Learnings on Rice Cultivation From Two Indian Organic Farms

FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE WITH FOOD
This series is a collaboration between Goya & Greenpeace. Writers, researchers and activists explore what sustainability looks like out in the field, and as an extension, in your kitchen. From seed libraries and their importance in the face of climate change, to how the cultivation of ragi is woven into the needs of soil, livestock and nutrition; finding alternative uses for spent grain in the microbrewery capital of India, and offering insight into building your own toolkit for gauging sustainability, this series offers a slice of what sustainable, organic agriculture and consumption in India looks like today.

To learn more on sustainability, organic farming and the impact-driven work of Greenpeace in the field, click here.

Scooping warm rice with your fingers, mixed in carefully with parippu and kootan (feel free to replace here with whatever your region calls for) so that each flavour seeps through, a side of papad to crunch on, is a feeling that can’t quite be captured by the English language. Anyone who grew up eating rice would agree (or so I like to believe). Even with increasing debate on its health benefits, many households continue to include rice in their diet. Rice, that high-calorie grain available at a low cost, is the working man’s best friend.

Rice sustains close to 60 percent of the country’s population, and about 45 million hectares of land area are dedicated to rice cultivation. This very rice, unfortunately, is also the crop that receives the maximum quantity of fertilisers (40%) and pesticides (17-18%), according to the Rice Knowledge Management Portal. Considering how widely rice is consumed, a shift towards organic farming would have multifold benefits— halting the dangers of modernised agricultural practices, enhancing soil health, conserving the genetic diversity of food, and producing high-quality food in sufficient quantities.

Those working on ground would say that sustainability is the outcome of organic farming; a goal that can be achieved in a myriad of ways. The choices one makes are driven by a variety of factors including the parties at play, the soil in question, and sometimes, even personal preferences. This idea is best illustrated by Annapurna Farm and OOO Farms.

Annapurna Farm, located in Auroville, Tamil Nadu, is a 135-acre large farm that produces rice, fruits/compotes, and dairy products for the community. Established over three decades ago, it also plays the role of the granary of Auroville.

OOO Farms, located in Rajkot, Gujarat, on the other hand, has been working with tribal farming communities to grow ancient, native and desi produce since 2017. They focus on indigenous seed conservation and creating a marketplace for indigenous grains.

Both farms have been working towards the same goal of making the food system sustainable, albeit through different means. With decades of experience, they have insights and research that are invaluable. Both attempt to answer a few questions: what does sustainability mean to them? How can organic farming practices can be sustainable? And what does the future look like with the models they have adopted? For the purpose of brevity, we have focused on a single crop: rice.

Return to Tradition

Shailesh Awate, an avid trekker, started OOO Farms after he started noticing that the dense forests and mountains of Sahayadri started going bald. Farmers in these regions had stopped growing indigenous crops, despite their better flavour and nutrition for several reasons — low demand, low produce, and the lack of availability of these seeds. The solution seemed simple: return to indigenous crops, which in turn called for a return to traditional practices. They reached out to the older generations for an understanding of not just farming practices but even their food culture. Rather Gandhian in their philosophy, OOO Farms aspires for a future where people return to the villages.

Today, OOO Farms is a farmer-producer company where the tribal farmers are stakeholders. Their work has expanded to 63 villages, where they distribute indigenous seeds to farmers for free, apart from setting up seed banks. They work toward re-introducing community farming in areas where the concept has disappeared, and more importantly creating a supply chain between these villages and the cities.

Go with the flow

Tomas, who had been involved in farming in Europe moved to India for a change of pace in the ‘80s. Today, Annapurna is the largest farm in Auroville, as well as an active research centre for ecological ways of farming. Rice is their largest produce, in terms of volume. Dairy is the cash cow.

Going with the natural flow — this is the principle that drives work at Annapurna. Instead of being stubborn about the mode of farming, they try to examine the circumstances at hand, and work with them. While traditional varieties are used on the farm, they rely on modern equipment. The choice between traditional or modern is made solely on what suits the situation. Tomas strongly believes that mechanisation should never come at the cost of the health of the soil. The economics of it all are secondary. “Ideals cannot always meet the ground realities. While having windmills and solar panels to power a farm is extremely green, producing enough for the community with these natural resources could prove to be impossible. Compromises form a necessary part of creating a scalable organic farming model,” says Tomas.

Development needs to have a two-pronged approach. Producing food, while working towards being green is a more realistic way to achieve this goal. “People have to eat, but at the same time, we have to research and look for different ways for the future. The effort has to be pragmatic as well as futuristic,” he explains.

Sustainability and climate resiliency

There are various factors for a farmer to consider when making the shift towards organic farming. What if these crops could withstand the vagaries of nature? What if a change in farming practices could reduce the burden of a failed harvest?

