Indian Agriculture

Ray, Shovan. "Handbook of Agriculture". Oxford Univeristy Press. 2007. New Delhi, India. Print

This book overviews economic policies, agriculture and environment, agriculture and poverty reduction, food security and food demand, changing agrarian and rural systems. By reading this book I will be able to better understand Indian influences on Tibetan agriculture and the changes of agriculture in India. It will help me know what to expect as far as climate and farming systems.

Project Background

As part of my project in India I had to research background information to purpose why my project would be beneficial. A I wrote it really made be begin to think about the how I am going to approach asking my questions. Using my annotated sources I was able to come up with the following: 

“The Tibetan culture will never die,” says Collen McKnown, an avid researcher and journalist for the Tibet Post International (McKnown. CST. 2011). In 1959 the Dalai Lama and tens of thousands of Tibetan citizens fled to India to escape the Chinese invasion (United State Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. 2003). Previous to moving to India, the Tibetan people’s main industry was animal husbandry and herding.  Now that Tibetan citizens no longer have the expansive land required for herding they have had to learn how to farm on the limited land offered by the Indian government.  I propose to study this transition- study how Tibetan refugees have learned to farm on India’s soil.

In Tibet families were able to provide organic crops for their own family. Though the plot of land was modest they were able to have a well balanced diet based mainly off of meat then followed by barley and seasonal crops. In India land is more space than in Tibet so the Tibetan refugees had to accommodate to farming on little land. At this point they were still farming organically as they had done in Tibet. In the 1960’s and 1970’s the green revolution began in India and the Tibetan communities caught on as well. Fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation and high-yield seeds became popular because the amount of crops that could be harvested and exported. In 2002 the Dalai Lama made a statement encouraging a balanced and healthy diet (Central Tibetan Administration. 2012).  The objectives of Dalai Lama’s organic farming policy as stated by the Federation of Tibetan Co-Operatives in India Ltd. is as follows:

• “To protect, preserve and rejuvenate the environment and biodiversity.
• To offer assistance and support to the international movement against consumerism. More specifically by persistently opposing the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, hybrid and genetically engineered seeds, etc.
• To make future Tibet is a storehouse of organic grains to the rest of the world.
• To achieve sustainable livelihood in the Tibetan settlements in India by turning the present agriculture land holding into a source of sustainable income generation.
• To achieve in making organic farming, animal husbandry and other allied activities as remunerative opportunities. Thereby we can encourage the educated Tibetan youth to live in settlements.” (Federation of Tibetan Co-Operatives Ltd. 2009)

Bylakuppe has taken these objectives seriously and started to apply them to the community almost immediately. In 2002 the Tibetan Farm Project, an 80 acre plot of land dedicated to farming, transitioned to completely organic farming because of the Dalai Lama’s call to produce healthy organic food just as they did in Tibet. Bylakuppe is the largest Tibetan refugee settlements in India and is the sixth largest organic farming community in India(Federation of Tibetan Co-Operatives. 2009). As part of my study I would like to learn how they made the adjustment from the green revolution to being an organic farm.

The Organic Research and Training Center in Bylakuppe has played a key role in educating the community about organic farming.  They have trained Tibetan exiles on the Tibetan Farm Project to rotate crops, create natural composts, and construct proper irrigation systems utilizing India’s vastly different environment (Himalayan Institute. 2011).  While all this talk of organic farming, pesticide free, and feeding the whole world is great talk there are still many concerns and problems that have to be confronted. Lobsang Chodack, a family farmer from Mundgod (the largest Tibetan organic farm community), emphasizes his concerns with organic farming stating that it requires more paid help to take care of the farm and much less product is produced than from fertilized farms. In order to maintain his organic farm teak trees must surround his farm in order to keep the cows out; the soil must be a mixture of 5kg cow dung, 1kg cow urine, and 1 kg jiggery to detract pests and still pests attack his crops somehow (McKown. Mundgod’s Tibetan Farmers. 2011). Chodack shows that on his farm alone he is confronted with three specific challenges that conflicts with the Tibetan organic farming objectives. First, he is not producing a large enough crop to contribute to the storehouse of organic grains for the world. Pests are invading his crop causing  small harvests. Secondly, because pests still invade his farm even when using natural pesticides it makes it difficult to remain resistant to chemical fertilizers and pesticides because it is either lose your whole harvest or use fertilizers. Lastly, since Chodack needs extra assistance on the farm resist the pests it does not provide a sustainable income due to the loss of income to pay for the helpers. As a result of all this Tibetan youth do no find farming as a sustainable enough income to remain on the settlements (McKown.CST. 2011). Although this is in different community, I expect similar problems to be occurring in Bylakuppe. In interviewing farmers I would like to know the depth of these problems on an individual and societal level and also learn if there are other challenges specific to Bylakuppe.

