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.  

“PEPSICO INDIA & OTHER CORPORATIONS SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE AND ACCEPT THAT FARMERS’ RIGHTS CANNOT BE DENIED OR CHALLENGED – FARMERS SEED FREEDOMS IN INDIA ARE THE LAW OF THE LAND AND THIS NEEDS TO BE RESPECTED” Activists point out that this is after all an undertaking given by all applicants to PPV&FR Authority for varietal registration [...]

To: Shri Radhamohan Singh Hon’ble Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India, Krishi Bhawan, Dr Rajendra Prasad Rd, New Delhi, 110 001 Fax: 011 23384129 E-mail (of PS): abhaykr.singh@gov.in   Dr Kumble Vinod Prabhu Chairperson Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, [...]

GUJARAT GOVERNMENT’S DEAL WITH PEPSICO INDIA UNACCEPTABLE: IT COMPROMISES FARMERS’ SEED FREEDOMS IN INDIA AND IGNORES THE LAW OF THE LAND “Rather than ‘persuading’ farmers to desist from sowing particular seed varieties,  Gujarat Government should side with farmers to save their rights as enshrined in the law” “PepsiCo India should be told that this is [...]

“PEPSICO’S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT IT WILL WITHDRAW ITS IPR INFRINGEMENT CASES AGAINST FARMERS IS A MAJOR VICTORY FOR INDIAN FARMERS – FARMERS’ SEED FREEDOMS SHOULD CONTINUE AS PER INDIAN LAW AND SHOULD BE UPHELD”   TIME THAT THE GOVERNMENT & CONCERNED AUTHORITIES PUT FIRM MECHANISMS IN PLACE TO AVOID A REPETITION OF THE EPISODE AND TO [...]

To:                                                                                                             April 24, 2019   1. Dr K V Prabhu, Chairperson, Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, NASC Complex, DPS Marg, Opp- Todapur Village, New Delhi – 110002 Email: chairperson-ppvfra@nic.in, kv.prabhu@gov.in   2. Dr R C Agrawal, Registrar General, Protection of Plant Varieties & [...]

To:                                                                                                                                          April 8th 2019 The Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety & Standards Authority of India, FDA Bhawan, New Delhi.   Dear Shri Pawan Kumar Agarwal, Sub: Direction dated 2nd April 2019 regarding enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations, 2017 – reg. Greetings! We have gone through the Direction (15 (21) [...]

Following are the various Election Manifesto related Demands that ASHA is putting forward to various political parties, on its own and along with other networks: ASHA’s Demands from Election Manifestos of Political Parties: Downloadable here “Reclaiming the Republic” (ASHA steering group members were involved in contributing to the Agriculture sections): Summary is downloadable here. Detailed [...]

Friends,We will be having an ASHA youth retreat in Muniguda (Rayagada district), Odisha between 28-31st March 2019. Concept note downloadable here has more details. Those of you who plan to attend, please send your confirmation and intended monetary contribution to asha.kisanswaraj@yahoo.in as soon as possible. We have limited spaces. Please make your travel arrangements as soon as possible [...]

For many weeks now, there have been speculative media articles about an imminent major announcement from the government, with regard to measures to be undertaken to address the agrarian distress and unrest in the country, often citing reliable sources in the government. The Budget announced on February 1st 2019 belied the expectations and once again [...]

Donate for the Historic Kisan Mukti March in Delhi One Lakh farmers will be marching to Delhi on Nov 29th and 30th, 2018, traveling from across the country. They are calling for the nation’s attention to the situation of the farming community, and demanding that a Special Session of Parliament be called to discuss and [...]