traditional farming

Inspired by the potential of natural alternatives, Ashok Tapaswi left city life to grow Annatto trees in Fatehpur, turning forgotten red seeds into a successful natural pigment business. He is driving a movement for healthy, chemical-free sindoor and supporting farmers across India.

This World Photography Day, step inside India’s fields through portraits of farmers who are saving seeds, reviving traditions, and growing crops that change lives.

Palak Arora, founder of Millium, is improving the future of traditional millet farming with her food brand. Combining food engineering expertise and a passion for nutrition, she is making healthy and ready-to-cook millet mixes accessible to modern consumers across India and supporting local farmers.

Starting with a bicycle and a few rupees, Arun Salai has built one of India’s most important collections of traditional seeds — reviving native farming one variety at a time.

HERB HEAVEN, led by the Mir family in Pampore, Kashmir, is taking the region’s prized saffron to the world. By blending tradition with modern methods, they empower local women artisans, providing stable jobs and preserving Kashmir’s cultural heritage through sustainable farming and quality products.

Biju Narayanan, a mechanical engineer from Kannur, Kerala, transformed his family's unprofitable rubber farm into a thriving agro-business by adopting high-density and multi-level cropping techniques. His innovative approach has led to earnings of up to Rs 15 lakh per acre from exotic fruits like rambutan and mangosteen.

The viral video of ducks in Kerala's paddy fields reveals an eco-friendly farming tradition that supports rice cultivation and biodiversity.

When rubber farming became unprofitable due to cheap imports, Biju Narayanan of Kannur, Kerala, shifted to cultivating exotic fruits like rambutan, mangosteen, and pepper. Employing high-density farming and multi-level cropping, he now earns up to Rs 15 lakh per acre.

Malnutrition, depleting groundwater & unstable incomes — thanks to Sheelu Francis, 30000 families are using millets to tackle all these three problems together!

As Harvard scientists and even school children are developing new, innovative methods to utilise this wonder grass, farmers in Tamil Nadu have started its cultivation for large profit margins.