      Stu Nicholls reports a brief history of Bylakuppe in which he discusses the difficulties of sustaining a family solely off of farming. Most original families have a small crop of land for agricultural use but due to the lack of irrigation facilities families have to engage in other activities such as trading, restaurants, shop keeping, etc. (Nicholls. 2011). To help with sustaining farms in Bylakuppe the Dickey Larsoe Co-operative Society Ltd. was installed to help with loaning seeds, fertilizers, urea, and other agricultural inputs on a credit basis. As a result the farmers are obligated to return agricultural products to the Dickey Larsoe Co-operative Society Ltd. warehouses where they can sell the products to open markets for gain. There is lack of further information on how this cooperation is currently being used. I hope to find out more information while I am in India.

 The growing concern among the younger generations of Tibetans in Mundgod is that farming is no longer a profitable occupation as exemplified by Chodack. As a solution the Central Tibetan Administration advises farmers to farm cash crops such as alphonso mango, coconut, cashews, and amla to boost farmers’ gain. Still young Tibetans desire to grow up and become doctors, nurses, and dentists which puts the older generation of Tibetans in fear of their children forgetting their culture (McKown.CST. 2011).

            Though there have been many implemented plans by the Dalai Lama, the Central Tibetan Administration, and the Federal Tibetan Co-Operative there are still many struggles with adapting. By going to Bylakuppe, a prime opportunity for interviewing and observation, I will be able to interview individuals like Chodack so see their experiences and how they have progressively learned and become better at their trade. By observing and meeting the the Organic Research and Training Center I hope to be able to assist in their objectives in training and assisting individual farms and farmers produce a good harvest that can sustain themselves. I also plan on looking at the Dickey Larsoe Co-Operative Society to observe how they are benefiting the community and expanding the farming community. Through each of these ideas I propose to observed how the Tibetan Refugees have adjusted and learned to farming on India’s soil.

Works Cited

United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. India: Information on Tibetan refugees and settlements, 30 May 2003, IND03002.ZNY. < http://www.unhcr.org/

refworld/docid/3f51f90821.html>. Accessed 24 February 2012

Xu, Jianchu; Yang, Yong; Li, Zhuoqing; Tashi, Nyima; Sharma, Rita; Fang, Jing. “Understanding Land Use, Livelihoods, and Health Transtion among Nomads: A Case of Gangga Township Dingri County, Tibetan Autonomous Region of China.” EcoHealth. 5,104-114 (2008).

 Federation of Tibetan Co-Operatives. Untitled Document. 2009. <http://www.ftci.co.in/

consolidated-information-on-15-member-coop-socities.htm>. Accessed 20 February 2010.

Central Tibetan Administration. Department of Home: Central Tibetan Administration. “Agriculture: Tibetan Organic Farming.” 2012. Web. 10 January 2012. http://ctrc.tibet.net/agriculture.html

Federation of Tibetan Co-Operatives Ltd. Tibetan Organic. 2009. <http://www.ftci.co.in

/F41923/tibetan_organic.html>. Accessed 20 February 2010.

Himalayan Institiute. “Bylakuppe Settlement.” 2011. <http://www.himalayaninstitute.org/

            humanitarian/tibetan-settlements/bylakuppe-settlement/>. Accessed 19 February 2010.

