Agri-food system dynamics of small-holder hill farming communities of Uttarakhand in north-western India: socio-economic and policy considerations for sustainable development

ABSTRACT

The small-scale ecological farming methods of Uttarakhand hills are key to ensuring resilience to climate change as these are based on enhancing diversity, thereby increasing options to respond to climate instability. Beside eco-nutrition, local community-level economic incentives are also considered important for sustainability of traditional hill farming and food systems. Feasibility of integrating four local marketing initiatives to traditional hill farming, i) promoting community-supported organic/biodynamic agriculture (CSA), ii) linking traditional farming with school meal (MDM) programs, iii) enhanced market access and value chain development for local plant food resources, and iv) creating off-farm employment opportunity at community level for rural youths, among others, are explored in the present study. The need of re-assessing existing food and nutrition-related health and agriculture policy, and developing cross-sectoral implementation strategies on food and livelihood security, nutrition, and health was also addressed. The outcomes are expected to set priorities for state policy for a more profitable local level agriculture and regenerative food system.

KEYWORDS:

• Agri-food system
• traditional farming landscapes
• eco-nutrition
• indigenous food sovereignty
• sustainable agriculture

Acknowledgments

The author thanks the farming households of Uttarakhand hills for effectively interacting and sharing the valuable information they possess on traditional farming and native food system across different hill agro-ecologies. Thanks are also due to the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi for supporting two case studies on “Indigenous land and food systems in Uttarakhand: a case study on traditional knowledge and food sovereignty” and “Indigenous land and food systems in Uttarakhand: a case study on use of wild foods in agricultural systems”, respectively, under DST Network Programme on Traditional Knowledge Systems in the Indian Himalayan region that helped the researcher document some additional data that has also been used in the present communication.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest is involved.

Additional information

Funding

No funding support was available.