a slogan to its farmers – MNCs quit our farms,” he adds.

KVM feels that there is urgent need of Swadeshi agriculture movement to decolonize Indian agriculture and to liberate Indian farmer from clutches of westernized agriculture and developmental paradigm being convinced by ICAR and State Agriculture Universities. This prototype is philosophically alien to our cultural roots and stranger to ecological ethos and believes of our society.

The KVM’s natural farming movement has also brings another significant change in mindset of farmers. Now they are not looking towards Agriculture University or departmental experts for expert advice any more. “We feel that every farmer of ours is a expert in himself, he practice this science of natural farming, he lives natural farming every day, he is totally engulfed with the philosophy of natural farming,” said Dr. Harminder Sidhu a Homeopath practitioner and a practicing natural farmer from village Jalaldiwal of Raikot in Ludhiana district. “The modern agriculture paradigm has limited all expertise to Agriculture Universities only. The chemicalised agriculture model has made farmers scientifically illiterate – who presumed to be ignorant to every aspect of science and agri technology. This is a conspiracy which has made farmers dependent on Universities, department, companies and even pesticide retailers. It is a cruel joke that those who get a three or five year degree in agriculture with a alien kind of agriculture knowledge are known as experts, who are practicing a agriculture knowledge of only 40 years old, where as the farmers who inherent the agriculture wisdom of at least 5000 years were made commoners. We are not going to accept this nonsense any more. We are working to build self-confidence of our farmers on their own agriculture heritage and wisdom. We are the nation with abundance in farm produces, agro-biodiversity and prosperity,” adds confident Dr Sidhu.

The list of natural farmers includes names from all corners of the state. The Pingalwara Charitable Society, Amritsar, a prestigious social service institute in north India, founded by Bhagat Puran Singh has supported natural farming and the movement with its resources. Pingalwara has established the Bhagat Puran Singh Natural Farming Centre in 37 acres at village Dhirakot near Jandiala Guru. More significantly, well-known religious leader and spiritual environmentalist Sant Balbir Singh Seenchewal, Sultanpur Lodhi has successfully rejuvenated rivulet Kali Bain, and has joined the natural farming movement. Now he is promoting natural farming in his spiritual mass gatherings.

Similarly many professionals such as those from the medical field, college and university lecturers and professors, advocates, journalists, even government officials and civil servants have joined this movement for rejuvenation of the soil. They are in contact with the KVM and participate in its activities.

Now KVM is concentrating few villages for change the entire village in natural farming field. Two villages in Faridkot district -Chaina and Dabrikhana were chosen for this initiative.

In the just commenced wheat season -- from now to mid-April -- KVM activists are planning to reach out to at least 60 blocks of the state. These activists are committed farmers who work in the fields, not experts who come by when they can spare time by choice. These farmers the true sons of soil are trainers, scientists and leaders of this ecological initiative, in the service of Mother Nature.

The Nanak Kheti in Punjab

THE NANAK KHETI - Ecological and Natural Farming in Punjab:
Issues, Strategies and the way forward

An initiative of Kheti Virasat Mission, Jaitu

Punjab is sitting on a volcano of environmental health disaster, waiting to erupt. The serious social, ecological and livelihood impact has already started manifesting. Rather Punjab is already amidst this crisis. This is the clear message from the report of epidemiological study by School of Public Health, PGIMER and sponsored by PPCB on the effects of effluents on water quality and human health recently submitted to government of Punjab.
Agrochemical-centric agriculture has taken centre stage in country's planning and perception and Punjab has become most vital component of this chemical-based agriculture system. Since then, the Punjab was projected as the model state for the success of green revolution; it has become the centre of intensive agriculture practices from 50's. During last five decades, India has increased the consumption of pesticides from 154 MT in 1953-54 to 73,000 MT in 1994-95. Similar patterns were followed in Punjab, which become biggest consumer of technical grade pesticides in country. Punjab has highest per hectare usage of pesticides 923 grammes and chemical fertilizers 192.5 kg, in India. 1 State of Environment 2007, Published by PSCS&T
This also indicates that Punjab has highest pesticide body load among the Indian states. More over the cotton belt of Malwa is consuming highest pesticide use density in country. Punjab is just 2.5% area of total agriculture land in India and it consumers near 18% pesticides of the country, where as the cotton belt comprises nearly 15% area of Punjab and it consumes nearly 70% pesticide of the state, thus making the equation more dangerous. Malwa's cotton belt is less then 0.5 % geographical area of country but almost 10 % pesticides of country are used here.