McKown, Colleen. “Mundgod’s Tibetan Farmers on Organic Methods and the Monsoon Pattern”. The Tibet Post International. 29 Sept 2011.

McKown, Colleen. “CST Pricipal and Students on Changing Times, Tibetan Identity”. The Tibet Post International. 26 September 2011.

Nicholls, Stu. Central Tibetan Admistration: Department of Home “A Brief Story of Lugsung Samdupling, Bylakuppe, Karnataka State.” 2011. <http://ctrc.tibet.net/

settlements/india/south/lugsam.html>. Accessed 20 February 2012.

http://tdlsociety.com/tractor_Section.aspx

Celiac Disease vs. Tibetan Staple Foods

Growing up I never had any allergies or health problems until I hit 18. I was working at Marie Calenders where I would eat a piece of toast everyday which shouldn't have changed anything because that is probably what I would have eaten at home. As a few months went by I go really sick. I was constantly tiered, I experienced extremely irregular menstrual period, and I was very weak. After 1 month of doctors visits I realized that I had celiac disease.

My dad and a couple great aunts and uncles have it but I never dreamt that I would have it. I was never officially diagnosed with it because I decided that paying hundreds of dollars to see an experienced pathologist was not worth the price. I feel perfect when I am on the diet but the moment I eat gluten I am tired and restless.

When I went home this last time I talked to my uncle Walter about it, who has severe celiac disease. He told me that he has been told he has it and that he doesn't. Only expert pathologists can identify Celiac Disease which makes sense why my primary care physician couldn't figure out what was going on.

I have planned many times to go off the diet but going to Bylakuppe has made it difficult. I know that if I go on the diet perfectly I will get very sick when I have to eat food in Bylakuppe. Ever since I found out the staple food of India was barley I didn't know what to do. In my research I found that Tibetan Refugee women consume approximately 477.8 grams cereal a day which consists of barley and wheat (ie. tsampa and momos). Although I may feel the effects I am hoping that by still eating gluten every once in while will lessen the effects that I feel while I am there. If at all possible I hope to remain on my diet but considering that I don't have a whole lot of choice in what my host family feeds me I doubt it will be possible. The best I can do is deal with the problem and remain on my diet when I return back home.

Methodology

           The main goal or purpose in going to Bylakuppe India is to study agriculture and farming of the Tibetan exiles. My questions that I would like to explore are: How have the Tibetans in Bylakuppe learned to farm on India's soil? What kind of problems they have confronted (ex: pesticides and fungus)? My methodology for researching these qestions are as follows:

Plan for entry and building rapport

            Previous to arrival I am planning on contacting the Organic Research and Training Center within the Himalayan Institute and make contacts. I am hoping that they can help me with a non-profit job or refer me to other people within the community. I would like to be able to work on the farms so that I can learn how it functions and it will also help become acquainted with people I can interview.

Description of Informants

            I am planning on contacting individuals within the Organic Research and Training Center and interviewing those who are involved with its functions and teaching. I would like to interview Tibetan refugees who work on the Tibetan Farm Project, those who run the farm, and those who purchase products from organic farms.

Plan for sampling and recruitment

            I will include Tibetan refugee farmers, trainers, and merchants who work and sell organic farm products. I plan on recruiting people by building rapport in the community and being interested in what they teach me. By working on farms I hope to become acquainted with individuals who can recommend me to other individuals.

Description of Method

            As I am out in the field I plan to work on the farms and in the market. I want to observe and learn how farmers maintain the organic environment while resisting pesticides, how they prune and care for plants to prepare for a greater harvest, and how irrigation works on the farms. By learning this information I hope to build contacts and interview various individuals about how they have learned to do what they do. I also want to interview individuals that have lived in Tibet and come to India to learn how the farming industry compares and contrasts. I would like to know the struggles, how they progressed, and how they continue to advance. Through informal interviewing I hope to become acquainted with the farms and through semi-formal interviewing I would like to learn how the Tibetan refugees have come to learn to farm on India’s soil.

