An Interview with Navdanya Coordinator Anand Kumar.
Posted on Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
An Interview with Navdanya Coordinator Anand Kumar.
Conducted by Carrie Stiles, Conflict Resolution Department, Portland State University.
March 2010
If you are curious to know more about the daily activities of Navdanya’s network this interview may provide insight into our grassroots mobilization. Anand Kumar has dedicated nine years in service to Navdanya farmers. The kind and soft-spoken man from Uttaranchal is the coordinator for the Dehradun region and the farm manager at Navdanya’s biodiverse agro ecological experimental learning center, also known as Bija (seed) Vidyapeeth (school). His job duties include crop planning, mapping, labeling, course arrangement, stock inventory, seed organization and categorization, register maintenance and working in the soil lab. Anand avidly works with 80 Certified Organic Farmers and 5,000 total farmers.
What does your work involve?
Farmers are selected for farmer certification when they demonstrate a knowledge and skill with organic agriculture. We assess the fields and evaluate the quality to choose farmers for the organic certification process. Some farmers lack knowledge in organic agriculture so we support them in learning and slowly slowly they begin to understand. We have farmers programs. Some farmers learn faster then others. We have ongoing relationships and dialogue with the farmers by going door-to-door.
After our persistence they begin to understand the importance for healthy fresh food and sustainability. Sometimes the farmers don’t have a lot of time. We set up a schedule for the farmers and collect farmers in groups for meeting programs that involve ongoing discussions.
How do the farmers respond to Navdanya?
Almost all the time the farmers are happy to have us work with them and we have a good relationship with them. Sometimes the farmers have been given misinformation. However, the farmers are usually easily engaged in discussions. They gain good knowledge and understand the importance of organic agriculture. The farmers know there are ecological problems with chemical agriculture. It is also very costly and our farmers are happy with organic because it does not involve costly inputs. With organic composting at home, seed saving and pest control by Neem, Campfur, Vaitax, Milliya organic agriculture is not costly.
Before Navdanya the farmers in the Dehradun region were using chemicals. Navdanya coordinators went village-to-village spreading knowledge of organic agriculture techniques. People began to understand that chemical agriculture is not good for the soil, human or animal health. They learn how organic farming produces very good food, it does not make them dependent on the market, have costly inputs and it is good for health.
How is the seed involved in your work with the farmers?
Navdanya farmers all keep their own seeds. Seeds are also supplied from the Navdanya seed bank. The farmers are now self-sufficient in seeds through seed saving and an exchange amongst themselves. They don’t depend on the market. Vegetable and pulses are sometimes bought in the market. The Seed is very important for agriculture. We discuss seed sovereignty with the farmers so they will keep seeds at home. It is best to keep your own seed so you can carefully check the quality – the quality of the seeds from the market is unknown. We teach seed selection. (For example), the wheat fields are examined and selected in separate bunches, thrashed by hand, cleaned and kept for seed saving for next year. Other plants are used for food.
What is the farmer’s perception of ecological problems like water issues?
Dehradun region does not have a lot of problems with water. However, after 10 or 20 years there will be a problem with the water. Now only a few places have a water problem. We suggest to the farmers that in the rainy season they collect rainwater in grooves and pits. There is a good program to solve any problem.
How do the farmers feel about the government?
The government is making a well for water canals to the farmer’s fields. The farmers are happy with the water, but over time it has been going down. Jarkhand and Rajasthan have more trouble with water and the coordinators suggest to them to make pits in their fields to collect rainwater during the summer season. Sometimes there are crops growing with less water so those seeds should be saved. Some plants like Eucalyptus take a lot of water.
Ten years ago the farmers were not happy with the government. Now they are because the government has more planning for the farmers and subsidies. They receive more access to water and money. Ten years ago in Dehradun there was no government well,
but since then it has been built. I have met with government members and farmers to request help with water, electricity and sanitation. Each year we meet with the government members on behalf of our farmers. The ongoing communication I have with the farmers is from going door-to-door. I see the conditions and make one list with the farmers. We go with Dr. Bhatt, Dr. M.P. Singh and Dr. Vandana Shiva to the Dehradun governments office and discuss with the government and the Prime Minister of Uttrakhand with the information we have collected, present it to them and discuss the farmers. We tell them about the farmer’s problems. Farmers talk with the leaders and say things like, “In my village I do not have facilities like electricity, wells, schools (etc).” The PM responds to the farmer’s needs slowly, slowly. One problem is solved at a time: one hospital, one school …
Have you been on any Navdanya Yatras (marches)?
We had the Bija Yatra and the Climate Change Yatra and the Farmers Yatra walking to fifteen or twenty villages to talk with the farners, share our knowledge with the farmers and do seed exchanges. We suggest to the farmers to keep the same seeds and not depend on the market and seed companies like Monsanto. The farmers understand and they know this idea is very good. For agriculture the seed is very important. They know the importance of keeping their own seeds.
What is the significance of biodiversity? What do the farmers think about biodiversity loss?
Big farmers plant monoculture like sugar, paddy and wheat because they want to sell. Our small farmers are sowing a biodiverse system to feed their families. Big farmers only grow for the market. Our coordinators suggest to the farmers that monoculture are not good, but biodiverse systems are very good because in one place you are growing many things and collecting many varieties. Some large farmers we are working with already have kitchen gardens to feed their families. Biodiversity will give you a greater yield. The farmers understand these ideas are good.
What impact does education make on farmers?
We go to the schools and discuss with the children about agriculture and make kitchen gardens: the Sagwadi system. The children discuss organic agriculture with the teachers and coordinators to understand. Some children understand easily, some more slowly. Through communicating with one another in groups they will help each other. All the factors are presented to them. We have gardens in the school to grow vegetables. One coordinator goes to maintain the kitchen garden every six months. The teachers are given a curriculum and garden plan.
What do you think of Mahatma Gandhi?
Mahatma Gandhi is a very famous person in India. I listen to the old men who say he is a very good, naturally quiet, intelligent, nonviolent person. He did much work for India. He did not want to fight with violence, but with his thinking: that you can resolve conflicts by dialogue.
Farmers know Mahatma Gandhi is a good person for India. They prey to Mahatma Gandhi because he is strong and worked hard for India. The hand made Kadhi clothe for independence removed dependence on foreign countries and companies: like with salt. His thinking is very good for children, women and girls.
Are most of the farmers you talk with men or women?
In Muslim areas we talk with the men farmers. In Hindu areas we talk with both men and women farmers. In the Dehradun region most of the agriculture is done by both men and women – they share responsibilities.
Is your family proud of your work?
My wife is proud of my job because I meet all the people and share knowledge. Navdanya is a very important place because all people, local and foreign, come to share this knowledge. My village says, “you are doing good work to meet with all the people and collect different knowledge.”