Many desi varieties of crops are drought-resistant and have lower water requirements than hybrid varieties. They can also weather the extreme winds and heavy rainfall of high altitudes. The adaptability of the indigenous variety is what should make them more attractive. Shailesh gives an example of Satara, where the community planted 13 varieties of rice on a riverbank. Unfortunately, the field got washed away due to the floods. The farmers were convinced that the harvest would fail that year. Three weeks later, the villagers saw that the crops started sprouting in different corners as far as 2 kilometres away.

While this particular scenario might not be universal, organic farming does allow for a certain level of security from nature.

At Annapurna, weather poses a challenge on a regular basis. “We can’t predict how much rain we would receive in any given year; you just have to work with it,” says Tomas. Farming is unpredictable, and organic farming is even more so. The responsibility, however, should not be for the farmhands alone to shoulder. Instead, imagine better systems to help predict these changes. “For example, if we were to get up-to-date weather reports from the local department we would be better equipped to handle certain things on a day-to-day basis. This is a satellite-driven problem, which could be easily resolved. Instead, now our work is interrupted by unexpected showers,” explains Tomas. For now, the farm focuses on building facilities in a way where the repercussions of unpredictable weather can be minimised.

Understanding the Challenges of Making Farming Sustainable

While organic farming comes with its own set of merits, the on-ground reality is not so rosy. Every step of the journey is lined with challenges.

For those involved, breaking even, much less turning a profit seems like a dream for the distant future.

India ranks 71 out of 113 major countries in terms of the food security index 2020. And, while the roadmap to sustainable food security in India is not dependent on the farmers alone, they alone have been shouldering this burden.

India’s solution to the problem of food insecurity has been to increase production to match the population. There is however a fallacy in this understanding. “The industrial farming models we follow are not for the sake of food security. It rather exists to benefit corporations. India grows so much in a single year that it dumps tonnes yearly!” says Shailesh. Who is the loser? Certainly not the corporations, or even the consumers; it is only the farmer. The farmer who isn’t compensated for his produce although supply is 3 times more than the demand.

As per a study by Niti Ayog, it costs 200 Rs to produce 1 kg of rice, and too, a standing crop. The MSP for rice is Rs 22 per kilo. Realistically, farmers very rarely get the MSP rate since more often than not they sell to traders at mandis, with rice being sold for as low as Rs 5 per kg in some areas.

Shailesh gives the example of Khalbat rice that is grown in the Aloke region in Ahmednagar. OOO Farms pay the farmers Rs 50 per kilo to buy the produce with husk and keep it for a year before dehusking. During this wait, 10 percent of the rice gets spoiled. The rains, or lack of it during the milling process, decide how much output they finally get, which could be anywhere between 50 to 70 percent of the total produce. Of this, only 60 percent is whole grain. Customers refuse to purchase broken grain, and this reduces the output further. Considering all the costs involved, from warehouse to labor and transport, each kilo of rice should cost 210 Rs. “If we use a distributor, we will be selling at a 30 percent loss. If we sell it ourselves, we can expect a 5 percent loss,” Shailesh says.

However, they still prefer to rely on a distributor as it is a much easier way to reach consumers.

The high prices of organic food have constantly remained a deterrent for consumers in making the shift. How then, does one compete with lower-priced crops? “We thought we would be catering to a niche market, but that was not necessarily true. So we had to play to the ego of the consumers. We procured basmati and put it up on the market for a lower price and continued to sell the desi varieties for a higher price. This piqued the interest of many,” explains Shailesh.

However, the interested parties are not necessarily the well-to-do section. 17% of their consumers, Shailesh says, come from the slums of Bombay. “They grew up eating these varieties and know the benefit of it, and that the ration rice they are eating doesn’t provide them the energy for the work that they do,” he adds.

As long as there is a market for it, Shailesh prefers to label his loss as a deficit and an investment, rather than a loss. This year, OOO Farms will produce 200 tonnes and will have a deficit of 85 lakhs.“Our focus is on reducing that deficit, as opposed to creating profit. When the warehouses are at full capacity, we would be in a better position. We believe it will take us 8 years to break even,” he adds.

Here exists the double-edged sword. For a complete overhaul of farming practices, there needs to be a shift in consumption patterns. But, who can afford to fork over Rs 200 for a kilo of rice? The only solution in front of those like Shailesh is to shoulder that loss. Why should a few struggle under the weight of correcting a system that is integral to the survival of an entire species?

For Annapurna Farm, the situation is not as bleak, as breaking even means that they are able to cover the cost of running the farm. Any profit is invested back into the farm. Tomas believes that people need to look at the intrinsic value of a farm. “The farm is not just about what it produces. It is also something which maintains a certain landscape, and sustains a certain amount of wildlife and natural phenomenon,” he says. The farmland, then, is an ecosystem.

