Intarmingernational Year of family farming

1. Role of Family Farming
in the 21st
Century
Prof M S Swaminathan
Founder Chairman, MSSRF, Chennai
Chennai, 7 August 2014
A New Deal for Family Farmers

2. International Year of Family Farming
The United Nations declared 2014 the International
Year of Family Farming (IYFF) to recognise the
importance of family farming in reducing poverty
and improving global food security. According to
the UN, the IYFF aims to promote new
development policies particularly at the national
but also regional levels that will help small holder
and family farmers eradicate hunger, through
small scale sustainable agricultural production.
Family farming involves about 500 million families
consisting of over two billion people.

3. UN International Years
Such Years generate awareness – analysis - action
• 2013 was commemorated as the Year of
Quinoa
• 2014 is being observed as the International
Year of Family Farming
• 2015 is the International Year of Soils
• 2016 is the International Year of Pulses

4. United Nations
Secretary-General’s
Vision (2012)
Source: www.un.org
2025 : Target Year for Achieving Zero Hunger Challenge

5. Prevention of
Food Losses
and Waste – an
important
component of
the Zero
Hunger
Challenge

6. South Asian Enigma
o Extraordinary economic
growth in South Asia
o Population largely
dependent on agriculture
o Yet, 2 out of 5 children
stunted
39% of children are stunted in
South Asia
UNICEF 2013

7. 61.7
11 9.6 8 7.5 6
Top 6 countries with highest
number of stunted children
(millions)
UNICEF 2013
o Region with the largest
number of children with
stunted growth
o First 1000 days critical. Low
Birth Weight Babies 1 in 4
o Under-nutrition reduces a
nation’s economic
advancement by 8% (Lancet
2013)
South Asian Enigma

8. CALORIE
DEPRIVATION
PROTEIN
HUNGER
HIDDEN HUNGER
(Micronutrient deficiency)
Picture Source: Google images
Three major dimensions of hunger

9. Comparison of woo-gen (right) and dee-geo-
woo-gen strains, the latter containing
the sd1 mutation
The effects of different Rht alleles on plant height in wheat (cv. April
Bearded). The wild-type contains Rht-B1a and Rht-D1a, which are
homoeologous (corresponding) genes on the B and D genomes. Rht-
B1c is a more severe allele at the Rht-B1 locus
Source: http://5e.plantphys.net/
Overcoming Under-nutrition:
The Green Revolution in Wheat and
Rice

10. Green Revolution Symphony (1968)
o Technology
o Services
o Public Policies
o Farmers’ enthusiasm
Indian farmers achieved as much progress in wheat production
in four years (1964–68), as during the preceding 4000 years.
Major Components
Synergy among Scientific skill,
Political will and Farmers’ toil

11. “Man has lost the capacity to
foresee and to forestall. He will
end by destroying the earth”
- Albert Schweitzer
Rachel Carson 1962 : Silent Spring
Origin of Integrated Pest Management Methodologies

12. Evergreen Revolution is the
Pathway
o World requires 50% more
rice in 2030 than in 2004
with approximately 30% less
arable land of today
o Mainstreaming ecology in
technology development and
dissemination is the road to
sustainable agriculture

13. Green Revolution : Commodity-
centred increase in productivity
Change In plant architecture, and
harvest index
Change in the physiological
rhythm-insensitive to
photoperiodism
Lodging resistance
Evergreen Revolution : increasing
productivity in perpetuity without
associated ecological harm
Organic agriculture : cultivation without
any use of chemical inputs like mineral
fertilizers and chemical pesticides
Green Agriculture : conservation
farming with the help of integrated pest
management, integrated nutrient
supply and integrated natural resource
management
From Green to an Ever-green Revolution
Pathways

14. Goal : To provide food and nutritional security by ensuring access to
adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices
Special Features :
Life Cycle approach with emphasis on the 1000 days of a child’s life
The senior most woman in the household will be designated the
Head of the Household from the point of view of food entitlements
Enlargement of the Food Basket by including nutri-millets and
other orphan crops in the Public Distribution System
Entitlement : Every person belonging to priority households shall be
entitled to receive five kilogram of foodgrains per person per month at
subsidised prices.
Fighting Poverty induced Chronic Hunger
National Food Security Bill of India, 2013
From “Ship to Mouth” to “Right to Food”

15. Pulses Panchayat committed to the promotion of Pulse
Production
Overcoming Protein Hunger : Pulses Revolution

16. Biofortification and Hidden Hunger Challenge :
3 Major approaches
1. Naturally occurring biofortified plants like moringa,
sweet potato, nutri-millets and fruits and vegetables.
2. Biofortified varieties selected by breeding and
selection, eg, iron rich pearl millet and zinc rich rice
3. Genetically biofortified crops like Golden Rice and
iron rich rice (after appropriate regulatory clearance)
Cultivate and Consume

17. 25 x iron in spinach
17 x calcium in milk
15 x potassium in bananas
10 x vitamin A in carrots
9 x protein in yogurt
National Geographic, November 2012
Role of Agro-forestry in Biofortification
Moringa Oleifera

18. Biofortification through breeding:
High-iron Pearl Millet
ICTP 8203
ICRISAT-bred OPV
(70-74 ppm Fe)
With 10% Higher Yield
86M86
Pioneer hybrid (54-64 ppm Fe)
Marketed by NIRMAL SEEDS

19. Back cross derived lines in Swarna background
using Kaybonet-GR2-R event as donor
Swarna Golden Swarna
Source : IARI, New Delhi
Genetic Modification : Golden Rice

