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from 'slash and burn' to sustainable farming

Supporting women farmers in Nagaland, India

March 6^th, 2014

Atula, a woman farmer, and her family are from the north-eastern Indian state of Nagaland, where until recently, she practiced a type of agriculture known as ‘'jhum’'. A form of subsistence, slash-and-burn farming, jhum has been a common practice in the region for generations. Families like Atula’s cultivate land for as few as two years, after which the land is abandoned. But jhum is no longer sustainable in the face of rapid rates of land degradation and population pressures in India.

from 'slash and burn' to sustainable farming

A joint programme between UNDP and the Nagaland Government is introducing subsistence farmers like Atula to new kinds of sustainable agricultural practices. The programme has helped Atula grow healthier crops and earn a steady income to better support her three children.

Thanks to the programme, Atula is now able to grow additional crops like ginger and peas, which she is able to sell at market and earn more income. “Earlier the land earned us barely enough to live on,” says Atula. “Now I make INR 400 to 450 (US$7.20 to $8.20) a week selling vegetables in the local market.”

The pilot project, that is now being studied by other districts in Nagaland and other states in the north-eastern region of India, has helped 4,000 households achieve a 15 to 20 percent increase in their average income.

The project has supported efforts to empower women to earn additional incomes through better farming practices, and encouraged a greater voice for women in the village council. Additionally, the project has strengthened self-help groups in the region totalling 300 women. Trained in book-keeping and maintaining accounts, women members of these groups have increased incomes by 25 percent. www.undp.org.