SEEDS OF HOPE
A proposal for on-farm Bio-diversity Conservation- July 2001 to June 2003


Goal
National Context
Local Context
Objectives
Activities
Period
Budget


GOAL
Conservation of Agro Bio-diversity in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh, India, in order to combat drought and continue to live a sustainable agricultural lifestyle.



NATIONAL CONTEXT

  • Two third population of our country derive their livelihood and meet their survival needs from the rich and abundant Biodiversity - as Forest dwellers, Farmers, Fisher folk, Healers and Livestock owners
  • Two major sectors - Agriculture and Health are dependent on this Biodiversity
  • 70% of the India's Health care is accounted for by Indigenous systems of medicines (Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha) using 7500 species of plants
  • 70% of the total Seed supply comes from the farmers
  • This knowledge has been freely available within and between communities in the commons
  • Conservation and Utilization of these rich resources have been delicately and sustainably maintained through sensitively and equitably combining the ancient intricate systems of traditional Indigenous Knowledge systems. They reflect the continuous, cumulative and collective innovation of our people, especially the rural Indigenous communities, in all their diversity
  • The Biological resources were considered to be the Common resources of the Community, to be used sustainably and shared equitably and collectively by all its members through institutions such as the Panchayats
  • The People's right over the Common resources were never privatised and monopolised
  • The process of globalisation, which is based on handing over of centralised power by the state to corporate monopolies, violates the principles of grassroots democracy, defeats the very objective of Panchayat Raj institutions and is becoming a major threat to the survival of the village community
  • The MNCs through Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) or Patents are usurping the rights of the local communities over their own seeds, medicinal plants and other biological resources
  • The Government is being pressurised to implement the anti-people provisions of international treaties, e.g., the Agreement on Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) through amendments in our laws.



LOCAL CONTEXT

  • Excessive Mono cropping and Cash cropping
  • Excessive use of chemicals
  • Degradation of Natural Resources
  • Loss of Agro Bio-diversity and Genetic Resources
  • Loss of nutrition - human, animal and land
  • Irresponsibility of the Government

Anantapur District was part of one of the most powerful and rich kingdoms of south India - The Vijayanagara Kingdom. Penukonda, situated 70 kms south of Anantapur town and 140 kms north of Bangalore Metropolis, was the summer capital of King Krishnadevarayava, some 500 years ago. In the late 19th century a well-known British forester had described the forests of Penukonda as one of the finest summer deciduous forests in the south. The Pomegranates and Sitaphal of Penukonda were well known even in the courts of Delhi. For over 700 years, from the Vijayanagara Rayalus to the Bahamani Kings, from Tipu Sultan and the Nizam of Hyderabad to the British, great armies had fought to keep control of this rich and fertile land. Teak and Hardwikia Binata, two of the finest timber trees to grow in India, were exported from here to lay the railway line between Gudur and Madras. Till recently, food and fruit crops in the district were grown with rain water harvested in more than 300 major irrigation tanks (Cheruvu), some having Ayacuts of over 1000 acres and known to store enough water to grow two if not three crops a year. There also were numerous minor Tanks (Kunta) and perennial springs. Many different local varieties of rice, major and minor millets were grown here.

In contrast, today Anantapur District is on the way to becoming a desert. The hills are bare, there are hardly any forests to talk about and the famed Cheruvus and Kuntas are falling apart, the springs have dried up. Basically, it has now become a single crop district; it is the largest Groundnut growing district in the country. Groundnut, unfortunately, does not feed hungry stomachs.

The common people of Anantapur District today are caught between two problems - terrible recurring drought every couple of years leading to desertification on the one hand and political factionalism leading to bloody violence ever so often on the other. In this situation the people are fast losing control over their resource base in ways they had never experienced before. Then ofcourse we have a Government that is readily selling every thing it can.

Quite unconsciously, the people have been neglecting the natural resources and traditional genetic base that they had inherited both from their forefathers/mothers and Mother Nature herself. Simultaneously, they have been getting caught in the whirlpool of colourful dreams being projected by successive Governments and the Transnational companies. They have been increasingly getting alienated from the seeds and animals bred locally, which had sustained their forefathers/mothers in days gone by. They have been increasing their dependence on the transnational seed companies and the Government by purchasing new 'alien' seeds. Their misery has been increasing by the sheer neglect of their natural resources such as their local varieties of grasses, trees, cattle, poultry, medicine and other requirements for a sustainable agricultural lifestyle.

