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Mountain family farming: past and prospect
Dr Anil P Joshi, Founder, Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organization
Past: Food dependence pattern of community
on local resources
Traditional Himalayan crops were well suited to climatic conditions
and the nutritional needs of local communities
Source: HESCO
Present: Dependence pattern of community
on local resources
Changing consumption patterns have meant the loss of essential
micronutrients, leading to several physiological disorders
T
he Himalayan mountain ecosystem is unique in
the world. Not only is its topography distinctive;
its culture and social-economic structure are too.
Himalaya is also characterized by its fragility, inacces-
sibility and marginality, and these features have an
impact on the agroecosystem, which is distractive but
uneconomical too. The majority of farms (95 per cent)
are small and marginal. A family farm cannot be identi-
fied as an exclusive piece of land for farm produce only.
It is a product of forest, collective human efforts and
local cattle. Since family farming in Himalaya is ecolog-
ical in nature, aggressive cultivation is not permitted.
The climate in the Himalayan mountains changes within a
short distance, and thus ecological variability enables rich
crop diversity. Lower and higher altitudes are enriched
with a variety of climate-specific crop species. This forms
the major strength of the mountain family farm: the lower
productivity of the family farm is compensated by the
ability to produce special crops which others cannot grow.
In the Himalayan system, the ideal farm model must be
ecologically sound. Because of the region’s fragility and
vulnerability, intense mechanization is not permitted as
the ecological losses would outweigh agricultural outputs.
The majority of land in the region is rain-fed and climati-
cally suitable crops with low agri-inputs are more suitable.
In fact, the mountains also have a major responsibility as
a watershed for natural resources. Therefore, agriculture
does not only serve local communities, but also has an
ecological responsibility for the nation. Ecological crop-
ping is important in the region, and family farming is the
best fit for this model.
About 2.5 million people residing in the North Mountain
region of India live under stress. Their agriculture land
is highly depressed with wide fragmentation. Fragmented
landholding has been a major setback for mountain farmers.
A family may hold cultivated lands in many places, making
it difficult for them to practice. In addition, in the recent
past, family farm productivity has been paralysed due to
the invasion of wild animals, especially monkeys, wild boar
Himalayan
Family Farm
Wild fruits
10%
Vegetable fruits
and pulses
20%
Millets
40%
Cereals
30%
Merits
Optimum nutritional status
Stong immunity and resistance
Demerits
Hotspot for micronutrient deficiency
Osteoporosis
High incidence of anemia and vitamin deficiency
Prone to cardiovascular
Community
Vegetable fruits
and pulses
15%
Millets
10%
Wild fruits
1% or nil
Cereals
75%
D
eep
R
oots