            A few possible interview questions include:

·         When did you begin farming?

·         What is a typical day like on the farm?

·         What parts of farming are difficult?

·         Has the farming industry changed since you began?

·         How were you taught to farm?

·         Was learning a difficult process?

·         How does the monsoon affect the harvest?

·         What seasons do you plant certain crops?

·         How do you maintain the health of the soil?

·         What do you believe your connection to the earth?

·         How important is it for you to involve your children in farming?

Social and Demographics of Tibetan Refugees

Bhatia, Shushum; Dranyi, Tsegyal; Rowley, Derrick. “A Social and Demographic Study of Tibetan Refugees in India”. Social Science and Medicine. (2002). 42; 411-422.

This article discusses the social and demographic characteristics of approximately 65,000 Tibetan refugees in India from data collected between 1994 and 1996. Of the 65,000 Tibetans 55,000 of them were refugees living in 37 different settlements and the remaining 10,000 were monks in the monasteries associated with these settlements. Surveillance was established through trained community health workers in house to house visits to collect data. Community health workers also conducted monthly interviews with a designated liaison monk at each monastery. Through this research it was found that new refugee immigration was little in the past 10 years but there is a steady influx of new monks in the monasteries. Age distribution in the settlements showed a prominent mode of individuals ranging from 15 to 25 years old . There seems to be a declining birth rate (16.8/ 1000) and increase proportionality of elderly.  Those that were born in India were educated through secondary schools while those born in Tibet were often illiterate. Occupations ranged from students (27%), Farming (16%), sweater selling (6.5%), and others who were too young or old to work (6.5%). Unemployment is estimated to be about 2.4%. Child vaccinations cover less than 50%. Illnesses  in the Tibetan refugee societies were characterized as diarrhea, skin infections, respiratory infections, fevers, and among the elderly death was assumed to be caused by cancer, tuberculosis, accidents, cirrhosis, and heart disease.

From this article I begin to slightly understand the social dilemmas and demographic characteristics of the individuals I will be working, living, and interviewing with. I can understand possible illness of the family, the rareness of child birth, and the occupations of those around me. I am excited to be in these communities and learn the sensitivity or openness of subjects. I want to gain a personal and emotional connection to these kind of subjects.

Neolithic Transition in the Indus Valley

Lemmen, Carsten; Khan, Aurangzeb. “A Simulation of the Neolithic Transition in the Indus Valley”. Geophysical Research Letters. 5 October 2011. DOI:10:1029

This article discusses the lack of research between the fourth and second millennium. To study this time period Lemmen and Khan investigated the precursors and rise of the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC)  through the establishment of agriculture, dense populations, and technological developments between 8000 and 3000 BC. To look at these artifacts and historical outlook they observed over 1000 archaeological artifacts.  They also simulated a picture of technology, agriculture and population developments in the IVC. The results from this Global Land Use and Evolution simulator showed that the timing of agriculture transitions fit the archaeological chronology of the Neolithic sites in Pakistan, it hints to earlier than observed Neolithization of India, the archeologically suggested South Asian agricultural complex, and there is a relationship between archeological artifact richness and simulated population density.

Although this article is historic in comparison to what I am going to be studying it is interesting for know that thousands and thousands of years ago the Tibetans were still farming, so it is a trade that has been passed on for generations as it continues to be. The artifacts show that barley was still a main crop produced just as it is today.

Integration of Cultural Aspects

I am finally becoming truly interested in my project as I have begun to read the article from Colleen McKown. The experience is becoming more personal and real in my eyes. Mckown has published a series of articles nearly all reporting from Mundgod in Karnataka, India. The three in which I have read cover topics such as farming, preserving culture, school, work and family. As I have thought about it throughout the day I have began to consider how this all fits together. Though all that I say may not be perfectly accurate I am going to make some assumptions combined with the information that I have learned from McKown’s published articles.

