Government told Supreme Court south India didn't protest new farm laws; How true is that?
The five southern states have recorded at least 26 major protests since September 2020. Of them, December saw the maximum 12 protests.
The ‘qissa’ of Basmati
As the European Union gets set to pronounce whether to give a GI tag to India’s Basmati rice, we explore the history of a grain that …
Farmers’ organisations plan blockades, protests against 3 new agricultural laws
All-India road blockades on Nov 5 to be followed by state-level protests, march to Delhi
Organic farming: How Indian states are stepping up the act
Organic farming is in a nascent stage in India. Some states have taken the lead in improving organic farming coverage, but a major part of the …
‘Rubber Bill 2022 makes Rubber Board redundant, doesn’t ensure fair price’
James Jacob, former director of the Rubber Research Institute of India, talks to Down To Earth on the proposed amendments
Reaping ripe: The story of why we celebrate harvest festivals
Understanding the diversities of harvest festivals and how they connect us with our environment
Land, water resources are at breaking point: Report
Pressure on land and water systems compromising agricultural productivity, food security
India's Cow Crisis Part 2: Threat of decline looms over livestock economy after 35 years’ growth
The circular economy of cattle has ruptured, threatening livelihoods of India’s poorest. The value output of the livestock economy is Rs 9.…
European wheat not prepared for climate change
A group of European researchers found that the current breeding programmes and cultivar selection practices are not sufficiently resilient to the …
MGNREGA’s information system flawed, misguiding
The scheme's Management Information System destroys local accountability, promotes centralisation and administrative control and gives out wrong data
Gujarat declares drought after months of delay
While other states had declared drought months ago, Gujarat govt kept calling it a “scarcity of water”
You may pay a steep price but does the farmer make any money?
A farming household of five earns Rs 221/day, less than a person’s daily minimum wage
It's time we shift farmers' economic burden
Assured net income, including assured minimum support price for crops, can put an end to farmer suicide cases in India
The zero budget farming discord
There is unease over the crusader of natural farming, Subhash Palekar, for renaming the technique after himself
Scientists develop transgenic rice that can grow under high salinity, drought
A team of Indian and international scientists hit upon the idea while studying a wild rice variety, Pokkali, grown in coastal regions of Kerala
'Achieving zero hunger requires agriculture to be sustainable, climate smart'
FAO India representative Tomio Shichiri talks to Down To Earth on whether current government policies are effective to achieve the Zero Hunger …
Kisan Kranti Yatra: Another farmers’ protest goes awry
Around 30,000 farmers, who had been walking to the national capital for 10 days, were welcomed with lathis, water cannons and tear gas shells
Early sowing can increase cotton yield: study
It was found, through simulations, that early sowing (mid May) always yielded better cotton production as compared to late sowing (June)
‘Rationalising subsidies, improving infrastructure could revive agri-sector’
For every million rupees spent on agricultural research, 328 people are pulled out of poverty. In contrast, the same amount spent on power …
Climate change leads to bonded labour in Bangladesh
Farmers shift from paddy to mango as water dwindles and heat rises, forcing now-redundant farm labour to borrow for survival and go into bondage
India bans 18 pesticides, has many more to go
The ban is delayed and addresses only a part of the problem of toxic pesticides in India
Supporting local food systems can prevent conflict
Conflict is one of the main driving factors of hunger; strengthening sustaianble agriculture can promote peace, says the UN Food and Agricultural …
Ethanol, other biofuels will see reduced demand in 10 years
Declining demand for transport fuel will lead to reduced demand for ethanol in the US and EU—main markets for ethanol
Sugarcane farmers' crisis: bumper harvest turns bane
Thanks to a high yield sugarcane variety, India witnessed bumper harvests in the last 3 seasons, but sugar prices have fallen and sugarcane …
Climate change will make rice less nutritious, putting millions of the world's poor at risk
As atmospheric carbon dioxide levels rise, rice plants produce fewer vitamins and other key nutrients