However, it is also important to point out that those at Annapurna Farm have a luxury of another kind. The farm belongs to the community, in more ways than one. Tomas, who is a steward of the farm, receives a stipend to run the farm, and the farm profit does not define or drive his personal wealth or needs. His sole responsibility then is to apply various models and practices with the sole goal of making the farm economically viable. Tomorrow, the farm will hopefully be picked up by another like-minded person from the community. “So no ownership or any capitalistic agenda is driving us. We are just trying to change the reality,” he explains.

In an ideal world, this would be the norm. If investors, corporations, and other like-minded entities enter the picture and provide these farms with the monetary support needed to offset the cost of running a farm, those involved at the ground level will be able to focus on the farm. Rather utopian a dream maybe, but as long as we live in a world where a farmer’s daughter’s marriage is dependent on how many quintals of rice he grows, the change will never come.

While OOO Farms focus on returning to traditional wisdom, those at Annapurna believe in bringing youngsters into the fold. Many youngsters today are exploring agriculture as a career. However, very few will survive in this space. “As much as people want to connect with nature and make a change, farming is a tough world. It's not as dreamy as people hope,” says Tomas. While more and more people are starting to chase a connection to nature, as of now, the younger generation is largely distancing themselves from farming. “Local skills are disappearing,” says Tomas.

In the absence of people on the ground, the solution would be to rely on mechanised farming (large-scale mono-cropping), which goes against the goals of sustainability. Cornered and lost in a world of big money and climate change, farmers are on their own. In the face of ignorant politicians and apathetic consumers, the only hope for the sector is that change would come once people realize the importance of agriculture. “If people would see that this is an important sector, and as one where they can build a career, then there would be all kinds of possibilities,” he says.

Getting a new generation in is only step one. There also is the need for better training and educational systems. The lack of connection between theory and practice is yet another challenge. “The universities do not give any real training in practical farming. So while you may have a degree, you would not have studied enough to be able to run a farm properly,” Tomas says. Young people who are well-trained, and are taught everything from mechanical skills to value additions to basic computer and analytical skills, are the need of the hour. Training an unskilled person can take months and even years, which is a huge investment for a farm to be made. This does not account for any kind of accidents or other issues that could arise from having an untrained and unskilled person working on the farm.

A major source of concern has been convincing traders and distributors to pick up the grains produced by these farms. Over the years, efforts like that of OOO Farms have managed to create a supply chain, and today, they ship 200 tonnes of produce.

The fast-paced life of today has allowed traditional and slow procedures to become extinct. Awareness, they both agree, is key. As people realise the importance of food and understand that they need to be mindful of what they put into their bodies the change will come.

Consumers need to be more conscious choosers. The change in consumption patterns would automatically call for a shift at the production site. As long as the consumer doesn't care, nothing can change because a farmer simply has to do what he needs to stay alive.

“I'm not too worried. I think it will be natural,” says Tomas. The health crisis that is dominating the country in the form of diabetes, heart problems, and cancer is however pushing for a shift. Many are willing to pay premium prices for the goods labeled healthy or organic, he says, citing the example of the recent rise in fame of the humble kodu millet. A popular grain three decades ago, the grain was cast aside by farmers for cash crops. “Now, people are sick from that money. They have everything now but they are not well, and they needed the millet to kind of survive again,” he adds.

Are these models scalable?

While both models have their own merits, the success of it all depends not only on whether it has proven to be successful at ground zero. Can these models be replicated across the country? Can we envision an organic India that follows these practices? The answer is not quite all that simple.

Shailesh believes that the OOO Farms model can be replicated easily across tribal communities. Of course, this is not a process without struggles. For example, having to correct the misconceptions and biases around sustainable farming and organic produce is one that would take time. However, he believes that with little hand-holding, tribal communities can be inspired to make the switch. With the current generation of most tribal communities being the first to taste the effects of modernisation, with electricity and roads making their way to them only 15-odd years ago, peddling back to old practices would be relatively easy.

Tomas, on the other hand, believes that the scalability of their model depends on the choices that people make. “Most people want to build their career. Not many want to join a community or work collectively,” he explains. However, the practices they follow can be applied anywhere. Farmers are free to spot something they find interesting and adapt it to their needs. Therefore, the flexibility of this model is what makes it easily scalable. Tomas drives home the point that experimenting is key. To understand what needs to be done better, they need to work on the ground to understand the practicality and reach of their solutions.

Shailesh holds strong to the belief that the future is indigenous. “There are 30 or 40 years of harvests left in the world and then the soil will refuse to produce anything. Then what do we do?” he says. Returning to traditional modes, he says, is the only way to survive.

The future, for Tomas, is not just a farm, but rather a community that comes together to grow and create something that can be passed on to generations. However, he agrees that the reality is bleak. “It's very sad and painful to see what is going on with the world right now. People need to respect nature and human beings and look toward a better life. But yes, that is quite a difficult dream to achieve, he adds.

Madhuri Kadam, currently focusing on regenerative rice and dairy at Annapurna Farm of Auroville and Krupa Joseph, writer and content marketer.

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