| What this tour is about: Visit a sustainable farm near Delhi that showcases the use of traditional farming methods and indigenous farm animals. Participants will learn about challenges and opportunities for agriculture in India, and discuss ways forward for a prosperous and sustainable farming future.
India’s “Green Revolution” in the 1960s-70s boosted agricultural output with high-yielding seeds, intensive irrigation, and chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Similar efforts boosted dairy and poultry. Today, India is the largest producer of milk, pulses, jute and a major producer of many other crops.
However, farmers continue to have low incomes and very small land holdings. Pesticides and intensive irrigation have depleted groundwater and degraded the soil, causing productivity to fall. The future needs sustainable productivity and green technologies.
Students will get a basic understanding of the challenges, and how farmers and consumers can contribute.
This study tour is conducted at a socially conscious organic farm spread over 100 acres, employing over 200 farm workers, and growing a variety of grains, vegetables and fruits. They use natural and traditional methods for pest control and fertilization. The farm also has a live indigenous cattle "library" that showcases various breeds native to India. |
