Authors: Sarah Sahlaney and Chandi Guntupalli At Groundswell International, we often talk about how our network builds farmer self-reliance. In an increasingly interconnected world, why does this matter for farmers, their families, and communities? Recent news, and Usha's story, show why self-reliance is such a valuable goal. Throughout April and May, ships carrying hundreds of tons of chemical fertilizers sat in the Gulf of Hormuz, unable to reach their final … [Read more...] about As Fertilizer Prices Rise, Agroecology Offers a More Resilient Path for Farmers
South Asia
The Women Farmers Reviving Unused Land in Nepal with Agroecology
Radhika Mahato is a smallholder farmer in Sarlahi, Nepal. For years, she farmed the way most people around her did: one crop at a time, with chemical pesticides from the local shop, and she would buy most vegetables at the market. Most farming decisions were made by male family members, and she used to travel a long way to her field to farm every day. That started to change when she joined hands-on training sessions run by our local partner RWUA (Rural Women's Upliftment Association). The … [Read more...] about The Women Farmers Reviving Unused Land in Nepal with Agroecology
In Nepal’s Terai Region, Women Farmers are Taking Back Control of their Seeds
In Sarlahi, a district in Nepal’s Terai region, women farmers are rebuilding control over their food supply by taking back ownership of their seeds. Their work is helping to protect generations of agricultural knowledge at risk of being lost forever. Until the 1990s, Nepal was a seed-exporting country. Today, it imports 90% of its vegetable seeds, and of the 4,300 rice varieties its farmers cultivated over decades, only around 150 remain. The shift began in the 1980s, when hybrid seeds … [Read more...] about In Nepal’s Terai Region, Women Farmers are Taking Back Control of their Seeds
How This School Kitchen Garden Is Transforming Meals and Homes in Bihar, India
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
Restoring Ancient Ahar-Pyne Water Systems: A Rebirth of Traditional Farming Practices in 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
How Joining a Women’s Savings Group Helped This Farmer Survive Cancer
Farmers in Nepal, especially women, face a host of intersecting challenges. Many work with limited resources under difficult conditions, while also managing livestock, household responsibilities, and their children’s education from a young age. This burden takes a toll on their health and ability to sustain a livelihood. Women farmers are also particularly exposed to toxic pesticides—a result of structural inequality and poor regulation. As Nepali Times reports, "women and Dalit households … [Read more...] about How Joining a Women’s Savings Group Helped This Farmer Survive Cancer