Economics of agrochemical based highly mechanized agriculture:
The agrochemicals and particularly pesticides are not only impacting the ecology and environmental health of Punjab, but these are also taking away economic self reliance of Punjab farmers. On an average in Punjab farmers are spending Rs 5000 on chemical inputs per acre annually where as Malwa's cotton belt farmers are spending Rs.7000 in normal conditions. If there are more pest attacks, then there may be no limit to this amount. There is a rough estimate that every village is spending a large sum of money -- from Rs.40 lakhs to Rs.6 crores -- purchasing agro-chemicals, depending upon area of cultivation and cropping pattern.
If we calculate this figure from last four decades it may lasts into hundreds crores from a single village. This is plunder of village wealth.
According to PAU study done by Prof Sukhpal Singh and others, Punjab farmers are spending 44.1 % of total loan on agri inputs and 12 % on farm machinery. This is clear indication that chemicalisation and mechanization of agriculture pushed most of farmers into debt trap, which leads to exodus and displacement of farmers and ultimately created the situation of suicides.
The Chemical centric agriculture is not sustainable at all, it prescribes a kind of extortion on the name of modern agriculture practices, and it is money drain from villages to make agro-chemical manufacturers more and more rich. The present technological regime persuaded by PAU and State Agriculture Department and backed by agribusiness corporations is exploitative for farmers and abusive to the Nature and ecology.

From last few years after witnessing thousands of farmers’ suicides, our worthy experts started talking about agrarian crisis. We all are witnessing a deep crisis in the agrarian sector all around us, in all states of the country. We are seeing farmers commit suicides in thousands all around - this is probably part of the Exit Policy that the state has for them. Though we call this as 'Agrarian Distress', we are yet to come across any cases of the owner/senior manager of an agribusiness enterprise committing suicides because of the unviablity of their enterprise. We are yet to see which industry - seed, pesticides, agricultural machinery etc. - is not witnessing growth trends. If it is agrarian distress, why is it not reflected in the Agribusiness economics? Why only farmers? Therein lays the crux of the role of agri-business in starting and compounding the agrarian distress around us.
We have to evolve a different paradigm of agriculture that can liberate our farmers from exploitation. Defiantly, the ecological agriculture has answer to this.

Why should Ecological Farming be promoted in Punjab[1]?

To restore the culture & dignity of our farmers – those who have been traditionally doing natural farming need to be given back their confidence; the many customary agricultural practices of the people of Punjab prior to the “green revolution” which have made it such a rich society need to be revived.
To revive soil health – this is a dire need in Punjab if Punjab has to continue to be the food bowl of India and if the technology fatigue related to stagnation in production/productivity has to be overcome.
To protect and revive the health of farming community members and consumers – the impact of pesticides after the heavy pesticide load in Punjab farming is apparent and getting out of the trap of chemical pesticides is an urgent need
To revive the livelihoods and reduce the debt burden of Punjabi farmers, by reducing the cost of cultivation dramatically. This ensures better net incomes for farmers and practiced well, this also ensures self reliance of farmers when it comes to inputs needed for farming. Internalisation of inputs into the farming systems incrementally reduces cost of cultivation of farmers and any organic farming that serves corporate interests of newer markets for organic products will not serve the purpose.
To allow for premium prices for high quality produce by tapping into the “enlightened self interest” of Punjabi consumers, wherever possible, so that the livelihoods of farmers are improved
Wherever possible, to address the issue of water crisis in farming through methods like System of Rice Intensification
To ensure that there is no threat to the trade security of the state – by default as well as design, since GM crops are disallowed in organic farming, this ensures trade security of the state, which right now exports various agriculture products including the famous Basmati rice.

Ecological security and environmental sustainability are directly linked to agriculture and economic sustainability. The agriculture model and lopsided development has already taken a huge toll of the environment. It is growth at the cost of ecology, economy and livelihoods. Punjab needs an immediate intensive action for over all change in the planning, thinking and perspective specifically for ecological and agricultural sustainability.

An immediate shift to ecological and natural farming can bring Punjab out of impending ecological, agricultural and environmental health crisis.

HOW CAN ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE BE PROMOTED?

By supporting small peasants in their OWN agriculture with their OWN seeds, this would require assistance in the shape of re-introducing lost traditional varieties from the NARS and even repatriating seeds from any state or private seed collections
Set up a Punjab Institute for Natural and Sustainable Farming, fully equipped with human and financial resources to promote organic farming with farmers of the state. This Institution should have agriculture scientists as well as other renowned resource persons (including practicing farmers from Punjab and other states) so that a mandate related to awareness building; capacity building and extension can be fulfilled. The Institution should have clear targets over a time line of converting a specific number of farmers each year to natural/sustainable farming. Financial allocations for awareness materials, training materials, kisan melas, workshops, demonstrations, monitoring, some scientific studies, farmers’ exposure visits etc., should be clearly earmarked for effective functioning of this Institution. If needed, district resource centres of this Institution should be created, to start with in the ‘cancer belt’ of Punjab. This should be an autonomous body which can report directly to the Agriculture Minister.

