Sustainable Agricultural Farming to End Hunger

The goal of our Organization is to create meaningful impact by helping smallholder farmers to improve their crops production with increased yields for their better livelihoods. But we have faced many problems such as the increasing pressures from climate change, soil erosion and biodiversity loss as well as the consumers’ changing tastes in food while we are working on agriculture with our farmers. Another problem we have faced is that our small-scale farmers have small and fragmented land-holdings for their cultivation. Also they have no sufficient money to purchase the quality hybrid seeds for different crops. It is seen that the agro-food sector provides a livelihood for millions of people. But, globally most of the people living in extreme poverty are in rural areas where food production is often the most important economic activity. Today, while working in the agricultural sector, we have faced three challenges i.e. (i).  Feeding a growing population, (ii). Providing a livelihood for small-scale farmers and (iii). Protecting the environment.   To meet the needs of a growing world population, we advocate our farmers to increase farm production by involvement of more working hours in their cultivation fields with producing of maximum quality crops as well as implementing modern agricultural equipment and tools in order to meet the Global Food Demand which are the solution of these problems in agriculture.  To find out the solution for overcoming the problems we are encouraging our local farmers to use automation in harvest technology which helps the farmers for reducing stress on labour and to increase higher efficiency in gathering crops. We have been already distributing high quality hybrid seed with diseases and drought tolerance to our poor farmers to increase crops in any difficult condition. New method and modern techniques have given a chance to increase production and maintain their farm’s long-term sustainability. Moreover we advocate our farmers to follow the method of inter-planting in which different crops are growing at the same time. In addition, the plant protection, heat tolerant varieties, using bio-manure and smart irrigation are the strategies of our Organization for increasing food production to meet the demand.  We follow the sustainable agricultural farming which helps to replenish the land as well as other natural resources such as water and air in order to promote environment and to save biodiversity loss. By adopting sustainable practices farmers will able to reduce their reliance on nonrenewable energy, reduce chemical use and save scarce resources. The degradation of ecosystem services and biodiversity is another problem for our farmers. To solve the degradation of ecosystem we stop deforestation and increase the forest areas by more tree plantations. To overcome the climate change we have already approached our local farmers to adapt using practices like crop diversification, planting more crops, planting date adjustment, soil and water conservation, increasing the intensity of input use, quick and timely harvesting, naturally control of pest, integration crop with livestock and plantation of fruits plants and tree for promoting biodiversity and to protect environment to reduce Greenhouse gases. We support our farmers to follow “agro-ecological” farming because it keeps carbon in the ground, promote biodiversity, rebuild soils, sustain yields, providing a basis for food sovereignty and for secure livelihoods. To increase pollinations we have planned to plant pollen and nectar plants and flowers because pollination would increase the crop yields.  Our organization is designed to develop the sustainable cultivation in such a way to find the right balance between the need for food production and the preservation of environment ecosystem. To protect the soil erosions during rainy seasons we, with our local communities are planting shrubs, bushes and vetiver grasses along the sites of rivers and streams because soil erosions damage the environment.  Moreover we work with farmers to enable them to produce regenerative agriculture products along with rearing of livestock and other animals so that soils fertility will be improved.  Such sustainable agriculture as promoted by our Organization is resilient to climate change and provides better livelihoods. To solve these problems  our Innovation in the development of the agricultural works is to apply the “Genetic Manipulation of Crop Seeds” which will lessen the maturity period of the crops enabling our farmers will able to cultivate 4 to 5 tips / times different crops within a year.  

Due to the above cited problems in the field of agriculture near about 5,000 farmers of our location are affected by the climate changes to decrease the crop yields by 15% loss than expected targets. These climate changes are likely to increase losses to property and crops and cause costly disruption to society. Improved access and utilization of technology, increased use of resources conservation technologies, an increased adaptation of crops and livestock to climate stress are some of the beneficial outcomes of our Organization followed by climate-resilient practices for which we are able to save at least 20% crops loss as well as to save biodiversity loss.     

