SHILLONG: What happens when two self-contained farmers and seed guardians get stranded in a place away from home? A lockdown garden takes shape.
Sangita Sharma and Ashok Kamat, founder and managing trustee of Annadana respectively, have been staying in a resort in Upper Shillong since March 12 and nurturing a backyard garden.
The duo from Annadana, a Bengaluru-based organisation that aims for farmers’ welfare and chemical-free food, came to Shillong to train farmers under Bio Resources Development Centre. But the lockdown compelled them to extend the stay.
Sharma and Kamat are utilising the time to plant onions, chillies, capsicums, tomatoes and radish, among other things, in the small restaurant garden.
Pointing to what he called a lockdown garden, Kamat told The Shillong Times, “We are not allowed to go out so we started gardening. At least we feel that we are useful.”
The two are self-confessed foodies and take pride in farming. According to Sharma, the one common factor that unites humans is food. The Annadana founder observed that food security is indispensable for India as most of the food items are contaminated.
“We at Annadana want to ensure that our farmers are empowered to take charge of their food,” she said, her tone suggesting her passion for food and farming.
Annadana also focuses on seed conservation because “the origin of food is seed and it is necessary to preserve indigenous seeds”.
Stating that there is rich diversity in Meghalaya and other parts of the northeastern region, Sharma said, “We love the North East for this and Meghalaya especially has such a beautiful diversity that we are helping farmers at BRDC to conserve their diversity.”
Annadana has been working in sustainable agriculture for 20 years creating a food forest, with diverse crops, on an acre of land in Bengaluru. It also has a farm in the Western Ghats.
“At Annadana, there are 25 varieties of fruits like bananas, mangoes, cherries, jamuns, guavas and pomegranates integrated with a diversity of 150 varieties of vegetables which are again integrated with medicinal plants, herbs, spices. We do not need to step out for our food,” Sharma said.
In the context of the ongoing lockdown, Sharma stressed the necessity for urbanites to learn basic farming to alleviate food crisis. “Most of us come from families with farming background. All of us can learn to grow food. We at Annadana try to educate the youth on the source of their food. This is because the young generation has immense potential to change the course of things,” she added.
Role of youths
When pointed out that today’s youth are moving away from agriculture, Sharma reasoned that if they are empowered in farming and made conscious about the source of chemical-free food, they can take charge from their farmer parents.
“Policies can be made and if there is political will like the way Meghalaya government is promoting and supporting, we are here to show that sustainability is for the youth which is driven by the youth today. Once the youth are trained, they can take charge. And to make the youth interested in the practices of sustainability,” she said.
Seed security
Sharma, who founded Annadana after leaving a corporate job, said seed independence means food independence because “seeds carry culture and diversity which is critical to a society”.
“The legacy belongs to farmers and not to a handful of multi-national companies. At Annadana, farmers do not commit suicide. The same farmers are driving the projects after they were trained. We have empowered them to think. Without food security, situation will escalate and it is a calamity,” she added.
That people in Meghalaya are still using chemicals like urea surprised both Sharma and Kamat.
“We have worked with different soil types — saline, barren, pesticide-laden soil — but the soil in Meghalaya is absolutely rich. Farmers need an alternative model to show that they can do without chemicals and fertilizers,” said Kamat, adding that Annadana’s model is being replicated in the state.
Sharma said the farmers are to grow food without chemicals by applying organic principles.
“Organic matter will increase the humus of the soil and there is a long-term benefit, be it in terms of yields or a thriving eco-system, even the health of the society, these facts have not been considered as benefits. You are looking in terms of material wealth but sustainable agriculture is understating that wealth is genetic resource,” she said.