The promotion of cheap rice by the State Government, through the Public Distribution System, has been one of the most important factors in the reduction of minor millet cropping, paving the way for a mono-cash crop such as Groundnut to become the major crop in the district.

Nutrition levels have dropped drastically in the villages - for humans, animals and land. As long duration and tall varieties of food crops are on the way out nutritious food for humans and the cattle is not easily available. Natural fodder for the cattle is also unavailable, as the common pasturelands have become bare. Most people do not keep cattle nowadays, they buy bullocks just before the Khariff crop and sell them immediately after the crop. Those cattle that remain do not have much to eat and therefore do not give much milk or dung. With not enough cattle, manure is getting scarcer by the day. Which in turn has led to loss of nutrition for the agricultural land. Increased cash cropping has not helped. Wherever food crops are still being grown, dependency on new varieties of seeds has increased and with it the dependency on chemical fertilisers and insecticides as the new varieties of seeds will not yield much unless chemical fertilisers are used. Along with the new seeds there are newer and newer pests and so the cycle grows.

Most of the people eat highly polished rice and Rasam with a little bit of Chutney. Mudda, Sadda rotti, Korrannam, Jonna rotti are already things of the past. Most of the villages do not have milk to offer. Wherever there is milk, almost all of it is exported to the chilling plants in major towns. So what we have here is low nutrition intake for humans, animals and land.

At the same time, most of the traditional genetic strains of cattle are fast disappearing. In some places the local bulls have been consciously wiped out to introduce foreign strains such as Holstein and Jersey. These have not done so well and in the bargain the rich local genetic resource, capable of surviving these harsh weather conditions, is gone. Similarly, the traditional poultry are in a mess. Anantapur district alone is supposed to have had more than 40 pure strains of fowl, today we have barely managed to identify 23 varieties, that too with a lot of cross breeding. The market has been flooded with "Broilers" that are grown in the most unnatural manner with chemicals that are known to be carcinogenic.

Many of the youngsters in the villages have never seen a Korra or Sadda (local millets) crop, forget about eating them. Most do not know what a Rela or a Tapasi tree looks like. People are forgetting the different varieties of grasses that grew during the different seasons of the year on different soils. Many do not know any more what grasses the cattle eat during the different seasons, even if they do, they cannot find the different variety of grasses anymore. Many are unaware that Anantapur district had more than 300 to 400 traditional varieties of rice at one time and almost none of them are sure how, where and when they were grown. Much of the medicinal herbs that used to be seen commonly even 20 years ago are not easily found today. Those who used to know about them have taken this knowledge to their graves.



OBJECTIVES
In such a grave situation, the Timbaktu Collective has been striving to help the common people to Rejuvenate, Regenerate and Revitalise, their Natural Resources and Traditional Genetic base. The idea is to help the common people to regain control over their Natural Resources and Traditional Genetic base in order to conserve the Agro Bio-diversity in Anantapur district, so that they can combat drought and continue to live a sustainable agricultural lifestyle. The objectives of the "Seeds of Hope " project therefore is

  • To help Rejuvenate and Regenerate the Natural Resources
  • To help Revitalise and Conserve the Traditional Genetic base of this area especially the Traditional Seeds
  • To promote traditional food crops
  • To build awareness about traditional crop conservation and promotion



ACTIVITIES

  • Baseline survey in 3 mandals
  • Documentation on crop being grown and seeds sources
  • Display of crop seeds collected
  • Linking with existing (Community Based Organisations (CBOs) i.e. Thrift groups / V.S.C.s etc)
  • Identification of farmers willing to multiply identified seed
  • Making seeds available to farmers who want to grow crops
  • Follow up during cultivation
  • A seeds multiplication demo plot ( bio diversity conservation farm)
  • Dissemination of information through pamphlets and posters
  • Networking participating farmers through meetings, awareness workshops
  • Preparation of directory of farmers multiplying seeds.