This Institute should have funds to take up some specific research studies including on pesticide residues, pesticide health impacts, impacts of organic/natural farming etc.

Train agriculture department officials in Natural/Sustainable Farming and convert the IEC material of the department into messages related to organic farming. To begin with, in select districts of the state, agriculture department officials can adopt a village each and start converting them to organic/natural farming. For this, proper institutional structures and processes are needed at the village level so that knowledge related to organic/natural farming spreads faster and the process scales out.

Organise farmers into collectives, if needed with the help of NGOs wherever present or where not possible, through lead banks in each location, so that establishing the alternative on the ground becomes easier. It is usually found from experiences elsewhere that groups of about 15-20 farmers will be ideal for democratic institutional processes, knowledge sharing and collective work. Even issues like agricultural credit for those farmers/tenants who are unable to access institutional credit, can be based on peer collateral that will emerge from such institutions.

Extension support is critical for ecological farming, which is a knowledge-intensive model. Let the existing natural and organic farmers of Punjab be the lead extension workers at the village level to motivate and train other farmers around them.

Facilitating a community-driven certification scheme – there are several examples & ongoing experiences from different parts of India & the world to learn from

Making “NO to GE” a reality in Punjab – as there an be no co-existence of organic & GM agriculture

It might also be good to give a functional definition to ecological farming as an “alternative” approach to farming that covers a variety of approaches which emulate nature's processes as closely as possible and which rely on natural products and certain practices (especially of intercropping and designing one's farm properly) rather than synthetic and toxic products. Ecological farming rests heavily on agro-diversity being conserved and promoted and an integral part of such farming is the revival of indigenous seed varieties and germplasm, rather than promotion of hybrid or GM seed.

The Strategies
Some of the very important strategies that are needed to be incorporated into any large scale programme of organic farming include:

a. Large scale and effective campaigns to convince all stakeholders about the ill-effects of chemical farming and the possibilities and opportunities with non-chemical farming; the government should employ a variety of means and media to put out messages to farmers urging them to give up chemical farming and opt for non-chemical approaches

b. Capacity building of farmers who are coming forward to take up organic farming: a variety of modules and structures to be created for capacity building of farmers related to pest and disease management without synthetic pesticides, soil fertility management without chemical fertilizers (especially in terms of promoting soil biological activity and thereby addressing soil chemical and physical properties), agro-diversity and need to conserve it etc. Such capacity building efforts should include bringing in resource persons from all over the country as well as taking farmers on exposure visits to places where organic farming is being practiced successfully. There should also be opportunities created for farmer to farmer extension on organic farming. Further, Punjabi material meant for farmers' use should be created and disseminated as part of capacity building.

c. Creating farmers' institutions from village upwards including farmers' field schools. Such institutions with hand-holding by external support agencies initially in creating systems for farmers' own management of these institutions will act as the sustainable fora to carry the work forward later on with or without external support.

d. Set up constant extension services on organic farming, with the extension structures beginning at the village level; this is a very critical component because when farmers are shifting to organic farming, since it is a knowledge intensive process, they look towards someone to support them with advice at all stages. Extension personnel in a programme like this are practicing farmers themselves in the case of Andhra Pradesh and are paid a nominal honorarium for facilitating the farmer field schools and for visiting all fields regularly so that proper advice can be extended to individual farmers.

e. Creating other support systems for credit for organic farming and for marketing support for organic produce. Village level enterprises can be set up for processing and value addition for organic produce.

f. Setting up village & household level seed banks which offer diversity of crops and varieties of seeds to farmers in the village. Like mentioned earlier, agro-diversity and revival of traditional landraces constitutes a critical part of ecological farming – when each farm exhibits mixed cropping, pest and disease management as well as soil productivity management are left more to natural processes than to chemicals as is the case now.

g. Further, in the case of Punjab, it is important that all departments concerned, including the Health department, Agriculture department, Rural Development department, S&T and Environment departments to come together to form the State Level Secretariat and to allocate resources from all the departments for this large scale organic farming to be taken up.

h. Setting up of a Punjab Institute for Ecological Farming for capacity building of stakeholders, preparation of IEC materials and dissemination of the same, for research and validation of ecological practices etc., would be a needed step. More on this Institute is in the attached note.

