Thematic Group on
Mountain Agriculture
SMDS III
Kohima, Nagaland
Methodology
Group strength – 70 (approx)
Methodology followed: Participatory
Individual inputs on issues in agriculture which
make each participant GLAD, SAD, MAD
Identifying and Analysing Common issues
For Today
What needs to be done , how and by whom among
stakeholders? Individually, jointly?
Way Forward
Issues identified : Glad about
• Resilience and tenacity of farmers despite non
supportive environment.
• Closeness and harmony with nature in farming
• Biodiversity of the mountains
• Opportunity for healthy, natural, food
• Opportunity for organic identity for mountain produce.
• Existence of rich traditional knowledge related to food
and agriculture
• Abundance of natural resources – forests, water,
diversity
• Niche mountain produce
Issues Identified: SAD and MAD
POLICY, PLANS AND PROGRAMMES
Disconnect or mismatch between policy/planning,
implementation and mountain peoples needs.
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Lack of focused policy for mountain agriculture esp jhum
Schemes do not reach most farmers (info and extension)
Schemes and programmes focus on cash crops
No incentive for maintaining biodiversity of mountain
agriculture.
– No hedge against risk, support for mitigation and
adaptation to climate change, reward for landscape
maintenance
Socio-economic issues
• Agriculture not regarded as an enterprise
opportunity
• Fast declining interest of youth in agriculture
• Landuse change- agriculture to nonagriculture
• Reduced grasslands for pastoralists/nomads
• Low incentive for agrodiversity maintenance
• Declining food production - productivity
• Continuing drudgery of women in agriculture
Infrastructure, Research, Development
• Lack of mountain specific agriculture supportive infrastructure –
investments, credits, good roads,
transport, marketing and distribution support)
• Agriculture research biased towards few major crops
• Push towards cash crops without supporting services
• Research and development organisations work in isolation.
Traditional knowledge and culture
• Erosion of traditional knowledge and local institutions
• Erosion of culture, tradition, rituals
• Erosion of crop varieties
Natural resources
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Destruction of supporting natural resources
Forest fires
Shortening of Jhum cycles
Deforestation
Declining pollinators
Natural resources degradation
CLIMATE CHANGE
Lack of recognition of eco services provided by mountain
agriculture.
Mitigation, adaptation and risk resilience issues
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