In 1959 the Tibetan people were forced out of Tibet. Many fled into India where they were guaranteed protection. As a result the Dalai Lama wanted to preserve some of the cultural traditions of Tibet while also acclimating to the new land. He directed the Tibetan refugees to learn how to farm and to farm organically, he asked for help by the CTA to set up schools, and set up communities in which Tibetan refugees could live and preserve culture. While this was all instated soon following their arrival in India times have changed since then. Money is not found in farming and herding like it was in Tibet. The rising generation is finding the need and the responsibility to support their families and gain an admirable education. While in the early 60’s, 70’s and 80’s farming was considered a sustainable job for the Tibetan refugees it isn’t any longer.

The younger generation realizes this and sees the need to be knowledgeable and become doctors, dentists and nurses. They want to see the world. They are accommodating their needs. Few of the older generations of the Tibetan refugees see the need to leave. They see leaving as a destruction of their culture. The few that don’t perceive it this way understand that the only way to truly support your family is to have at least one of your family members leave the community. One of the teachers that McKown mentions says that Tibetan culture will never die. The students in Mundgod show that they know the song, dance, debates, and poetry of their culture.

 I see this transition of rising generation being a benefit to the people. The Tibetan refugees will never forget their culture, where it comes from- who they are. My theory is that as children grow up, move away and get an education they will make their money, have a family, and when they get older and can support themselves they will return back to their Tibetan community.

As pertaining to my project I am predicting that I will see many younger children, older Tibetan refugees, and some unfortunate (poorer) individuals on the farms. I am assuming that the coming generation will be going to universities and colleges gaining a higher education or off in the city working a higher paying job than they would have in the community. I am excited to see how exactly all these aspects fit in to the culture in Bylakuppe.

Mundgod: Mini Tibet

The last article I read " Mundgod's Tibetan Farmers on Organic Methods and the Monsoon Pattern" really cemented or, at least, made me more confident on what I want to research. I love the personality of the paper  even though it may not go as deep into the topic as I plan on going. I keep on being tossed back an forth on how much farming actually happened in Tibet.

This article made it clear that it was little and of the farming done it was mostly family farms. In Tibet they did have pesticides so they just maintained natural organic farming. Once they were exiled to India they immediately were taught about pesticides and they became widely used. Now the Dalai Lama is highly advising against it because organic foods are healthier for the body.

Over the years Mundgod has become known as a "Mini Tibet". Mundgod is a showcase of Tibetan culture and life style. It is considered to be one of the largest Tibetan settlements. Its main industry is agriculture but this may change as it continues to transition from a traditional society into modernity. If it is possible I would like to visit Mundgood to see the differences between Bylakuppe and Mundgod. From the readings it seems as though Bylakuppe's farms are more governmentally controlled where Mundgod seems more family oriented but I guess I will never really know until I can see for myself.

PBS: India's Story on Agriculture

While researching how  India’s monsoon rains affect farming I ran into an agricultural explanation by PBS. While I thought the amount of rain would make it more difficult to farm it is in reality much needed, if anything, it is the wind that can destroy the crops. Over the years irrigation systems have been developed that lessen the impact of fluctuations in the monsoon season but it has not eliminated the effects of the wind. Over the last few decades it has been necessary to monitor monsoon progression, developing contingency plans, and building seed reserves of alternative crops to protect India’s agricultural industry which eploys approximately 2/3 of the population. In 2008 India was ranked first in tea, jute, sugar cane, and cashew production. Approximately 43% of India’s land is used for farming and nearly a third is for rice cultivation. Some of the first information written for agriculture in India is found in the Rig- Veda. It describes plowing, fruit and vegetable cultivation, fallowing, and irrigation.

While this explains a lot of India’s history I would like to see how much this applies to the Tibetan communities. I would like to see what different corps the Tibetans grow in contrast to Indians. What percentage of Tibetans work on the farm? Although I won’t be able to find exact statistics I would like to observe the different percentages maybe on a per family basis. Do more girls or boys work on the farms? What is the communication like between the sexes on the farms?

