On A Cliff

-Chinmoyee Deka |

COVID has been a teacher. It taught a lesson to humanity in a way that is way harsher than we would have liked but then that is because we were not listening otherwise. The subtle hints were not enough as we refused to learn until pushed to the edge of a cliff.

On this cliff is where we recollect, rethink, change, and adopt. Many experts have claimed that COVID is just the starting. We might attract a lot more viruses and other biological weapons if we continue to live the way we are living. One of the most important things that we need to change is what we take in; the food we eat, the air we breathe, the information we consume, the thoughts we harness, etc.

Action against climate change is the need of the hour and one way we can all do our bit is organic farming. All of us might not have space to actually practice organic farming but we can all support those who do, by consuming them. Doing so will not only help the climate but also ourselves. Humans cannot survive without nature, so a healthy planet is healthy for us.

Our villages are where we should focus on. That is where the producers live, our farmers. Shubhan Deka, a young man has been practicing organic farming since 2013 in the remote village of Ghavara in the Darrang district of Assam. When asked about what he has earned from this initiative, he says, “More than anything else, this has become a way of fulfilling my moral duties towards the environment and society”.

With the help of the Vivekananda Kendra and Krishi Vigyan Kendra in the area, Shubhan has been able to give life to this endeavor. Now, he is also engaged in spreading teaching his villagers and those of the surrounding areas. He reveals that convincing the villagers became much easier because people these days are a lot more aware of the harmful effects that chemicals can have on the soil quality and the health of the consumers. Many diseases like cancer, a decrease in bone density, joint pains, and Diarrhoea are commonly seen in the masses because of the consumption of chemically grown products.

Shubhan owns just a small piece of land for himself so he often takes land on lease and grows old endangered varieties of rice like ‘kumol saul’, ‘joha ’, ‘black rice’, etc. Some of these seed varieties have also been procured by gene banks in other states where they aim to preserve these rare varieties for more than a thousand years. Around 21 rice varieties were taken from him by the Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat for preservation. In this way, he is practicing endemic species conservation which is very important to prevent the extinction of these unique species. Eating native crops and vegetables according to seasons makes a huge difference.

He was also invited by the Agriculture Minister of Maharashtra to Nasik where he got to be a part of a knowledge exchange drive. He was asked to take young earthworms and organic rice varieties along with him so that he can show them how vermicomposting is done. Regarding his experience there, he says, “Although farmers of Assam already know a lot about these techniques they are most likely to be left behind simply because they prefer to carry huge bags of Urea across the town rather than carrying the household garbage to a nearby natural fertilizer unit. The gap lies in the lack of vision and the inability to grasp the damage that has been done to our soil, water, and health due to the continuous and reckless use of chemicals in farming”.

When asked about the financial benefits, he explains that initially the development will be slow and this might demotivate some farmers but with patience the results become positive. When he started out, people refused to pay extra for the organic products but gradually they realized the importance and now customers are willing to pay. He also gladly informs that all the money that is spent on pesticides, fertilizers, medicines, etc. are saved if the farmers make their own manure. They use cow dung and vermicompost as natural fertilizers, and cow urine and neem juice as natural pesticide and insecticide. Hence, if we look at the process holistically, it is an actually profitable business.

Another farmer named Bhubon Saharia from Bongalputa village district points out that very often the price at which the chemically produced vegetables are sold in the market becomes the base price for the organic vegetables. This has increasingly motivated the farmers to adopt organic farming techniques across villages. He fondly recalls the original taste of the vegetables back in the times when chemicals were not used and state that his produce now tastes just the same. Longer life of the produce, round the year fruiting of plants, replenishment of soil, etc. is some other benefits. The range of products is also quite large. Pulses, mustard, rice, sugarcane, jute, and vegetables are all being grown organically throughout the state.

Subhan Deka has also been recognized by the government of Assam for his efforts in this field of farming. He has prepared models of low-cost greenhouses where farmers can produce vegetables even in the offseason, completely naturally. He is just one of them. There are many farmers and others working in this initiative and promoting a healthier life right from the grassroots.

Dadul, the district coordinator of Darrang and Nalbari from Vivekananda Kendra says that based on the founding principles of ‘Health’, ‘Culture’ and ‘Education’, the organization has helped promote the original natural way of farming in many regions across the state. Most of the organic farming is seen in the districts of lower Assam because they are known to produce most of the vegetables for the state.

It is on us to keep this practice growing. Staying indoors, wearing masks and social distancing is not the way we would like to live forever. We brought this upon ourselves but now we should all learn from it and make small but significant and permanent changes in our lifestyles so that no other pandemic would arise and if at all it does, we are better prepared than now.