In addition we have already introduced the Sustainable Agricultural Farming Practices among the smallholders farmers of our location for which, at the initial stage near about 2,000 families are getting positive impacts so that all people of our locality may live with dignity and in harmony with the environment by adaptation of Sustainable Agricultural Farming for which a sufficient quantity of Natural Resources are saved to reduce the constrain on Nature and about 50 KMs. radius of areas in the Environment would be gradually converted into eco-friendly zone through our fruits and tree plantation Projects. We educate our farmers about the importance of tree plantation as trees reduce urban runoff and erosion by storing water and breaking the force of rain as it falls. It is estimated that 100 mature trees can reduce runoff caused by rainfall by up to 100,000 gallons. One healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-size air conditioners running 20 hours a day. Moreover a mature leafy tree can produce as much oxygen in a season as 10 people inhale in a year.   Finally the aim and objective of our Organization is to greater access for generating income of our local farmers and communities living eco-friendly with the balance of the Environment as the conservation of biodiversity in the Environment serves as an Insurance Policy for the future World. 

By this Project Proposal we will expect that about 10,000 people may be benefited through this sustainable agricultural farming with cattle rearing, bee keeping and mushroom cultivations for which they will not only live without hunger but they will able to provide improved education to their children as well as they would not suffer malnutrition, maintaining the health of whole family through increased crops in their farms.  The positive impact of sustainable agriculture is to give a lot of benefits to the environment by maintaining soil quality, reducing soil degradation and erosion and saving water which is precious environmental wealth for us. In addition to these benefits, sustainable agriculture also increases biodiversity of the area by providing a variety of organisms with healthy and natural environment to live in. As a result a lot of natural resources will be saved for next generation. Finally our Organization helps the farmers innovate and employ recycling methods through these sustainable agricultural farming in where the crop waste or animal manure  will be transformed into fertilizers that can help enrich the soil.          

Farmers, mainly small-scale farmers of our location are mostly affected by these problems for lack of financial support, frequent climate change and degradation of ecosystem services and loss of biodiversity too.  Degradation of ecosystem services and loss of biodiversity would decrease the crop-yields.   Improving biodiversity in the functional ecosystem would increase the crop-yields by pollination works carried out by bees and birds etc. To increase the population of native pollinators we have given bee-keeping wooden box to our farmers for bee rearing at their garden. We encourage our local famers to create the habitats for bees at the garden of every farmer with planting of flowers and pollen plants. To increase the farmers’ crops we protect and restore the population of native pollinators from the harmful insects. For this purpose we have given bee-keeping wooden box to the farmers for protecting bees under their watchful observation for rearing at their garden. We encourage our local famers to create the habitats for bees at the garden of every farmer with planting of flower plants. As a result of improving and protecting native pollinators, 35% crops are increased annually. Our Organization has focused on improving financial impact through enhanced works in areas like tree & fruits planting, staple crops, cash crops, bee keeping activities and animal rearing etc. We generally conduct roughly 1,000 physical harvest measurements per year, for a group of farmers belonged to our Organization under our enrollment list. Our aim is to observe a large gain in harvest as obtainable by farmers. In the meanwhile we have expanded our works into areas including seed, agro-forestry, improved biodiversity as well as rural retails.     If the farmers’ yielding would increase they will sell their crops in cheap rate for which they would penetrate into their local market as well as the National market with a future provision of export market too. It is expected about 25% yields will be sold by farmers in the local market while 5% of it can be used for their own consumption. To sell and export the rest of 70% yields to the National and the International Market such as European Countries, Saudi Arabia, Middle East and Africa through the Buyers / Importers, given below as Table No. 1 marked as “Addressable Market”  through various advanced connected technologies such as Zigbee, WiFi and new Wireless Sensor Technologies which will help farmers in planning and executing various agricultural operations such as purchasing products, inventory control, timely management of planting and harvesting along with sale their crops in order to increase their income double.  

