Farmers share agroecological practices in city workshop

SHILLONG: The North East Slow Food and Agrobiodiversity Society (NESFAS) supported by Odisha-based NGO Living Farms hosted a workshop on ‘Sharing Results of Best Agroecological Practices’ at the KJP Conference Centre here on Thursday.
Members of Living Farms, who are on a five-day exposure trip to Meghalaya, custodian farmers from some of NESFAS and members of Society for Urban and Rural Empowerment (SURE) attended the workshop.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhogtoram Mawroh, a senior associate at NESFAS, said that an Agroecology Learning Circle (ALC) is a group of farmers which aims to empower local communities to recognise, revive, practice and eventually further develop traditional agroecology technologies and practices and stimulate local innovations for sustainable local food systems.
Thomas Iangjuh, junior scientist at Bio Resource Development Centre (BRDC), Shillong spoke about integrated pest management. Two ALCs from Khweng and Mawhiang conducted participatory research on pest management and one ALC from Umsawar conducted on soil improvement. The farmers found positive results in their experiments.
NESFAS was granted the Status of Facilitation Council of the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) Organic Council last November 2018. Out of 46 local farmer groups mobilised, 20 groups from West Garo Hills, West Jaintia Hills and East Khasi Hills district received the organic farmer certificates from the Participatory Guarantee Systems Organic Council (India).