20. Golden Rice :
Trial Site Vandalized in Bicol, Philippines
Source: Rice Today, IRRI, Oct-Dec 2013, Vol.12, No.4
Establish Regulatory system which inspires public,
professional, political and media confidence

21. Rich in Nutrition; Climate Smart
Culinary Diversity

22. Gene Bank Seed Bank Water BankGrain Bank
Conservation - Cultivation – Consumption - Commerce
Pathway to achieving the UN Millennium
Development Goal of Eradicating hunger &
poverty
Community Food and Water Security System

23. Farming System for Nutrition (FSN)*
“FSN involves the introduction of agricultural remedies to
the nutritional maladies prevailing in an area, through the
mainstreaming of nutritional criteria in the selection of the
components of a farming system involving crops, farm
animals and where feasible, fish. While finalizing the
components of a farming system, the gender and age
dimensions of human nutritional needs should be kept in
view, such as the special needs of pregnant women and
nursing mothers, and new born babies during the first
1000 days after conception and birth”
Agric Res DOI 10.1007/s40003-014-0119-5, 5 August 2014

24. Kolli Hills
Mixed Cropping in Family Farming

25. Nearly 75 million women and 15 million men are
involved in Dairy Enterprises in India.
Ownership of Livestock is more egalitarian
Crop-Livestock Integrated Farming System

26. TRIBE DISTRICT
Medicinal
Plants used
Bhatra Nawarangpur
81
Bhumia Koraput 69
Bonda Malkangiri 55
Gadaba Koraput 83
Gond Nawarangpur
67
Kandha
Koraput +
Rayagada
124
Koya Malkangiri 48
Paroja Koraput 74
Saora Rayagada 59
9 tribes 4 districts
660 MPs
Women and
Cultural & Curative Diversity
Farmers’ Rights :
Conserver, Cultivator, Breeder
Genome Saviors - Tribal Families of Koraput, Odisha

27. Women in Family Farming
Non-farmEnterprises

28. Household
Mushroom Production
Multiple Micro-enterprises for
Livelihood Security

29. Community Hunger Fighters
o Become well-versed on the
causes and cures for the
endemic and hidden hunger
prevailing in the village / town
through a nutrition literacy
programme
o Identify and introduce
agricultural remedies to
nutritional maladies based on
gender and age
o Introduce in the farming
system biofortified crops and
varieties

30. A bill to provide for the gender specific needs of
women farmers, to protect their legitimate needs
and entitlements and to empower them, with a
view to carrying out the aforesaid purposes, of
establishing mechanisms, authorities, powers and
functions relating thereto and for matters
connected therewith
Women Farmers’ Entitlement Bill 2011
(Private Members’ Bill introduced by Prof M S Swaminathan, MP (Rajya Sabha)

31. Women, who first
domesticated plants over
10,000 years ago, have
been the saviours of
biodiversity throughout
history

32. Dr Sara Ahmed
Engendering the
Curriculum in Agricultural
Universities
Contribution by

33. RICE BIOPARK
IN Nay Pyi Taw
Myanmar
Rice Biomass provides
opportunities for
additional income
Biopark being
developed under the
guidance of Hon’ble Mr
U Myint Hlaing, Minister
of Agrticulture and
Irrigation, Myanmar

34. Anticipatory Research to checkmate the adverse
impact of unfavourable climate
Climate Smart Cereals

35. Innovations in below sea level farming in Kuttanad
COCONUT - RICE - FISH
Punja season
November- February
Low chemical input or Organic
Yield- 4.2 t/ha
April- October
Monoculture – Giant Prawn
(Macrobrachium rosenbergii)
Polyculture*- Indian major carps or
common carps or Silver carps and
grass carps and Giant Prawn
Yield- Rice: 4.2 t/ha
Fish- Prawn: 480 kg;
Carp : 300 kg.
* Recommended practice

37. Sea Water Farming
(Sea water constitutes 97% of the world’s
water resource)

38. No Time to Relax : Major Challenges Ahead
o Avoiding Food losses and Food Waste
o Adverse change in climate, temperature, precipitation,
and sea level
o Shrinking per capita land and water resources
o Expanding biotic and abiotic stresses
o Adverse cost-risk-return structure of farming
o Market volatility
o Reluctance of youth to take to farming : Lack of
Demographic Dividend

39. Source : FAO, US Energy Administration and www.indexmundi.org and
http://quotes.post1.org/historical-crude-oil-price-chart/ (data updated as on
July -2014)
The Future
Belongs to
Nations with
Grains and
not Guns
Price Volatility
Family Farming is the pathway to Sustainable Food Security

40. India has made huge progress in agriculture from what was
known as a “ship to mouth” existence to the status of
conferring the right to food with home-grown food. This was
possible only because of public procurement at a
remunerative price. Unfortunately, there is a controversy in
the World Trade Organisation about the support extended to
Indian farmers for achieving Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of a
“Hunger Free India”. Providing family farmers with adequate
financial and scientific support to ensure food security should
be the bottom line of all food and agriculture policies of
developing countries. Food and income Security should
remain non-negotiable, particularly in countries where over
50% of the population depend on farming for their livelihood.
WTO and Food Security

41. Zero Hunger Challenge
Challenge Response
1. Calorie deprivation Ever-green Revolution
2. Protein Hunger Pulses Revolution
3. Hidden Hunger Biofortification Revolution

42. Family farming based on
gender, nutrition and climate
sensitive agriculture is the
pathway for food for all and
forever
Winning the War against Hunger