Lecture on food security by Dr. P. V. Sateesh, DDS

1. FARMING HOPE
STORY OF DDS
SANGHAMS

2. Nature of communities
• Multiple
marginalisation
• Rural
• Poor
• Dalit
• Women

3. “Their” agriculture
• Semi arid area
• Totally rainfed
• Ecological and
diverse
• Low input
• traditional
knowledge

4. “Others” Agriculture
• Driven by “new”
policies
• Monoculture
• Totally chemical
• High external
input and
knowledge

5. The crisis & Disaster
• Cash crop
dependence
• Debt ridden
• Collapse of small
farmers
• Over 10,000
suicides

6. The Contrast
• Externalised
agriculture
collapses;
produces despair
• Community
controlled,
autonomous
farming flourishes;
generates hope

7. SEEDS OF HOPE

8. Seed
Sovereignty
OUR
S
E
E
E
S
OUR
K
N
O
W
L
E
D
GE

9. SEED SOVEREIGNTY
•EVERY FARMER HAS OWN SEEDS AT HOME
•WORKS WITH OVER 15 VARIETIES

10. SEED SOVEREIGNTY
• OVER 100 VILLAGES ESTABLISH OWN
SEED BANKS: COMMUNITY GENE
FUND;NO NEED FOR OUTSIDE SEEDS
• SUPPLIES UNAVAILABLE VARIETIES
• CAN SUPPLY SEEDS FOR ADDL 100
ACRES IN EVERY VILLAGE
• STORES FOR FUTURE

11. THE CONTRAST
• CASH CROPPING FARMERS ARE
DESPARATE FOR EXTERNAL SEEDS
• RUSH TO GOVT DEPOTS; FIRED UPON;
TRAMPLE EACH OTHER; SEVERAL
DEATHS
• SEED SOVEREIGN SANGHAM WOMEN
ARE NEVER DESPARATE. CONTINUE
LENDING SEEDS TO OTHERS

12. ECOLOGICAL FARMING
DIVERSE, RAINFED, NO EXTERNAL INPUT

13. OUR CROPS
OUR
KNOWLEDGE
WOMEN LED
FARMING

14. WE WILL
PRODUCE
FOR
OURSELVES

15. OUR
KNOWLEDGE
CAN FEED
US

16. LOCAL
PRODUCTION,
STORAGE,
DISTRIBUTION

17. SELF PROVISIONING
COMMUNITIES
• 52 COMMUNITIES PRODUCE ALL THE
FOOD & FODDER THEY NEED
• PROVIDE FOR THE LANDLESS, POOR AND
THE DESTITUTE
• CREATE A SELF PERPETUATING
COMMUNITY GRAIN FUND
• GENERATE FODDER, LIVELIHOODS AND
MULTIPLE SECURITY

18. IN THE YEAR OF
DROUGHT
• HIGH TECH STATE OF A P BORROWS
500,000 TONNES OF FOOD EVERY
MONTH TO FEED ITS HUNGRY
• GREEN REVOLUTION MODEL FAILS TO
RESCUE POPULATION FROM HUNGER
• WOMEN IN SEMI ARID, RAINFED
DECCAN THROUGH THEIR ECOLOGICAL
AGRICULTURE, REFUSE OUTSIDE FOOD

19. FOOD
SOVEREIGNTY
INDIRECTLY WORK
WITH OVER 1000
COMMUNITIES

20. BIODIVERSITY
FESTIVALS
CELEBRATORY
CULTURAL CAMPAIGN

21. BIO DIVERSITY
FESTIVALS
DIALOGUED WITH OVER
200,000 FARMERS

22. SOME LESSONS
• COMMUNITY CAPACITY TO
COPE ARE ENORMOUS
• POOR AND THE WEAK CAN
LEAD US OUT OF DISASTERS
• THEIR KNOWLEDGE ROOTS
ARE STRONG, LIFE AFFIRMING

23. SOME LESSONS
• GLOBALISED AGRICULTURE IS A
LOOMING DISASTER
• GOVERNMENT POLICIES MUST
PREVENT THIS DISASTER BY
BEING ENABLING FOR SMALL
FARMERS AND STAND BY THEM

24. SOME LESSONS
• FARMING MUST BE LED BY
WOMEN’S PERSPECTIVES; IT IS
LIFE-INFUSING
• LOCAL FARMING SYSTEMS MUST
BE RESPECTED, STRENGTHENED
& SUPPORTED THROUGH FISCAL
AND AGRICULTURAL POLICIES