CHENNAI: Five years ago P Devakanta started growing four varieties of traditional paddy at his home in Imphal. What began as a hobby soon turned into a passion that took the 63-year-old across hills to remote villages of Manipur in search of more traditional varieties. While Devakanta did find about several seeds, he learned that […]
By Manu Moudgil A thatched cattle shed marks Omchand Mahatules farm which lies on the approach road to Nayagaon village in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh. The 50-year-old comes running from the well clutching lemon grass from which he makes a splendid black tea. Starting off with invectives for his neighbours, the athletic farmer gives […]
BHUBANESWAR:Thousands of tribal women from 54 blocks of 11 districts took out a rally protesting genetically-modified (GM) mustard seeds here on Saturday. Spokesperson of Orissa Nari Samaj Karmi Beshra said the GM mustard will kill all traditional and sustainable mustards in the State. She came down heavily on Union Ministers who are supporting national and […]
New Delhi (IANS) Had we been aware of the ill-effects of the Bt Cotton, we would never have approved it, said T.S.R. Subramanian, who had recommended the Genetically Modified (GM) variety of cotton for commercial cultivation as Textile Secretary in the 1990s. In the wake of possible approval to GM Mustard variety called Dhara Mustard […]
By Catherine Gilon In late 2015, Chennai and most of Tamil Nadu battled unprecedented rains and floods. Two years later, the state is fighting the most intense drought it has faced in 140 years. There are reports of increasing farmer suicides in the state. Some even held a series of protests in the capital demanding […]
They swept the grounds and spread out a flex banner that was once a political hoarding. The women of Diguvapalli, a village 180 km north of Bengaluru but in Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh, settle down to explain how they survived the year of 2016. People in Delhi and big cities need to know the […]
While public debate rages about the safety of genetically modified food, Melania Trump says that as far as she is concerned, GM products are best avoided. Barrons health has improved out of sight since we started eating organic, non genetically modified food, the First Lady said. After researching exactly where Monsantos genetically modified corn appeared […]
Anupam Paul has the distinction of rediscovering 800 indigenous varieties of paddy. Helped by a revival project, some of the varieties are back from the brink, and Paul, who is from West Bengal, will present these at the National Seed Diversity Festival at Anna University from June 9 to 11. Similarly, Beej Bachao Andolan will […]
K.P. Ilyas and Shamika Mone are a study in harmony. The organic farmer from Kozhikode and the agricultural researcher from Pune are bound by a common quest for indigenous seed varieties. The couple has married their work to their life. They live together, do organic farming together and learn about it together. They realized they […]
By Shreya Kalra Once called the air-conditioned city because of its naturally cool air, Bengaluru was an anomaly for an urban city in India with its open and lush green spaces compared to the almost claustrophobic clusters of buildings in places such as Delhi and Mumbai. However, the city now paints a completely contrasting picture. […]