Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
dorses organic agriculture in the Western Ghats, and still points to Kerala
as a leader in this regard. Yet it has been denounced by Kerala's environ-
mental community, including Thanal, as not strong enough on sustain-
able agriculture or environmental conservation. Further complicating
maters, many farming communities are claiming that implementing the
organic agriculture and conservation measures within the Kasturiran-
gan report would be just as detrimental to cash crop agriculture in the
region as the original report. Political leaders from multiple parties and
farmers in districts such as Wayanad have taken to protesting in the state
Assembly and cities throughout Kerala in disapproval of both reports and
of proposed changes to regulations governing the Western Ghats. Given
the ongoing turmoil, Kerala's UDF government has now asked Oommen
V. Oommen, the new, UDF-
appointed chair of the Biodiversity Board, to
analyze both reports and their appropriateness for protecting the envi-
ronment in the state. Keralites are currently awaiting Oommen's findings.
These batles and conlicting political signals over how land should be
used in the Western Ghats and what kinds of human activity are appro-
priate are illustrative of the enduring legacy of Kerala's cultural politics
and the Green Revolution. But they are also emblematic of the fact that
trajectories of alternative agriculture movements are not necessarily al-
ready determined—despite the passage of promising policies in receptive
regions. This does not have to be discouraging, but it shows that there
is much work still left to do to shape, sustain, and support the local and
global organic farming movement so that it is accepted, effective, ecolog-
ically sustainable, and socially just.
Since wr apping up my fieldwork in India, I continue to be involved
in sustainable food advocacy in the United States, specifically in the con-
sumer arena. It is encouraging to see consumer interest in organic foods
continue to grow; this heightened demand is good news for farmers both
in the country and elsewhere.
Ultimately, as the stories from Kerala have shown, appropriate gov-
ernment backing is needed for substantial change in agriculture to occur.
Yet given the impasse on major pieces of legislation and regulation from
within the United States Congress to Kerala's Assembly, consumer action
