Madhya Pradesh farm growth has grown to 14.2% per annum in the last five years but the situation of farmers has not changed. They are still some of the world’s poorest and most food insecure people.

The race to produce adequate food has forced them to indulge in chemical farming which showed better results initially but later its ill effects on land and its production were catastrophic. Overuse of chemicals not only decreased soil fertility but also put a heavy burden on farmers for input cost.

Marginal tribal farmers of Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh learned through Saksham program to avoid chemical farming and practice sustainable agriculture through mixed and intercropping, organic farming and preserving seeds through the traditional system for a greater self-reliance. They also collect forest produce and food materials including non-timber forest products for their sustenance.

Lead farmers, cluster coordinators/ community organizers, programme coordinators and directors of ANWC Bhopal, IDSSS Indore, JDSSS Jabalpur, KSWS Ujjain, GCSS Gwalior, PRAGATI Jhabua, SSSS Satna and MVSS Sagar of Madhya Pradesh exchanged their learnings during the program where they learned about the minor millets cultivation and traditional agriculture practices. They visited Kakanvani, Jharni, Rojiya and Chhota Junwania villages of Saksham program in Jhabua to witness the regained lost confidence in the promotion of traditional agriculture practices of the indigenous communities.

The participants got the opportunity to know about various forest produces, minor millets and local green vegetables through an exhibition. Fr. Anthon Kattara, Director of Pragati took the participants to the campus garden to show the various minor and traditional crops cultivated through mixed farming.

Explaining the process, Caritas India State Officer of Madhya Pradesh Mr. Sebastian K.A. shared with the participants that the community needs to be taken into confidence through constant community mobilization for food and nutrition sovereignty, sustainable agriculture practices, functionalizing public systems of nutrition & health and control on communal resources.

There are numerous programs which promote sustainable agriculture but Saksham aims to enhance food and nutrition security and diversified livelihood for smallholder farmers through rights realization and promotion of adaptive agriculture. It is more multifunctional than a typical agriculture development program. It not only focuses on resilient agriculture but simultaneously aims to increase productivity by input self-resilience, reviving traditional agriculture and streamlining public systems for food security.

Caritas India through its grassroots partners in Satna, Jhabua, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Indore, Ujjain, Bhopal and Sagar in Madhya Pradesh emphasized on strengthening the existing agriculture by reviving traditional agriculture systems for ensuring steady food supply for communities. The learning through exchange deem necessary to cross learn and disseminate the best practices to achieve greater results.