Traditional Farming Systems and Agro-biodiversity in Eastern Himalayan Region of India

Giri, Krishna; Mishra, Gaurav; Rawat, M.; Pandey, Shailesh; Bhattacharyya, Rajarishi; Bora, Nabajyoti; N., J. P.

doi:10.1007/978-981-15-1902-4_5

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Shifting cultivation locally known as jhum farming is a traditional land use practice in the hill states of North East (NE) India. Jhum farming is practiced in a cyclic manner involving slash and burn of natural forest landscapes, land preparation followed by crop cultivation for a period of 1–3 years on the same piece of land [ 1 ]. Jhum cultivation is an integral part of ethnic communities and a source of subsistence in the region.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Performance evaluation of native plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria for paddy yield enhancement in the jhum fields of Mokokchung, Nagaland, North East India

Giri¹,

Mishra²,

Suyal³

et al. 2023

Heliyon

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Performance evaluation of native plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria for paddy yield enhancement in the jhum fields of Mokokchung, Nagaland, North East India

Giri¹,

Mishra²,

Suyal³

et al. 2023

Heliyon

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“…Such traditional agroforests are practised as an integrated approach to environmental conservation, which is now considered to be an improved sustainable system featuring significant ecological interaction between the woody and non-woody components (Deb, 2020). Jhum cultivation involves the simultaneous cultivation of 15-20 mixed crops in the same field to fulfil household needs (Giri et al, 2020). Under such traditional agricultural systems, farmers retain 'folk-varieties' or 'landraces', 'farmers' varieties', 'local varieties' or 'traditional varieties' which have been repeatedly selected and preserved by farmers for many years (Das & Das, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biodiversity in agricultural and food systems of jhum landscape in the West Garo Hills, North-eastern India

Pandey

Momin

Dubey³

et al. 2022

Food Sec.

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Jhum is a swidden agriculture agroforestry system indigenous to India. It enriches crop diversity and dietary diversity, helping to ensure food security and nutrition. However, jhum is now being rapidly abandoned in favour of intensive agriculture, often involving monoculture. Such changes in land use are a major threat to local food security. Based on a survey of 97 households in four villages of the West Garo Hills in the state of Meghalaya in north-eastern India, jhum and the corresponding food diversity (as maintained by the Garo indigenous communities) were examined. We used a mixed-methods approach to quantify the contribution to dietary diversity, and food and nutritional security. The jhum system of farming comprised of 39 crops and four indigenous breeds of livestock, which were categorized into five core food groups that sustain nutritional security and the food culture of indigenous people. The traditional food basket is supplemented with wild edible plants collected from fringes of forest and jhum fallows that are part of the system. The traditional foods of Garo communities, that are drawn almost entirely from locally available sources, are a significant part of local culture, and serve to reinforce conservation of biodiversity. The traditional food diversity guarded by indigenous people can serve as a basis for designing and implementing public policies aimed at ensuring food security of those regions that practise such systems, and more widely. Given this close interdependence between agrobiodiversity, culture, and livelihoods prevailing in the community, the present study recommended for keeping some area under traditional land use, supplemented with fresh measures to ensure its economic viability. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12571-021-01251-y.

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“…Arunachal Pradesh, one of the seven north-eastern states of India, is one of the ecological hotspots and falls in the Himalayas zone of the 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world (FSI 2019 ; Kobayashi et al 2019 ). Agriculture and forest resources are the main sources of livelihood of those people in Arunachal Pradesh who practise conventional farming in the valleys and ‘jhum’ (the local term for shifting cultivation) on steep slopes, with fallow periods that extend to 10–11 years.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Agrobiodiversity and agroecological practices in ‘jhumscape’ of the Eastern Himalayas: don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater

et al. 2022

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The values and roles of biodiversity at the grassroots level get little attention and are usually ignored, despite mounting evidence that effective relationships between biodiversity and indigenous people are critical to both ecological integrity and rural survival. ‘Jhumscape’ (the landscape of shifting cultivation) can contribute a great deal to enriching agrobiodiversity and ensuring food security, but this system of cultivation has been mostly neglected. The objective of the present study was twofold: (1) to quantify the agrobiodiversity of a jhumscape in the Eastern Himalayas, especially its contribution to food and nutritional security, and (2) to examine the jhum practices in view of the agroecological principles recently proposed by the Food and Agricultural Organization. Applying mixed-method research and using primary data from 97 households representing eleven villages, transect walks, and interviews of key informants, the plant diversity maintained in a traditional jhum system by the indigenous people was seen to comprise of 37 crops including many landraces and four non-descript breeds of livestock. The food basket was supplemented with wild edible plants collected from fringes of forests and fallow lands that are a part of the jhumscape. Diversity in food groups and the share of expenditure on food in the total budget indicates that the indigenous people are secure in terms of food and nutrition. Jhum agroecological practices such as zero tillage and organic mixed-crops farming based on traditional ecological knowledge helps to maintain a high level of agrobiodiversity. Using biodiversity more effectively for agroecological transition does not mean merely returning to traditional practices but requires a deeper understanding of how agrobiodiversity contributes to better nutrition, greater food security, and sustainability. Although some principles and local practices related to jhum are applicable globally, others may be specific to the region and the culture.

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Traditional Farming Systems and Agro-biodiversity in Eastern Himalayan Region of India

Cited by 6 publications

References 18 publications

Performance evaluation of native plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria for paddy yield enhancement in the jhum fields of Mokokchung, Nagaland, North East India

Performance evaluation of native plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria for paddy yield enhancement in the jhum fields of Mokokchung, Nagaland, North East India

Biodiversity in agricultural and food systems of jhum landscape in the West Garo Hills, North-eastern India

Agrobiodiversity and agroecological practices in ‘jhumscape’ of the Eastern Himalayas: don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater

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