Over 70 participants from diverse regions, including Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, and Uttarakhand, recently gathered at Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF) in Nauni for the Consortium for Agroecological Transformations (CAT) North Region Convening. The event focused on exploring pathways for systemic change through agroecology. Organized by CAT in collaboration with UHF Nauni and GIZ India, the convening also saw partnerships with India Climate Collaborative, Bharat Agroecology Fund, CEEW, Kheti Virasat Mission, HimRRA Network, and others.
This event marked the sixth convening of the North India Chapter, which is part of a national initiative aimed at scaling up farmer-centric, landscape-based agroecological transitions. The convening brought together agroecology practitioners, civil society leaders, NGOs, farmer groups, scientists, government officials, and donors. Experts discussed various aspects of agroecological transformation specific to Northern India.
During the inaugural session, food policy expert Devinder Sharma emphasized the need to rethink agriculture models, advocating for the widespread adoption of agroecology. He stressed the importance of increasing the budget for agriculture and ensuring that farmers receive a fair share of consumer prices. Sharma highlighted the low income of farmers, both in India and globally, and called for a re-engineering of economic policies to attract young people to farming and promote healthy, safe food production.
Prof. Rajeshwar S. Chandel, Vice Chancellor of UHF, highlighted the benefits of natural farming for farmers, consumers, and the environment. He called for greater collaboration between institutions and civil society to promote natural farming, noting that national and state programs could be leveraged for this purpose. “It’s crucial for everyone to join hands and promote agroecology, which can help rural development and address climate change,” he stated.
Minhaj Ameen of the Bharat Agroecology Fund discussed India’s efforts to transform its food systems, with agroecology emerging as a promising solution. He underscored the need for collaboration among various stakeholders across the agroecological value chain to build broader support for agroecology. “CAT serves as a platform that unites diverse stakeholders working in different capacities towards agroecological change,” Ameen noted.
Ute Rieckmann, Head of GIZ India’s Agroecological Transformation Program, pointed out the global nature of issues like climate change and biodiversity loss, stressing the importance of global cooperation. She emphasized that research into natural farming and the development of capacity among farmers and institutions were essential components for successful transformation.
Umendra Dutt from Kheti Virasat Mission called for a holistic approach to food production, advocating for collaboration among ministries such as health, agriculture, and the environment. He highlighted the need to reorient the agriculture extension system towards organic and natural farming and to establish natural farming cells at Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and agricultural universities. Better coordination between agricultural scientists, grassroots farmers, and NGOs was also emphasized.
The participants concluded that organic and natural farmers should be incentivized for their ecosystem services and receive fair prices based on true cost accounting.
As part of its initiative, CAT has identified three landscapes at the block level for developing agroecological transformation models, with plans to select seven more landscapes across India. This effort aims to strengthen farmer-centric, landscape-based approaches, ensuring that all necessary ecosystem-level support services are available and scaled up. The project will be sustained for 7-10 years through CAT’s collaborations and the mobilization of resources. CAT also expressed interest in partnering with UHF to further strengthen agroecological research and capacity-building efforts.
