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.

A Bill by the name of Pesticides Management Bill 2008 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in October 2008. The same was then referred to the Department-related Standing Committee on Agriculture on 30th October 2008 for examination and recommendations. The Standing Committee gave its report (46th report) in February 2009. This Bill is now to [...]

“Agreements at Bali jeopardize Food and Livelihood Security of millions in the name of international trade and this is unacceptable” New Delhi, December 7th, 2013: Expressing deep disappointment with the official and media hype around India’s ‘win’ in the WTO Bali Ministerial Conference, Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture (ASHA) said that India lost a [...]

A number of RTI applications have been filed with different NARS (National Agricultural Research System) institutes and departments of agriculture to understand the state of affairs with regard to Organic Farming. ASHA would like to put the replies in the public domain for readers to judge for themselves what is the progress or lack of [...]

Demands allocations of Rs.13,500 crores for agriculture and allied sectors (not including irrigation); Submits detailed proposals published in a Model Agriculture Budget book on behalf of all farmer unions At the meeting called by the A.P. State Agriculture Minister this morning to seek farmer organizations’ inputs on Special Agriculture Budget, Rythu Swarajya Vedika submitted detailed [...]

On the eve of All-party Meet on Land Acquisition Bill, ASHA writes to all party leaders demanding key changes in the Bill to protect farmers’ rights On the eve of All-Party Meet on Land Acquisition Bill called by the government on March 7th 2013, Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture (ASHA) demanded key changes in [...]

A study taken up by the University of Agricultural Sciences-Dharwad shows that productivity of organic farming is higher, especially in rainfed areas, compared to ‘conventional’ chemical agriculture. ASHA has been stressing that governments should intensify organic farming in rainfed areas as a priority, even as they phase out of chemical agriculture in other parts of [...]

“The Indian Budget 2013-14 ignores the core problems being faced by the nation’s cultivators and doesn’t even acknowledge the deep agrarian crisis, let alone address its causes. While farmer suicides across the country continue unabated (16,000 to 17,000 every year), the Budget continues the same policies instead of a major course correction which assures sustainable [...]

This small booklet, presenting a few successful and inspiring cases of direct marketing by farmers, retail marketing for organic produce and an emerging Community Supported Agriculture model, is meant to showcase the possibilities that exist with such enterprises. The possibilities are related to both production-end issues as well as consumption-end. The objective however is to [...]

The NAC has created a Working Group of its members in July 2012, on the subject of ‘Enhancing Farm Income for Small Holders through Market Integration’ which has put its draft recommendations in the public domain on 14th January 2013, seeking feedback (the draft recommendations can be accessed at http://nac.nic.in/farm_income_draft.htm). The following is the text [...]

Community Rights on Land, Water, Forest and Mineral Resources and Right to Participate in Development Plans – Sustaining Agricultural Livelihoods 1.      Our country is gifted with abundant natural resources such as land, water, forests, minerals etc. According to our constitution, the people have the primary right on these resources. The main objective of development is [...]