Schematic

In class on Friday we drew schematic thought maps to help us organize our thoughts about our field studies. It was helpful to split up my idea into categories: Who, Where, How, and other questions. In answering my main question, "How have Tibetans learned to farm on India's soil?" or, "How have Tibetans adapted to the their agriculture to the new climate and terrain," these categories helped me realize what information I have, and some of the information I need. For example, I know all that the internet can teach me about the Tibetan Farm Project, but how can I get in touch with the people in charge and can I work on the farm to get some hands on experience? I also know I want to spend time in the markets looking at the behind the scenes stuff - how is the market set up? Is it open air, in a warehouse? Is refrigeration available or does everything have to be sold right away? I probably won't be able to find a lot of this out until I'm there, but maybe a few answers can be found before I'm there.

Discovering Tibet

We bought our tickets!!!! I am officially going to India! The BYU travel office definitely knows what they are doing. We are planning to arrive in Bangalore live in Bylakuppe for 3 months then travel the coast and northern India for 2 weeks then fly out of Delhi. Of course during those 3 months we will be doing our field studies. I am getting more and more excited about living with a traditional Tibetan family. The idea of learning a knew culture is absolutely fascinating. Its a new kind of food, new traditions, new symbols, and new religious beliefs and understanding.

The more I think about my project the broader I realize it is. I really want to get in contact with a professor to help me narrow down my ideas so I can focus on a more specific subject (although that will probably change even more when I'm in India).

This week I decided to look at the more general facts about Tibet and in doing so I read an article titled China's Tibet. I thought it would be very controversial, which it was to some extent. The article stated many facts that attempted to show how China's rule over Tibet has benefited the country. Although the facts support the idea it is not necessarily better. The economy may be more well off but has the culture suffered? Although I am certainly not qualified, I would have to say that it most certainly has suffered. Maybe in the future (when I have time) I will educate myself on the matter. I think it would be even more interesting to compare current Tibet with exiled Tibetan communities like Bylakuppe.... when I am rich and can afford to go visit both but for now looking at Bylakuppes agriculaure will suffice.

25 questions

 This coming May my husband and I are planning on going to Bylakuppe, a little town in southern India for a field study. Although his plans are pretty set in stone, I have yet to confirm my exact plans. Thusfar, I have become interested in agriculture and farming in India. The town that we are going to is a Tibetan Refugee settlement so I would like to base my study on how they learned to farm on India's soil, what kind of problems they have confronted as far as pesticides, and how they have learned to manage the summer monsoon rains. To further extend my study I will look at natural medicine in the home. These are a few questions that I have about India, Tibet, and the people there:


1. What grows in India during the summer months?
2. How does irrigation work?
3. What fungus and bugs are a problem?
4. What pesticides are used?
5. Do most Tibetans do their own farming?
6. How common is organic farming?
7. Is farming ran by Tibetan families or their "Help"?
8. Where does Bylakuppe's water source come from?
9. Who do their crops go to?
10. Where did the Tibetans learn how to work on India's soil?
11. Does the future generation show interest in continuing to farm?
12. How do the Tibetans feel about working somebody else's soil?
13. What kinds of medicines do the refugees tend to use in their home? Natural vs. allopathic?
14. What are some remedies for common ailments (headaches, upset stomach, etc.)?
15. What is the Tibetan conception of death like?
16. How are major ailments dealt with, generally? Acceptation, leaving the camp for a major hospital, etc.?
17. Do people often grow their own medicines?
18. Is it common to go and see doctors?
19. What does the typical Tibetan refugee diet consist of?
20. Do the refugees import things from Tibet for a "taste of home?"
21. I read a paper about substances in the soil producing various skin ailments in northern India. Is this type of thing common in Bylakuppe?
22. What is the quality of the soil in Bylakuppe?
23. How do farmers maintain nutrition in the soil?
24. Is farming mostly done by men, or do women and children also farm?
25. What is the quality of the available water sources?
26. How open are family members about their illnesses? Is it a source of shame, or a fact of life?
27. Are health issues common topics of conversation ("how have your bowel movements been lately" is not an uncommon question in some places!)