File:Theme 2 INDIGENOUS PRACTICES OF SUSTAINABLE RURAL FOOD SOVEREIGNTY IN NORTHEAST INDIA.pdf

Summary

Global food system feds a vast majority of the world population but an estimation by FAO reveals that 735 million people around the world faced hunger in 2022. Since the industrial model of food production and agri-system gained popularity, it created multiple level of crisis. The Green Revolution introduced in mid-1960s heralded an era of growth of agricultural production in the world and in Indian context, it came as a boon for the economy and as a nation making it self-sufficient but at the cost of severe environmental issues. These developments had the detrimental affect on the local small-scale farmers and tribal communities thereby curtailing their food sovereignty and right over their own food. Against this backdrop, reviving the local food systems that are traditional as well as sustainable in nature provides a viable alternative to the destruction done by the current food production systems. The idea of food sovereignty is not only to provide food security but to provide the control of the food production practices to the farmers. In this context, the agricultural practices prevalent in the Northeast India is indigenous and traditional. The region has escaped the grim impact of green revolution and the practice of indigenous agriculture remain dormant. The indigenous agricultural practices occupy a significant part of the lives of the tribal population and is deeply rooted in their cultural practices and tradition. The objective of the study is to understand the diverse and unique approaches employed by the indigenous communities in Northeast India shedding light on the cultural, social, economic and environmental dimension. Further the study also aims to understand the resilience and wisdom of the communities engaged in indigenous agricultural practices in the region. The study is qualitative in nature and Case study method was employed by the researcher for an in-depth understanding of the traditional practices adopted by the farmers in the region. Secondary source was also employed by the researcher where various international as well as national and regional articles, research papers, FAO report were reviewed. The practice of traditional agriculture is widely prevalent among the farmers are well documented in the study. Apart from that, the practice of kitchen/backyard farming, local market friendly production, using traditional techniques in farming, seed preservation and the food sovereignty practices that vividly reflected the presence of farming practices in the region.