i. A comprehensive water policy should be evolved with specific attention on water management (local water management as opposed to grandiose water solutions like linking the rivers); detoxification of all rivers, rain-fed nullahs; and strict monitoring of all industrial discharge into the State's rivers and drains.

j. The soil and water resources in Punjab have been severely degraded over the last several decades. Facilities for toxicity testing, specifically for pesticide residues, of soil and water should be made available at nominal costs to farmers at the district level with specific suggestions on how to reduce/ counter the ill-effects of chemical farming on these resources by use of organic practices/ inputs.

k. At a later stage, right after launching the programme straightaway (the environmental health crisis is so acute that there is no time to be lost), a state level policy on organic farming should be evolved and adopted in Punjab as is happening with many other states. Apart from Central Government, five states have their state policies on organic farming this includes Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Uttaranchal, Andhra Pradesh is in the mid of drafting process. Moreover, Himachal Pradesh has initiated a state level project on organic farming. The Northeastern states had also prepared an elaborative plan for organic farming promotion. Every policy has few indispensable components- the vision, the ultimate objective and the inbuilt capacity to fulfill peoples' aspirations. The policy should address its core issue holistically. Its guiding principal lies in the well-being of community and the nation at large. It reflects the tradition, the heritage and socio-economic and civilization thought process, perceptions and progressive unfolding of the society. For this, policy has to be evolved by the involvement of community and its inputs. These are the fundamental of participatory democracy - a key word for sustainable development in true sense.


l. Develop a Strategy and Action Plan for Sustainable Agriculture: The agriculture of Punjab needs a fresh vision for its sustainability, as well as sustainability of its natural resources. Currently, agriculture has not only destroyed the household nutritional security of farmers but has also made them dependent on the market for daily needs.
Such an approach will need a paradigm shift in approach and thinking. To take up this issue with urgent priority the Government should formulate a policy and action plan with a fixed time frame to promote sustainable agricultural practices and eco-friendly methods of farming like organic and natural farming. Special budget allocations shall be made available for the purpose. The major focus of this strategy should be:
To draw a balance sheet of the collapse of Green Revolution. We need to know what went wrong with agriculture, so that we don't repeat the same mistakes. A post-mortem of the Green Revolution is absolutely necessary.
To draw a map of the soil health of Punjab. In the future, all crop introductions should be based on soil health. If a crop (including cash crops) has the possibility of destroying the soil fertility and thereby accentuating the ecological crisis, that cropping system should not be allowed.
A biodiversity-based system of agriculture should be promoted, with support for indigenous varieties of cattle, other animals, and seeds. Awards, incentives & recognition should be offered to those farmers who practice biodiverse farming.
Attracting youth through awareness building, and making agriculture economically viable, and hence attractive as a livelihood option. This means there must be support for the youth to take up agriculture and related activities.
A cultural revival focused on reviving the farming culture of the state and upholding its heritage and pride as an agrarian state and food supplier to the nation.
A farm-based approach rather than crop-based approach in agriculture planning and supports
Support to form framers’ collectives in production, farm management and marketing, and ensuring procurement by government agencies, to avoid price fluctuations.
Awareness-building about harmful effects of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and the phasing-out of chemical pesticides through capacity-building among farmers, women’s groups and local entrepreneurs to produce organic inputs locally. All these have already been successfully developed and tried in many states without reducing the outputs.
Changing the syllabus of Agriculture University to suit to this approach, meaning building the capacity of agriculture students to understand the local ecology and needs for an ecological revival of Punjab. This can include forestry and fisheries students also.
The phasing-out of investments and increased outlays for agricultural research based on external chemical inputs like fertiliser and pesticides. Instead, financial allocations should be made for reviving low-input agriculture, which uses cheap and locally available technology and, in turn, improves production, reduces the cost of production and protects the environment.
Agricultural research must reorient itself to learn from the existing sustainable farming models. The focus of genetically modified crops must immediately stop as it is risky and expensive for the farmer. This has been amply demonstrated in several parts of the world. Water productivity and efficiency has to be the hallmark of agricultural research based on the local conditions.
Involvement of Women: The women are playing very significant role in restoring nature and making organic farming a success in several places throughout the country. As organic farming can be termed as family enterprise, the involvement of women can provide organic farming the requisite motherly care. Women-power has immense scope and strength for scientific mass-production of compost, bio-fertilizers, bio-control agents, antagonists and other benevolent organisms through a structured entrepreneurship along with post-harvest handling of crops including value-added product production. This shall also provide the enhanced opportunity for women to take part in this endeavor of transforming the agro-cultural scenario. Civilization and its spontaneous evolution cannot be imagined without the active participation of a major part of the population, which is a woman.
Incentive and subsidies: The subsidies and other incentives shall play a crucial role for the promotion of organic farming and it becomes more relevant in the present WTO regime. In fact, the subsidies paid by the American and European governments are indeed very high and form the backbone of their farmers. Government schemes for promotion of organic farming should consider this aspect. Appropriate schemes and policies for the development of organic farming in the state are needed. These must be farmer oriented and may require rising of special funds. Rising incidents of suicides by the Punjabi farmers is another pointer of their woes. The cost of inputs is increasing day by day, the pests attacking the crops are becoming resistant to even the most lethal chemicals insecticide, pesticides and other synthetic pyreathroids agents, thus creating huge losses to already struggling Punjabi farmer.



