Agroecology

At Utkramit Madhya Vidyalaya, an upper middle school in Bihar with just over 250 students, learning now stretches beyond the classroom walls. In a small garden beside the school, children crouch between rows of local vegetables, their hands dusty with soil as they water, weed, and harvest. The patch of land, once unused and barren, has transformed into a living classroom where tending the earth is becoming as much a part of children's education as reading and math. Learning by … [Read more...] about How This School Kitchen Garden Is Transforming Meals and Homes in Bihar, India

In the flat farmlands of Surungabigha in Southern Bihar, a dry body of water had been quietly fading into memory. The ahar-pyne — a traditional irrigation system developed by smallholder farmers — had long been abandoned. The land around it was barren, weeds growing in clumps where water once flowed. For local farmers, it was a visible reminder of colonial times, when British-imposed “modern” irrigation methods and land policies pushed aside community-built systems and the knowledge … [Read more...] about Restoring Ancient Ahar-Pyne Water Systems: A Rebirth of Traditional Farming Practices in India