ASHA (Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture) is a large, nation-wide informal network of more than 400 organisations drawn from 20 states of India, that have come together in 2010 to organise a Kisan Swaraj Yatra, a nation-wide mobilisation to draw attention to issues pertaining to our FOOD, FARMERS, FREEDOM. The network consists of farmers’ organisations, consumer groups, women’s organisations, environmental organisations, individual citizens and experts who are committed to the cause of sustainable and viable farm livelihoods in rural India and thereby, safe, nutritious, diverse and adequate food for all Indians. From the dialogues that emerged during the Kisan Swaraj Yatra and subsequent work, ASHA articulates a 4-pillared Kisan Swaraj Neeti and calls on governments to adopt the same. This policy articulation provides a framework for a forward-looking agricultural policy approach for India. The four pillars of Kisan Swaraj are income security for farmers; ecological sustainability of agriculture; people’s control over agricultural resources like land, water and seed; and access to safe, healthy, sufficient food for all.

Criticising the Union Government’s “one-size-fits-all” approach to Green Revolution in Eastern India, which emphasizes the promotion of wheat and rice, and that too (proprietary) hybrid rice, a Fact Finding Team of ASHA (Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture) asked for the budgets for this to be recast immediately, to support sustainable agriculture initiatives based on [...]

Agriculture is the foundation of the rural economy which supports nearly 70% of our population and the basis of food security for the entire nation and its citizens. At this juncture, India is in a precarious situation both in terms of the economic condition of the farming community, especially the small and marginal farmers, tenant [...]

Representatives of major farmers’ organisations who participated in a consultation with the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) on foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail said on Saturday that they were “opposed” to the entry of foreign players in the domestic sector. They charged the government with “misquoting” them in the media. In [...]

Raithu Swarajya Vedika (ASHA-AP) and TV9 organised a Round Table on Farmers’ Suicides & Way Forward in Jubilee Hall in Hyderabad on January 8th 2012. This was telecast live for four hours and all political parties participated in the Round Table in addition to representatives of farmers’ organisations, farmers, families of suicide victims, government officials, [...]

ASHA organised a Round Table on ‘Farmers’ Suicides and Agrarian Crisis’ at Constitution Club on 24th November, 2011. A fact-finding report on the current epidemic of suicides in Andhra Pradesh, data on farm suicides, ASHA’s demands etc., were presented in this Round Table and later in a Press Conference the next day. (PROCEEDINGS REPORT IS [...]

ASHA opposes FDI in Retail, on the following grounds: That there is no evidence from elsewhere to show that big foreign retail will benefit local farmers or consumers; or will increase employment opportunities; or keep investments in the country by restricting outflows; That the Indian situation warrants a good appreciation of the positive aspects of [...]

Scores of events mark “MONSANTO, QUIT INDIA!” Day – Farmers, consumers & traders join hands on the issue – Youth march with freedom fighters to remind all Indians about our hard-won independence: Thousands of Indians vow to fight for Seed Sovereignty New Delhi, August 9th 2011: On Quit India Day this year, thousands of Indians [...]

Citizens resist corporate takeover of food and farming systems: August 9th declared as “Monsanto, Quit India!” Day New Delhi, August 8th 2011: Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture (ASHA) announced a nation-wide day of action against corporate takeover of our food and farming systems on August 9th, Quit India Day. The day is being marked [...]

ASHA (Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture), from the dialogues that emerged during the Kisan Swaraj Yatra and subsequent work, articulates a 4-pillared Kisan Swaraj Neeti and calls on governments to adopt the same. This policy articulation provides a framework for a forward-looking agricultural policy approach for India. The four pillars of Kisan Swaraj are [...]