As listed above the activities that are planned under this project are all aimed towards achieving the Goal set for the project - Conservation of Agro Bio-diversity in Anantapur district.

  • Before any work of conservation can begin we need to carry out a Baseline Survey in the 3 mandals that we are working in, document the crops being grown and sources of seeds still available and link with the Community Based Organisations (CBOs) i.e. Thrift groups / Vana Samarakshana Committees / Dalit Yuvak Sanghas that have already been formed in the villages, so that at the end of the project period we are able to :
    1. To strategise
    2. To get all the people involved and
    3. To gauge the impact of the work done

  • As this is going on we need to identify farmers from these mandals or atleast from the district who are willing to participate in this experiment and grow the crops or multiply the identified seeds
  • When the farmers have been identified seeds have to be made available to the farmers who want to grow the crops or multiply the seeds
  • In the process it is important to display the crop seeds that have been collected, in a central place so that it acts both as a museum and a shop from where interested farmers may buy the seeds on display or place orders for the same. In the long run this space can become the logical place where farmers can come to sell their organic or traditional food crops and also to get or exchange advice on forgotten wisdom
  • Farmers who have come forward to participate in the experiment may need follow up support during the cultivation period. We should be able to give that through our extension
  • At the same time while farmers are taking part in the experiment, it is imperative that we have a small Demonstration plot ourselves for seeds multiplication and conservation (Hope farm). We will take, on lease, about one acre of land from a farmer who has assured water supply and grow small quantities of rare seeds ourselves. Here we can try other experiments and studies regarding yield, organic and bio pest management, etc.
  • The other very important activity will be Awareness building and Networking among the farmers. Information will be disseminated through pamphlets and posters and Networking of participating farmers will be done through meetings and awareness workshops where we will involve famous organic and food crop farmers such as Narayan Reddy from Dodbalapur and scientists such as Dr. Somashekar Reddy (IIM Bangalore). Both of whom have been collaborating with us for sometime now
  • Finally we will prepare a directory of farmers multiplying and conserving seeds giving details of their Agrarian wisdom and knowledge



PERIOD
It is envisaged that the first phase of this project will be for a period of three years. Post a thorough mid term evaluation of the project, we may propose a second phase.



BUDGET
(Note: Amounts are in Rs.)

 
YEAR I
YEAR II
YEAR III
TOTAL
Salaries
Coordinator (Rs.5,000 x 13 months)
65,000.00
71,500.00
78,650.00
2,15,150
Cadres ( Rs.2,500 x 3 persons x 13 months)
97,500.00
107,250.00
117,975.00
3,22,725
Home rents (15% of salaries)
24,375.00
26,812.50
29,493.75
80,681
Travel (Rs.2,000 x 12 months)
24,000.00
26,400.00
29,040.00
79,440
Vehicle maintenance (Rs.2,000 x 12 months)
24,000.00
26,400.00
29,040.00
79,440
Trainings and meetings
Trainings (2 Programmes x 30 persons x Rs.150)
9,000.00
9,900.00
10,890.00
29,790
Meetings (4 meetings x 50 persons x Rs.75)
15,000.00
16,500.00
18,150.00
49,650
Exposure trips (2 Trips x 25 persons x Rs.500)
25,000.00
27,500.00
30,250.00
82,750
Display Centre Space
40,000.00
40,000
Materials for stores
20,000.00
10,000.00
10,000.00
40,000
Demo plot (1 acre)
Fencing
40,000.00
40,000
Solar pump and piping
65,000.00
65,000
Construction of Hut
40,000.00
Maintenance (Rs.3500 x 12 months)
42,000.00
46,200.00
50,820.00
1,39,020
Documentation
20,000.00
22,000.00
24,200.00
66,200
Training materials
10,000.00
11,000.00
12,100.00
33,100
Incidental
6,500.00
9,650.00
9,615.00
25,765
TOTAL
5,30,000.00
3,70,00.00
4,05,00.00
13,05,000
+ 10% Administration
53,000.00
37,000.00
40,500.00
1,30,500
GRAND TOTAL
6,20,375.00
4,48,112.50
4,90,723.75
15,59211