In September 2022, Bhittibhumi carried out a participatory Variety Selection (PVS) exercise in Orissa with the support and guidance of FiBL. The exercise involved farmers as key stakeholders to seek and determine the most preferred lines of green gram and sesame for further advancement. Discussions with the farmers (both genders) showed differences and some similarities in trait preferences and varietal choices.
Category Archives: India
Participatory Varietal Selection in India: research and process in the state of Karnataka
Promoting change through participatory activities is one of the key goals of CROPS4HD. For this, we conduct a concrete approach for the PUSH implementing aspect of the project: the Participatory Varietal Selection (PVS). In India, the first training supervised by expert from FiBL, and jointly organized by FiBL, SWISSAID and Sahaja Samrudha, took place in Mysore, Karnataka on amaranth crop in June 2022.
Strengthen the awareness, availability and practices of NUS in West Bengal, India
During the month of May 2022, several activities to promote NUS took place in India among the farmers as well as the general public. Experimental trials were launched, and various events took place that allowed to raise awareness among the indigenous NUS crops as well as events like the Participatory Market Chain Approach (PMCA) which support the connections among participants involved in the process of NUS development.
Kickoff visit in India
Partner’s orientation and planning workshop for the CROPS4HD project was held in the first week of August this year. This meeting brought all the project coordination and implementation together to build a shared understanding of the roles, functions, and responsibilities for the inception and main phase.
CROPS4HD builds climate resilience
In recent times, the effects of climate change become more and more obvious, even in the Global North. However, for smallholder farmers in the southern hemisphere they have been a reality for a while, and they make it even harder for them to secure their nutrition and incomes. The project CROPS4HD promotes neglected and underutilised crops that are more resilient to the impacts of climate change as a strategy for farmers to adapt their production to this new reality.
Fonio millet, Lablab bean or Bambara groundnuts: the rediscovered crops
Hunger and malnutrition are still widespread in large parts of Africa and Asia. Hunger and malnutrition are still widespread in large parts of Africa and Asia. Global warming and the loss of soil fertility are further exacerbating the problem. The new SWISSAID project CROPS4HD focuses on local, almost forgotten crops to improve the situation of people in the South.
Gender and diversity mainstreaming
The analysis done during the planning phase confirmed that a large proportion of women in the four countries work in agriculture. Gender-based inequalities and classical gender division of labor for household tasks contribute to unequal bargaining power for women and other vulnerable groups within the community.
Use of technology in CROPS4HD
CROPS4HD will use a phone-based information and communication platform and methodology for mutual sharing of knowledge and experiences among peasants groups and link them with expert knowledge nationally and internationally.