Colours of Earth: Dalit women's green revolution

  • 06/12/2001

  • Indian Express (New Delhi)

Making the maximum out of minimum resources always makes for a good story. Specially when Dalit women, disadvantaged by gender a caste, are central to the success story. Colours of the Earth, made by Kavitha - a woman who belongs to this community - is humbling and satisfying at the same time. The women from different villages of Medak district in Andhra Pradesh have been quietly working towards a revolution. Over the past six years, they have managed to cultivated 2,500 acres of fallow land, to grow 82 varieties of traditional crops that has helped them provide three millions extra meals for themselves. This land yields 12 varieties of grain per acre. It also gives the women respectability in the entire village. The local varieties are very adaptable to the environment and maintain agriculture bio-diversity.