Examples set by other States
1. The Community Managed Sustainable Agriculture programme [CMSA] in Andhra Pradesh, taken up by the Rural Development department of the state government is a large programme of setting up non-chemical, self-reliant farming for improvement of farmers’ livelihoods in around 25 lakh acres of the state, covering all crops and districts. This is a programme being implemented by women’s self help groups. The institutional set up consists of one village level activist [who is a practicing farmer, who will also receive additional capacity building inputs and training aids], a cluster coordinator for a cluster of five villages and a district level coordinator of the programme. Further, there is a state level secretariat which plans, reviews and monitors the entire programme and leads the capacity building effort. Probably a small team of agriculture department officials and other concerned people from Punjab, including ones who could potentially be part of the proposed Institute for Natural and Sustainable Farming can be sent to Andhra Pradesh to look at this programme.

2. Inputs are provided by the state government through the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty [a GO-NGO] mainly go for capacity building of the human resources mentioned above for constant extension support to farmers, for campaigns and exposure trips, for trainings and training material production, for collective enterprises to be set up at the village level for input production, for collective marketing support etc.

3. States like Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttaranchal, Maharastra, Kerala, Nagaland and Sikkam had all ready formulated organic farming polices and programmes. Several other states had also initiated the process. This has moved beyond the debate of the need for organic farming and has begun with a stated stand that organic farming is indeed needed and profitable. Large scale programmes have been initiated without the need for the conventional approach of agricultural universities first having to endorse such programmes.

4. It is not an option between NPM or organic or natural farming but a mix of all of these and if needed, an incremental movement from one to the other (as in the case of Andhra Pradesh where the Community Managed Sustainable Agriculture programme, or CMSA as it is known, evolved from NPM or No-Pesticides Management of crops). Even in "natural farming", though the concept is understood as "do-nothing", many practitioners use some natural resource-based products initially. Similarly, "organic farming" is not to be understood only in one rigid sense of externally-certified production system – there are models of "declared organic" too, which run on corporotisation between consumers and producers.

Ecological Agriculture: The International scenario
The role of technology, too, needs to be ascertained. Pesticides were promoted blindly on rice, for instance. The International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines now says that pesticides on rice were a waste of time and effort in Asia. But meanwhile, pesticides usage has already taken a huge toll, and pushed farmers in a debt trap.

Studies done by ICRISAT and IRRI clearly demonstrate the sustainability, viability and successful economics of Non-Pesticide Management practices. Farmers in Bangladesh, Philippines and Vietnam have successfully opted for pesticide free rice cultivation. The Cuba has also shown the way. Former Director General of IRRI, Dr. Robert Cantrell had this to say: "It shows that the mistakes of Green Revolution where too much emphasis was sometimes put on the use of chemicals for pest control have clearly been recognized and corrected".

The FAO also in its report on International Conference on Organic Agriculture and Food Security held at Rome on 3 to 5 July 2007 clearly says that Organic Can feed the World. The report stats that use of chemical agriculture inputs has been increasing in the last two decades but grain productivity keeps declining. Report also says more knowledge is readily available through fast information technologies but nutrition related diseases are increasing; industrialized food systems have environmental and social costs that threaten food security (e.g. occupational deaths through pesticides poisoning, farmers’ suicides due to debts, and loss of million jobs in rural areas).
The example of Cuba is known to every one. The Philippines, Indonesia and South Korea are most progressive Countries in terms of perusing ecological agriculture. In 1986 Indonesia banned 28 pesticides on rice by a Presidential decree. Making it first country in the world where a pesticides were banned under a Presidential decree. Further more these pesticides were then completely banned and phased out in Indonesia in 1996. In 1986 The South Korean Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has announced national targets for reducing pesticide use by 50% and fertilizer use by 40% by the year 2004.



