BIODIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURE IN THE CONTEXTBIODIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURE IN THE CONTEXT

OF FOOD SECURITYOF FOOD SECURITY

- Dr. P. V. Sateesh, Director, Deccan Development Society, Andhra Pradesh. 27-7-

2005

It is interesting to discuss on the children. I would like to link with feeding them. Since

most of you don’t directly work on agriculture and biodiversity. I don’t like to use the

word food security. Now the word is called food sovereignty. I would like to play a film

on agriculture and biodiversity. Why the farmers like to call biodiversity – it is the

term of farmers, poor, marginalized, women and all. It is not at all an environmental

word. The film on agro-biodiversity will bring you the concepts.

I will bring you the issues of food sovereignty. Uncultivated foods and Farming world.

A film: Bio diversity in Indian Agriculture, Produced by Dr. P. V. Sateesh for the

Doordarshan. The film says that biodiversity is an issue and not concentrated to only

few parts of India.

Women have enjoyed a natural leadership in community because they know the

knowledge of seeds, where and how to use them. Even if we sell these women’s

knowledge, it will be worth several thousands of rupees.

Food Sovereignty:

About 10 years ago food security was an issue. Both civil society groups and

governments have thought of food security. And also it got translated into livelihood

security.

But what made people like us like people

World food summit 1996 Rome, there one realized that, in most of the international

discussions the north makes commitments. By 2010 the food takes care of 400

million what about those beyond that. During the discussions there came the point

that Food trade can be a way for food security. It means they are making ground for

cross national business.

Food trade runs into several billions of dollars. It will send a lot of alarming bells

around the world. The discourse shifted from food security to food sovereignty. The

food sovereignty means everyone has the right to produce food in their own location.

Oil from Iran, if you wont give we will not give food.

Where this food sovereignty should be there at what level. It should be at the level of

community. 65 MT of extra food was there in the godowns in spite of distribution. Still

people have gone hungry, there were starvation deaths. Food must be at the

household and community level. Every community must grow enough and should

attain self sufficiency.

We all were used to a variety of foods, we ate our ragi, sajja, korra, jonna etc. Rice

was not our food, the PDS system has forced the rice. It is a highly political act. As

the white people in America have just destroyed all their food crops, they are

suffering from diseases as they are not getting their natural food. The food consumed

should be according to my culture. Food should be grown ecologically. It aslso talks

of agriculture stewardship, we have right only for growing food. It is also against

intensive agriculture, machines, every bit of soil etc. In Switzerland apple orchards

are planted as per their requirement, against the natural growth. We have tsunami –

the force of nature as a reaction to the impulsions of man on earth.

Deccan, where I work, this is what the farmers say, we look at a number of

parameters for growing a crop. In rainfed agricultue system water is extremely

important, formars look for crops which need least water. Some of the crops can be

stored for years like Korra (fox tail millets), some of the crops need not be weeded.

These are all the parameters. Many of that has good cooking quality, commercial

value and high productivity.

Peasri and minumu (black and green gram), crops like lentils are sown on low lying

areas where there is extra moisture. Little millets like sama and Niger (gaddi nuvulu)

they don’t need much moisture, and very little rains.

What are the determinants – for grow a crop successfully. A small farmer need to

look at his field and grow a variety of crops, maintaining the biodiversity.

Sometimes people say they don’t know what they are doing, because farmers know

every little thing they are doing.

If it is black soils, then they grow – sorghum, chickpea, mustard and if Red soils then

the following crops are grown - pacha Jonna, pigeon pea and hibiscus. They grow

crops according to the type of soils.

If we are growing jowar and red gram, the red gram is a nutrition fixer, the leaf fall

and the nitrogen fixer. So the energy balance sheet is completely balanced in a

biodiversity field.

For a farmer most of them does not have cash to buy things from outside. The farmer

would like to grow all the types of crops which they need for their consumption. The

kaki muttani jonna is grown in the field a early maturing crop, which no bird eats

them. The farmers call them akali pantalu (crops of hunger).

All farmers have some animals at home, and no farmer wants to buy fodder. Cow

pea, bobarlu, alasandalu etc. they grow for fodder to animals. They also grow bishops

seed (vama) for commercial selling. Red grams grows up to 4 feet, they use it as fuel

food, thatching huts, etc. Sun hemp is also grown for ropes etc.

Most of the small farmers especially in rain fed areas, they want as much their needs

from farms.

Many women said that if I grow a variety of crops, the quantity would be less of

diversity, I am completely assured of food security, nutritional security. Or else my

husband would sell all the crops and I will be vulnerable.

Perike sopu (different types of leaves) in Mysore are available during the rainy

season. In deccan area 156 varieties of those which are also called uncultivated

crops are available. If we harvest this it is everyone’s property no one will quarrel if

we harvest. They are highly nutritious, with high Beta carotin and vitamin A. Very

very prolific things.

We are working in semi-arid areas with very low rainfall. Ecological and biodiversity is

there. Much of this happens on the basis of traditional knowledge.

Farmers suicides – many farmers have committed suicides. This as a result of

external inputs. The cotton crop and a biodiversity field the other one appears

deserted and the next one give hope. We have complete control and authority over

seeds. Women are center to this kind of agriculture. Only it is because of green

revolution the women have been displaced from this knowledge.

There had been trampling and fighting for the seeds distributed by the government.

Our farmers need not go there.

It is led by farmers and women.

Our knowledge can feed us.

Q: Govt is giving permission to coca cola company for extraction of water

How many times can we change the govt. Globalisation can never bring good to us.

Q: Any methods for patent

Q: Biodiversity and agriculture is basically for sustainance, can we have surplus to

cater to other needs.

Q:Cow culture people and pig culture people.

Q:Biodiversity keeping people poor so you are promoting this

Q:Can we produce our own manure and pesticides

Q: Secret of your success with women farmers and small farmers

Q:How can we turn farmers into biodiversity farmers

Q: regarding water would like to know

Q: Prakasham and Nellore Dists – converted into aquaculture and some lands are

converted to tobacco growing areas

Q: Biodiversity includes human beings or not?

Q: husking the traditional crops is a big problem.

Response:

If a women conceives 20 times she will be gone completely, similarly on earth which

is like a women, we cannot produce continuously.

We have small millets machines to process small millets. Every millet is 10 times

better in all vitamins, proteins etc.

We can do our agriculture with out any chemical pesticides and fertilizers, we have

records to prove that. In traditional agriculture no cash needs.

We should not worry about pig culture people. We live in two countries India and

Bharath, let us live in Bharath.

Adivasis is a complete transition from one culture to another. This destruction has

happened. Many women have not studied, they have understood the invaluable

knowledge.

We need to work at several levels, at policy level etc. We have forced Monsanto and

made the govt. to ban. Commercial farming is only short time return long tern it’s a

doom. Food security is a must.

Biodiversity is a combination of all living things including Human Beings.

Mr. Roy David chaired this session

Transcript by Dr. N. Sai Bhaskar Reddy, saibhaskarnakka@gmail.com