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.  

REGULATION OF LIVESTOCK MARKETS IN THE NAME OF PREVENTING CRUELTY TO ANIMALS DETRIMENTAL TO FARMERS AND AGRICULTURE! NEW RULES SHOULD BE WITHDRAWN IMMEDIATELY; LIVESTOCK REARING TO BE SUPPORTED BETTER At the very outset, this Statement is being put out by some members of ASHA with strong sensitivity and appreciation that cruelty against animals has to [...]

To:                                                                                                     May 30th 2017   The Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, 03rd Floor, Food and Drug Administration Bhawan, Kotla Road, New Delhi – 110002 Email: regulation@fssai.gov.in     Sub: Draft Organic Foods Regulations 2017 – Mandatory certification/PGS neither viable nor guaranteed to provide “organicity” – need greater exemption from this [...]

FACT FINDING REPORT OF DROUGHT IN ANANTAPUR & THE STATE OF CITIZENS’ ENTITLEMENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF DROUGHT You can download a PDF version of this report HERE  BACKGROUND A civil society fact finding team went to different parts of Anantapur district, on 6th and 7th May 2017, to make a rapid assessment of the [...]

April 11th 2017 To: 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 merger/combination between Dow Chemical Company and E.I. du Pont de Nemours (incl. associated Indian companies) – please disallow it – reg. Greetings! This is in [...]

ASHA’s letter to FSSAI Chairperson Shri Ashish Bahuguna on the 7th of February in a personal meeting, on the inexplicable haste of the Authority in wanting to regulate organic food.  Our letter to FSSAI in March 2013 is downloadable here. Dec 24th 2016 To: The Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety & Standards Authority of India [...]

ASHA is joining hands with Chetna Organic, Living Farms, Save our Rice Campaign, PRAN and WASSAN to organise a Skillshare course in Visakhapatnam on May 19th and 20th 2017. PLEASE READ THE ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE SKILLSHARE HERE.   Application Form for SCI/SRI Workshop Name of the Applicant_________________________________________________________ Full Postal Address ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Phone Number_______________________________________________________________ Email [...]

PRESS STATEMENT PEOPLE’S GROUPS REJECT RCEP 4 April 2017 Bengaluru, Karnataka   At a meeting organised by Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), La via Campesina, IT for Change, Forum Against FTAs, and other local groups, around 100 representatives of people’s movements from southern Indian states gathered at the Indian Social Institute, Bangalore from 2-3 April [...]

Organic Farming Association of India was invited by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare to a consultation on “Doubling Farmers’ Income” on March 20th 2017 in Krishi Bhawan and a joint presentation was made by OFAI and ASHA on this subject. You can view the presentation here  

SAMPARK in Madhya Pradesh is helping in the conservation of 17 Wheat varieties in its campus (10 varieties) at Petalawad & with a farmer called Ramlal Patidar of Davri village in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh. Ramlal Patidar is conserving 12 varieties. The varieties are–Amrit Godi, Banjhia, Bansi, Bhadra, Bundeli Kaithi, Gujraji, Java Godi, Kalibal, Khaira, Khapli, [...]

PRESENTATION  22nd February 2017   The Chairman Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices Room No. 161 Krishi Bhawan New Delhi   Sir, Formulation of Price Policy for Kharif Crops for 2017-18 Season – Presentation on Behalf of Jai Kisan Andolan of Swaraj Abhiyan and Associated Farmers’ Organizations   Jai Kisan Andolan of Swaraj Abhiyan and associated farmers’ [...]