Natural Farming in Punjab
There are scores of ecological [natural/organic] farmers in Punjab today, who have successfully demonstrated that a shift to ecological approaches will mean better economics, including on the yields’ front after a small initial transition period. It is also seen from the experience of organisations like Kheti Virasat Mission that farmers of Punjab are really keen on alternatives because the current agricultural models have turned out to be very unfavorable to them. Therefore, the experience from the ground shows that the debate really is not about whether organic farming will help farmers and whether there are scientific studies around it (which can also be shown, of course), but about how to establish organic farming on the ground.

Other Steps must be taken by Punjab Government
Research Project on Pesticide consumption and residue: As Punjab has one of highest levels of pesticide consumption in India, it subsequently has the highest pesticide load on its people and eco-system. Punjab is already facing severe adverse impacts of agro-chemicals used in last four decades. Now at this crucial juncture, the Punjab Government should take bold steps to ensure a safe environment and eco-system to the future of generations of Punjab. For this the Punjab Government should take these steps:

1. Complete a detailed study on pesticide consumption patterns in Punjab.
2. The government should immediately ban aggressive marketing of pesticides including all forms of advertisements, publicity and promotion schemes for pesticides and other agro-chemicals along with all incentives given to the pesticide and agro-chemical dealers’ network.
3. Raise awareness about the dangers of pesticide use through well-financed education campaigns. These must ensure the dissemination of information on ill effects of pesticides to all users.
4. The government should evolve an action plan for the immediate and time-bound phasing out of the most deadly pesticides: class I a, I b and II.
5. The vital task of properly compiling residue data, already generated by the agriculture universities.



Issues of Concern in Organic:
Develop an alternative local (domestic) marketing strategy, especially for Organic Produce: The government must take steps to ensure the right price for the produce, without the exploitation of middlemen, including the big retail companies, (the shopping malls and supermarkets) that are now monopolizing the markets. It is possible to develop an alternative domestic market for food produce, especially organic through the concepts like an Organic Bazaar (running in five cities in India) and the Participatory Guarantee System of Organic Standards Certification (accepted by IFOAM), which is not costly and exploitative and is based on a faith, accountability and integrity based system. The idea is to grow organic for the health of our own soils & own people not for export.
It has to be noted here that those ecological farming models which are created to provide business opportunities in the form of bio-inputs once again for agri-business companies or for services like expensive certification, will once again take away from the potential benefits for farmers. The whole effort should be farmer-centric and led by them with as many employment/enterprise opportunities as possible created for them and managed by them.


Recommendations of Task Force on Organic Farming: From last five years there are number of documents brought up by various government agencies and institutions. In 2001 Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation, Government of India had formed a Task Force on Organic Farming headed by Dr.Kunwarji Bhai Jadav that brought out its report in November 2001. In September 2001, the Working Group on Organic and Biodynamic Farming, constituted by Planning Commission submitted another report.
The Task Force on Organic Farming had made several recommendations, few are very important, as:
i) Economic value of chemical fertilizers and organic manures may be equated in terms of their overall effect on soil productivity, crop production and then Government may provide the support accordingly.
ii) The technology packages on organic farming as developed by farmers, NGOs and others may be evaluated and the successful technology may be expanded in larger areas.
iii) Bullock drawn implements should be encouraged.
iv) Bankable model schemes on organic farming may be prepared and circulated among the States for its adoption and popularization.
v) Each of the agricultural universities in the country may start a course at the Post-Graduation level on organic farming.
vi) Each Krishi Vigyan Kendra may set up a vermin-compost unit and a biological control unit for demonstration and dissemination of the techniques. These centres may also provide bioagents / antagonist and earthworms to the farmers after their training.
vii) Each KVK may lay out one demonstration on organic farming by taking major crops of that area as test crops.
viii) Farmers training about cost-benefit relationship in organic farming and about export of organic produce may be organised through some designated institutions specialized in this area. The Government may support such institutions, which may include NGOs.
ix) The organic markets for supply and purchase of inputs and outputs for organic farming may be developed.
x) Adequate numbers of certification agencies may be identified, registered/recognized. The certification agencies may be financed by the Government to carry out free certification for the farmers for intended export of organic produce.
xi) In the areas of high production, the shifting to organic farming system may result into loss of produce in the initial years. For such switch over, farmers may need to be compensated for initial 2-3 years.
xii) All the Central Government farms may set up vermin-compost units, develop, and demonstrate the system of re-cycling of crop residues. This may be demonstrated by reduced consumption of chemical fertilizers on the Government farms.
xiii) All the State Government may be advised to consider to device the system as introduced by Government of Madhya Pradesh about the experimentation and demonstrations on Government farms on 50:50 area basis on organic on organic farming and other forms of farming.
xiv) The biodynamic means of preparing nutrients may be standardized and the technology may be popularized.
xv) The crop residues should not be permitted to be burnt. Suitable legislation may be thought of, if required.
xvi) Adequate information may be made available to the farmers about the crop-wise residues arising and equivalent nutrient value per unit area through such crop residues.
xvii) The ventures of vermin-compost, compost, press mud and other forms of generation of organic nutrients for crop production may be exempted from levy of all kinds of taxes, excise and income tax etc.
xviii) The agriculture being a Sate subject, the State Governments may be effectively involved in the National programme to be prepared for promotion of organic farming.
xix) Each Sate may set up a State level cell or create a suitable unit at the Headquarter of Directorate of Agriculture to oversee the promotion of organic farming in the State.

