Pesticides

Rattled by the increasing farmer deaths and suicides in rural Maharashtra, specifically in Yavatmal and Vidarbha region, this engineer also decided to opt for farming as a second career to alleviate their sufferings.

Nepal’s traditional bio-pesticide and fertilizer Jhol Mol is suited for many smallholder Indian farmers as well, as it can be easily made in a farm without resorting to artificial chemicals that are harmful for soil health.

Just like few medicines are sold only with doctors’ prescription, farmers will now have to get a prescription from an agri-officer to buy poisonous pesticides.

Today, this resident of Pune has successfully converted a 3,500 square feet plot into a beautiful garden where she grows various fruits and vegetables, and she does it without using a drop of chemical pesticides or fertilisers.

Scores of cotton farmers in Haryana and Punjab are practicing pesticide-free farming and have managed to escape the wrath of gruesome pests like whitefly, bollworm and mealy bugs while producing great harvests.

These veggies are now being sold to the employees at heavily discounted rates through a makeshift market that the company holds weekly.

Dr. Vishal Rao, an oncologist and head and neck surgeon at the Bangalore-based HealthCare Global (HCG) Cancer Center, writes about the debate on food safety in India and how it is related to cancer.

Tejaswi Subramanian was 13 when she first started thinking about environment conservation and climate change. Today, she is an environmental activist working for increased use of sustainably sourced food in India, and is preparing for an amazing Antarctica expedition, for an equally amazing reason.

When a young IAS officer in Kerala revealed some shocking facts about the level of pesticides in food products being sold in the state, it led to a movement triggering healthy living habits among the residents.

Over 100 women farmers have come together to reduce the impact of whiteflies on cotton crops. They have started a campaign to spread awareness about natural sprays to get rid of the pests and improve the production.