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 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.

Download the Kisan Swaraj Neeti here. A shorter version of the Kisan Swaraj Neeti can be accessed here. The main pillars of the Kisan Swaraj Neeti include: Environmental Sustainability in farming (for which ASHA prepared a detailed road map for scaling up eco-farming); Income Guarantee for all rural households (for which detailed proposals, including on a price compensation mechanism are present); Rights over resources like Seed & Land (for which our stand on Seed and Land have been evolved); and, Safe, Diverse, Nutritious Food for all Indians.

The proposals with regard to Scaling Up of Ecological Farming (as submitted to the Planning Commissions’ Steering Committee on Agriculture for the 12th Plan) can be accessed here.

The detailed proposals with regard to Income Security for all Farm Households can be seen here. The same have been articulated as a Farmers’ Income Guarantee Act proposal in this August 2012 version.

ASHA’s discussion note on Price Compensation system for cultivators is given here.

(The above is a discussion note. This is in the context of a substantial number of farmers being left out of the current “MSP and procurement” systems and the many shortcomings of these systems, wherein even the cost of cultivation is not getting covered by the prices of the produce, leave alone leave any living income for farmers for a dignified life. Any feedback might be sent to Kiran Vissa at kiranvissa@gmail.com).

What we seek on the SEEDS front is articulated in this note, downloadable here.

Our note on Land Rights, with our stand related to the Land Acquisition Bill (along with other people’s movements and farmers’ unions) is given here. The hindi version of this note is present here.

ASHA’s discussion note on Labour Issues in Agriculture & the Way Forward.