Most of these recommendations stay there in files only. Some how in 2003, Government of India had accepted one of important recommendation of Organic Farming Task Force and National Centre for Bio-Fertilizers was converted into National Centre for Organic Farming in 2004. Moreover, National Project on Organic Farming was approved with an outlay of Rs.57.05 crores for production, promotion, and market development organic farming in the country during 10th Plan.


GE Crops and Ecological Agriculture: Into this situation, Genetic Engineering in agriculture is being imported as the solution (BT Cotton for example) whereas it has the potential to further worsens the situation given all its potential environmental and health hazards. No one should be misled by the propaganda of GE seed companies taking Bt.crops as pesticide-free organic crops, where as Bt crops have also a pesticides, preotein (delta endotoxin) that has disputed effect on human health. So, at no point Genetically Engineered or Bt. Crops can be considered as organic at all.
It is alarming that the agriculture establishments of Punjab are seeking alternatives to pesticides in GM crops. In last two years there are several statements made by state government being interested in GM crops as well as organic crops reflects the confusion of the government on the issue. It seems that the government has neither understood the basic differences between Ecological / Organic and Transgenic agriculture, nor has it understood the similarity between pesticides and BT crops.

The similarities of transgenic agriculture, especially GM crops developed for insect resistance, with pesticides are uncanny. The same companies are involved, with similar kinds of dangers inherent in the technologies – they are also promoted with the same claims! It has to be remembered that they are both irreversible technologies with a high likelihood of “ending up everywhere”.

Co-existence of GM crops with organic agriculture, given the reality of our growing and post-harvest conditions, this is impossible. Both biological and physical contamination of other crops is a distinct possibility. Segregation of GM and non-GM crops is not possible even at the farmer household level. Isolation distances required for such segregation cannot be maintained at the field level, because this is not a choice that pertains to a single farmer but is something that is impacted by choices exercised by neighboring farmers too. While this is not possible for non-GM, it should be remembered that organic standards are pretty rigid and set very high, set mainly to protect the trust and interests of consumers. After harvest too, at various stages like storage, transportation, at the local market yards, at the ginning and spinning mills and so on, it is impossible to maintain segregation. Implementation of a rigorous system of “identity preservation” [IP] and “traceability” would be virtually impossible in India, Punjab included. No amount of labeling requirements and legislations (an end of the pipe solution, rather than a clean production solution, to draw an analogy from other sectors of production) can control the situation that we would land ourselves in.

As other analysts have argued earlier, even if it is assumed for the sake of argument that Identity Preservation was possible to implement in India, the excessive operational costs involved would make agriculture a very expensive and unaffordable activity. As it is, spiraling costs of cultivation with dismantled public support are pushing many farmers to the brink of suicides every day.

Contamination of GM produce with non-GM produce is unavoidable and this would endanger the trade prospects of an entire nation, in addition to exposing its population to a variety of risks.

Is this what Punjab should show to the rest of the country as a leader in farming innovations? Is this how Punjab should evolve future directions for Indian agriculture?

It would do well for Punjab to remember that it is for a very good reason that the entire world, barring a handful of countries, is taking a precautionary approach to GM crops. It is particularly foolish to promote Bt crops given that alternative pest management models in the form of IPM, NPM, Organic etc., has been successfully established all over the country and across the world. These farmer-centric alternatives have proven themselves time and again to be economically, environmentally and socially beneficial. It is indeed unfortunate that Punjab, which has always been in the forefront of agricultural development, has not yet learnt any lessons from such positive experiences.

To conclude, we would like to inform the state government that there is one more similarity between GM crops and pesticides – both are completely dispensable in agriculture and it has been shown to be so by many farmers in Punjab!

