The National Biodiversity Authority has released a new set of rules to manage sharing of benefits generated through the use of biological resources. The Biological Diversity (Access to biological Resources and Knowledge Associated thereto and Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits) Regulation 2025 was approved by the Central government and …
The way paan is associated with India, a Chaurasia is associated with paan. But both the equations are changing, said Lalta Prasad Chaurasia, spitting blood red betel juice into an elegantly designed brass spittoon. The 58-year-old is among the last generation of Chaurasia farmers in Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh …
Of all the words that have been coupled with innovation, “frugal” must rank as the most intriguing—and it is an Indian invention. “Frugal innovation” is a term coined by the Planning Commission, which proffers it as a radical solution to finding more appropriate processes and products to tackle the development …
Read this special report by Down To Earth on the iconic Paan losing its appeal. Its trade has dipped 40-50 per cent in the past decade, while consumption of chewing tobacco, especially gutkha, increased during the period. Farmers now prefer other crops. Iconic paan no more appeals to farmers, traders …
Thandai used to be a popular drink at Agyawanti’s maternal home. But when she came to village Chaina in Faridkot district of Punjab after marriage, she discovered that tea was the chosen drink. Then, last year she was asked to make thandai at a food festival in her village. “It …
This paper prepared for the FAO Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food & Agriculture fourth Governing Body, Bali, 14-18 March 2011 reviews the treaty provisions on farmers Rights. Focuses on the implementation of farmers' rights particularly in Peru, India and China, and research findings on how to effectively implement …
Only when farming is based upon "natural principles" can it be truly sustainable. Ecological farming is based on nurturing and nourishing the soils. Emphasizing soil conservation and building up organic matter are key to maintain these natural ecological balances in crop ecosystems. Mojo plantation is one such attempt.
Indigenous peoples are taking a lead in managing marine and coastal ecosystems in tropical northern Australia. http://icsf.net/icsf2006/uploads/publications/samudra/pdf/english/issue_58/art06.pdf
The State Bio Technology department director Dr JMS Rana inaugurated a two-day training programme on organic farming at the Navdanya biodiversity conservation farm in Ramgarh on Tuesday. Addressing the workshop participants, Rana said prosperity of farmers is the basis of public health while adding that farmers are true scientists. Exhorting …
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)1 is one of the most important treaties in the history of humanity as it deals with the infinitely complex but fragile diversity of life on earth. Regulating access to genetic resources and equitable sharing of commercial benefits of biodiversity has been the most contentious …
A special report on the five-day biennial conference of the International Association for the Study of the Commons that ended on January 15 at Hyderabad. As the commons come under increasing assault, academics, practitioners and policymakers came together to devise ways to protect shared resources.
This biennial report provides an insight on the role of forests in creating sustainable livelihoods and focuses on four key areas - regional trends on forest resources, development of sustainable forest industries, climate change mitigation and adaptation & the local value of forests. The ninth biennial issue of State of …
India has a severe shortage of human resources for health. It has a shortage of qualified health workers and the workforce is concentrated in urban areas. Bringing qualified health workers to rural, remote, and underserved areas is very challenging. Many Indians, especially those living in rural areas, receive care from …
Folk people of Tripura, a small state of Northeast India, rely on their own traditional knowledge of phenological indicators for predicting the weather, to help plan their agroforestry activities and disaster prevention. One such prediction relates to the phenology of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L., night flowering jasmine which helps them to …
Floating gardening, a form of hydroponics using aquatic plants as the medium, is a traditional cultivation system in southern Bangladesh practiced for year-rouund seedling and vegetable production. The livelihoods of marginalized people of the wetlands in North-eastern Bangladesh are often constrained by 7-8 months water stagnation due to floods. A …
India is a veritable emporium of herbs. The inhabitants of India knew of the medicinal use of plants from time immemorial. Under the impact of state-sponsored economic development programmes and processes of modernization, the traditional cultures of tribal communities have begun to change. Deforestation and the replacement of natural forests …
This paper attempts an ethnobiological investigation, performed during 2003 to 2006, to collect, identify and document information on wild food traditionally used by the indigenous people of the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary in Palakkad district of Kerala, India.
The Sourcebook on Sustainable Agrobiodiversity Management is jointly compiled and published by GIZ and the School of Economics and Management of Hainan University, as well as the Institute of Low-Carbon Economy Policy and Industrial Technology of Hainan University. It is an important contribution to the sustainable management of agricultural biodiversity …
Something is stirring in paddy fields across India. New seeds, new crop management techniques and newly minted food security policies are about to hit the countryside. Not all of the changes that are being forged in Krishi Bhawan, headquarters of the Union agriculture ministry, in the top-flight research institutions across …
It treats beriberi, lockjaw, promotes blood circulation and reduces cholesterol. No it’s not a magic pill but the humble black soybean. I first tasted it in the form of bhatwani, a staple daal in Uttarakhand. It was a simple luncheon. Steamed rice served with bhatwani along with some fried red …
