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 including by ensuring that productive resources are in the control of farming communities 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 (1) income security for farm households; (2) ecological sustainability of agriculture; (3) people’s control over agricultural resources like land, water and seed; and (4) access to safe, healthy, nutritious and sufficient food for all. The work of ASHA is centred around (1) setting up ecological farming alternatives, building related capacities, working on marketing avenues for organic produce and campaigning for replicating support to ecological farming on a large scale, (2) to ensure seed diversity revival and secure seed self reliance and campaign for large scale scaling up of the efforts including through consumer awareness and empowerment, (3) watching out for any negative unsustainable approaches in Government of India’s BGREI programme (Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India) related to corporatisation of seed resources, chemicalisation of eastern Indian agriculture, water use intensification etc., (4) making a clear case for ensuring minimum living incomes for farm households and campaigning to achieve the same, (5) understanding and advocating a different dispensation to adivasi agriculture and food security, and (6) campaigning against hazardous agri-chemicals including pesticides and fertilisers through the India For Safe Food platform. A recent initiative has been to join hands with other like-minded groups to ensure women’s rights and visibility as farmers.  

AMENDMENTS THAT ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE & HOLISTIC AGRICULTURE (ASHA) SEEKS ON NITI AYOG’S MODEL AGRICULTURAL LAND LEASING ACT 2016   This note has been prepared based on ASHA’s affiliate Rythu Swarajya Vedika (RSV)’s work on the rights of tenant farmers in the states of Andhra Pradesh & Telangana. Together with other farmers’ organizations, RSV has [...]

—– Forwarded message —– From: Kavitha Kuruganti <kavitha_kuruganti@yahoo.com> To: digfpolicy-mef@nic.in <digfpolicy-mef@nic.in>; jitesh.kumar@nic.in <jitesh.kumar@nic.in>; toforestpolicy@gmail.com <toforestpolicy@gmail.com> Sent: Saturday, 14 April 2018, 14:06:39 GMT+5:30 Subject: “Draft National Forest Policy 2018″ To:                                                                                        Shri Noyal Thomas, DIGF, Forest Policy, Shri Jitesh Kumar, Technical Officer, Forest Policy, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, 6th Floor, Vayu Wing, Indira Paryavaran [...]

The following is the text of the letter sent on March 19th 2018 to the Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India), with copies to the Union Health and Agriculture Ministers by ASHA, on the recently notified standards with regard to organic foods. ======================================================== ———- Forwarded message ———- [...]

March 5, 2018 To: The Joint Secretary (Plant Protection), (Room # 238), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare, Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi 110 001. Email: jspp-dac@gov.in Phone: 011-23382937 Ext. 4965 Dear Sir, Sub: Comments/Suggestions on the Pesticides Management Bill 2017, as per F.No.13028/01/2017/PP-I, dated 19/02/2018 on Ministry of [...]

On MSP, the government shifts goalposts – farmer organizations firm on C2+at least50% Agri Budget a meagre 2.3% of total Budget, allocations don’t match announcements No to Debt Relief for farmers, but Yes to NPA write-off to industry   New Delhi, February 1st 2018: Despite the opening section of this year’s Budget speech devoted to [...]

4 YEARS, 4 BUDGETS: WHAT HAS THIS CENTRAL GOVERNMENT ACHIEVED? (The Green Paper, downloadable here, has been put out by ASHA – Kisan Swaraj Alliance; Jai Kisan Andolan; NREGA Sangharsh Morcha; People’s Action on Employment Guarantee; Rythu Swarajya Vedika and Swaraj India) Introduction: An Anti-Farmer Government The present Central government, led by Mr. Narendra Modi, [...]

To:                                                                                           January 17th, 2018 The Secretary, Competition Commission of India, 18-20, 7th Floor, Hindustan Times House, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001 Email: secy@cci.gov.in   Dear Madam/Sir, Sub: Our objection to the proposed combination between Bayer AG and Monsanto Company – please disallow it – reg. Greetings! We introduce ourselves as representatives of various organisations [...]

This Policy School workshop is being actively shaped and facilitated by ASHA. http://www.sambhaavnaa.org/programs/policy-school-on-addressing-the-agrarian-crisis-3-7-apr-2018/   Workshop on understanding and addressing the Agrarian Crisis 3-7 Apr’ 2018 3rd-7th April, 2018 Background Farmers in our country have been in deep distress over the last few decades as agriculture has been made systematically unviable as a means of living. [...]

December 4th, 2017 Dear Shri Arun Jaitley, Alliance for Sustainable and Holistic Agriculture, also known as ASHA-Kisan Swaraj, is a national network of organizations and individuals working for sustainable farm livelihoods, advocating for income security for farm households, ecologically sustainable agriculture, protection of rights over resources and access to safe, nutritious food for all. As [...]

Chennai, December 7th 2017: A fact finding team that investigated the recent spate of pesticide poisonings in Perambalur and Ariyalur districts of Tamil Nadu slammed the state government for its inaction so far despite hundreds of farmers and farm workers being affected. It is estimated that at least 200 to 300 persons have been hospitalised [...]