Hi,
La Via Campesina (International peasants, farmers, fisherfolks, indigenous people movements; viacampesina.org/) is currently documenting natural farming practices in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu with the help of its local member organizations. (see the attached file for more detail about La Via Campesina’s work and the research project)
The research project
At the global level, LVC is trying to show the world that we do not need to use chemicals or GMOs to produce food. All farmers organizations like Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) already have examples of excellent and succesful types of chemical free ecological agriculture. In KRRS, everyone knows about Zero budget natural farming and Krishnappa’s success. We also know that farmers use different techniques like panchagavya and other traditional methods. These are all examples we would like to show the world so that Karnataka’s farmers can be an example and teachers for other farmers in the world.
That is why LVC is doing a short study to document the different types of natural farming being practiced by KRRS members in Karnataka and Thamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam (TVS) in Tamil Nadu. The idea is also for the farmers’ movements to document what its own members are doing and to promote such efforts through their movement platform. A first such book was published by LVC on Cuban agroecology movement, in which the Cuban farmers participated enthusiastically. The book has been distributed to policy makers, government officials, researchers, but most importantly to other farmers organizations who can learn directly from other farmers about farming.
Mass meetings
Between April 23-26, a team of LVC researchers from India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Mexico and Canada will be visiting Karnataka to document the various natural farming techniques. During that time, we would like to organize 2 mass meetings: one in South Karnataka (Mysore) and one in North Karnataka. Earlier in april, we will conduct one mass meeting in Tamil Nadu.
The idea is to invite all natural farmers to come and participate in those collective meetings to share their experiences, successes or failures, with natural farming. Through questionaires and workshops, we hope to gain insight into the history of the natural farming movement in Karnataka, how it spread and who are the actors contributing to it. Our goal is to highlight such low cost, local input oriented types of farming that are currently being practiced by farmers in South India.
Volunteers needed
[i]Because most of the international research team is English speaking, we are actively looking for individuals who are interested in getting involved in this independent research by helping us:
- Organize those 3 mass meetings (Tamil Nadu, South Karnataka, North Karnataka)
- Contact natural farmers and set up field visits in your district / taluk
- Translate Kannada to English and/or Tamil to Engligh during mass meetings, field visits, interviews, etc.
- Read Kannada language material about natural farming and write resumes in English
If you have the interest and time to volunteer with one or more of these tasks, you are truly welcome to contact us to join our team!!![/i]
Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions!
Stephanie Wang,
Intern KRRS and La Via Campesina
wang.stephaniekp@gmail.com
+919620253006
Call for volunteers.pdf (54.4 KB)