PAU and Ecological Agriculture:
The PAU has also come up with a project in Department of Agronomy, though it is still in infant stage. However, we must understand PAU’s perspective and approach towards organic farming. PAU scientists openly show their apprehensions regard potentials of organic farming. They even put limitations of organic farming in their official presentation on organic farming. It is ironic that while PAU scientists knows that very much about residues of pesticides in food chain etc but they always conclude with the one liner – Pesticides are indispensable, It seems that political factor -There is No Alternative TINA is ruling the PAU vision.
Secondly, they are even equating BT cotton produce with organic one. Even senior officials from Agriculture department had shown their doubts for productivity and yield. So, wither it is PAU or Agriculture department both are working half-heartedly, it may be because there is clear misunderstanding related to yield potentials of organic. Moreover, agriculture scientists from are not so open to learn from experiences of farmers from other Indian states, if it is United States then they may follow it. There is a false self-pride feeling in Punjab that we have to feed rest of the country, we have to grow more and more, and it is only possible by chemicalised agriculture.
Punjab must take note of example of Cuba becoming self-sufficient in food and vegetables by organic farming and that too with in three to four years of time. Cuba has opted for organic in 1990-91 and by mid-1995; the food shortage had been overcome. It is general opinion that a nation cannot feed its people without synthetic agro-chemicals, yet today Cuba is self-reliant in food security without using these deadly agro-chemicals. This is a result of change in mindset and agricultural vision and Punjab needs the same.
Punjab State Policy on Natural and Ecological Agriculture: Lastly, the about two years gone when last government announced that it will form an Organic Farming Policy for the state. But it did not materialize and as of yet, there is no such policy for the state. As ecologically sustainable agriculture is the need of the hour for Punjab, it should have a proper policy for the same. It is time to take the initiative to formulate a policy framework for natural and organic farming promotion. Punjab government should invite suggestions and inputs from all the stakeholders and partners for sustainable development before formulating any policy. Public hearings and dialogue must be initiated to make the policy people-oriented and realistic. Moreover, the policy formulation process should be farmer-centric and must be with a bottom-up approach. Again this task can not be entrusted to Green Revolution mindset experts; it has been entrusted to individuals who want to see the new paradigm implemented.
This is the appropriate time to raise the public debate on state policy for organic farming in Punjab. As Punjab State Farmers’ Commission is intend to formulate a state policy therefore, one can hope that Punjab state policy on organic farming will soon become a reality. Nevertheless, an important question must be answered that what should be the priorities in Punjab. What is meaning and relevance of organic farming for Punjab?
As eminent agriculture scientist and policy expert Dr. Devinder Sharma rightly says, “Emphasis on commodities approach during the Green Revolution has encouraged monocultures, loss of biodiversity, encouraged food trade in some commodities, distorted domestic markets, and disrupted the micro-nutrient availability in soil, plant, animals and for humans. Thrust on farm commodities has also pushed in trade activities, encouraged food miles, adding to greenhouse emissions, water mining, and destruction of farm incomes. The need is to revert back to the time-tested farming systems that relied on mixed cropping and its integration with farm animals, thereby meeting the household and community nutrition needs from the available farm holdings. “
Such an approach will need a paradigm shift in approach and thinking.
KVM feels that there is a urgent need of Swadeshi agriculture movement to decolonize Indian agriculture and to liberate Indian farmer from clutches of westernized agriculture and developmental paradigm being convinced by ICAR and State Agriculture Universities. This prototype is philosophically alien to our cultural roots and stranger to ecological ethos and believes of our society.
The KVM’s natural farming movement has also brings another significant change in mindset of farmers. Now they are not looking towards Agriculture University or departmental experts for expert advice any more. every farmer of this movement is an expert in himself, he practice this science of natural farming, he lives natural farming every day, he is totally engulfed with the philosophy of natural farming. The modern agriculture paradigm has limited all expertise to Agriculture Universities only. The chemicalised agriculture model has made farmers scientifically illiterate – who presumed to be ignorant to every aspect of science and agri technology. This is a conspiracy which has made farmers dependent on Universities, department, companies and even pesticide retailers. It is a cruel joke that those who get a three or five year degree in agriculture with a alien kind of agriculture knowledge are known as experts, who are practicing a agriculture knowledge of only 40 years old, where as the farmers who inherent the agriculture wisdom of at least 5000 years were made commoners. We are not going to accept this nonsense any more. We are working to build self-confidence of our farmers on their own agriculture heritage and wisdom. We are the nation with abundance in farm produces, agro-biodiversity and prosperity.
[1] Organic farming is a term used here to mean natural and sustainable farming which is not just certified organic as is conventionally understood