Farming and sustainable food production are the major challenges in this twenty-first century. Due to the growing population and also by changing dietary habits, reforming agriculture is required. And If we want to do agriculture, proper climate is very important.
Have a look into the article completely, and check out the Ancient agricultural methods that will help farmers fight climate change and increase income.
Agroforestry – Ancient Agricultural Method
Due to rising temperatures, weather unpredictability, invasive crops, pests, and shifting agroecosystem boundaries, agriculture has drastic changes, and all these are affecting agriculture. For that, we have one solution which is Agroforestry.
Know more about this Agroforestry in the below points.
- Agroforestry is nothing but an ancient agricultural strategy that will help farmers boost productivity in agriculture, enhance profitability and give other revenue streams.
- By this Agroforestry method, we can fulfil at least 9 in 17 sustainable development goals, which are linked to climate change, hunger reduction, poverty, and many more.
- You can see Assam as an example of Agroforestry, as the Balipara Foundation has been running an agroforestry program since 2020 in Baligao Green Village.
- Assam people are running agroforestry only for 2 reasons, one is for 1 bigha clear land and water.
- This Balipara foundation also provides training on agroforestry for farmers in Baligao village in their household farmlands.
- Balipara has taken the seven-layer crop model in agroforestry.
- They have chosen one layer with moringa tree and the second layer with papaya, king chili, and lemon, and in between them they have chosen empty patches, ginger, sweet potato, and turmeric.
- After doing this process all those villagers in Balipara have found it beneficial for them as the soil fertility is preserved, less effort, and you can grow all over the year.
- Due to frequent agricultural yield, there is an increase in income too.
- Our Indian government has recognized the benefits of Agroforestry and they established a “National Agroforestry Policy” in 2014, and later they established the sub-mission of Agroforestry under the “National Mission For Sustainable Agriculture”(NMSA).
- In this policy, they have provided to fulfill the increasing need for fuel, food, lumber, fertilizer, and fiber.
- By seeing this increasing growth of agriculture with agroforestry many states started implementing agroforestry.
- As you can see Karnataka promotes agroforestry through the KAPY( Krishi Aranya Protsaha Yojana) where the nearby nurseries supply seedlings to the farmers at less cost.
- Even Haryana state started agroforestry even though there is forest and natural resources are weak.
- Apart from Karnataka and Haryana, even Odisha, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh are also scaling up agroforestry.
- But still, there is a need for state intervention to develop the practice as farmers will find it difficult to adopt this technology.
- Because even agroforestry has some challenges to face like large resources, technical knowledge, uncertain results, lack of sufficient high-quality planting material, insufficient market facilities and infrastructure, and many more.
Key Outcomes
By following this agroforestry method there is an increase in income and also land providing good yield which will be satisfied by the farmers, and even plants are growing healthy.
NGOs and Organizations like Balipara play a vital role in implementing and assisting the government in this endeavor.