One of our solutions to the local farmers is to free distribution of the best quality of Hybrid & High Yield Vegetables, Soya Bean and Oil Seeds, Hybrid Grafted Fruits Plants and also Pesticides and Fungicide along with goat-kids, ducks and bee-keeping boxes which have been made many positive effects among the farmers and reduced many risks in farming. This would ensure us that our strenuous efforts are brought many fruitful results in the field of sustainable agricultural farming. Again we improve the soil fertility by incorporating cover crops that add organic matter to the soil. To improve the soil fertility we encourage our farmers to grow legumes to fix nitrogen from the air through the process of biological nitrogen fixation. This natural process of improve soil fertility would be accepted by a large number of farmers for increasing their crops’ yields and they liked this innovation for increasing soil fertility in natural way. Our another solution for promoting biodiversity in the ecosystem by fruits plantations is made popular among the farmers, as such solution would increase the crops yields due to large pollination and biodiversity which made the earning of farmers is almost double. Simultaneously we, with a minute observation adopt the method to naturally control pests such as weeds, insects, mites and plant diseases by using some other organisms which help the farmers to protect their crops from the attack of species and pests. Thus, the natural method of pest controlling aids in improving the biodiversity of the land.  Under such innovation solution towards sustainability of agriculture we are able to know that all farmers of our projected areas need our solutions very earnestly to increase their crops yields.  We advocate innovative and sustainable watershed management to support agricultural development for our small-scale farmers at drought prone areas for which many farmers would be benefitted by this development.  As the numbers of farmers’ beneficiaries are increasing day by day under our Project, we are then able to know that our solutions are brought into the fruitful results among the farmers. Unavailability of good quality seeds is one of the major problems in the agricultural crops production. Our free distribution of high quality hybrid seeds among the small-scale farmers is increasing our farmers’ crops ensured us that the people need our solution very earnestly.  Our new Innovation in the development of the agricultural works is to apply the “Genetic Manipulation of Crop Seeds” which will lessen the maturity period of the crops enabling our farmers will able to cultivate 4 to 5 tips / times different crops within a year. This new Innovation by applying the “Genetic Manipulation of Crop Seeds” will ensure us to meet the growing feed of the rapid world population to fight for eliminating the hunger around the world because more than 5 tips of cultivations will be carried out in each year which will be marked as a different solution from other existing solutions in agriculture. After getting the support from the WFP Innovation Accelerator we will able to apply the new solution of “Genetic Manipulation of Crop Seeds” development to make a green crops revolution to provide food for all.     

The Team of our Organization are always well-positioned to deliver our Innovative solution in the development of sustainable agricultural farming in order to protect the Natural Resources for utilization for our next Generation. Because we are interested to foster economic development between our local smallholder’s farmers through sustainable agricultural farming and cattle rearing focusing on food security, sustainable livelihoods and poverty alleviation. We provide innovative, practical and credible sustainability of agricultural solutions to some of the most pressing environmental and social problems. When we have come to know that our local farmers   is very poor unable to buy  High Quality Vegetables and Oil Seeds, Fruits Plants, Pesticides and Fungicide, then we are decided to provide some Hybrid Seeds of Vegetables and Oil Seeds, Hybrid Grafted Fruits Plants and other agricultural related items.    We ensure that these poor farmers can be supported to their families by getting Hybrid seeds, fruit plants, pesticides, goat-kids, ducks and Bee-keeping Wooden Boxes from our Organization to improve their livelihood based on sustainable agricultural farming, cattle rearing and bee-keeping too. Anyhow details team members of our Organization is given below for ready reference. 

1)  Mr. Bidyut Kumar Phukan, Founder and President of the Organization,

     Phukan Ali, Tarajan,

     P.O. JORHAT- 785001, Assam (India),

Roles: He is still working to help local farmers in the District of Jorhat, Assam, (India), for developing the livelihoods of local farmers for more financially stable and better suited for growth in order to increase yields and reduce the environmental damage further.  So he has encouraged the local communities to engage both in agriculture and cattle rearing to accelerate the impacts in favour of the poor farmer including women too, as the women are vital drivers for economic and social development for their families and communities.  He is still the guidance to the local farmers to use drought resistant crops to reduce the loss of crops’ productivity. Moreover he has established the linkage between the local rural farmers and the Assam Agriculture University, Jail Road, Jorhat, Assam (India) that provides necessary services to support the sustainable agricultural development.

Background:  Retired on 31.12.2013 as a Chief Engineer (Production) from the Department of the Well Services (Work Over Rig), Assam & Assam Abakan Basin, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd., (Government of India), Cinamora, Jorhat-785008, Assam, (India), as an In-charge of the Section of HSE (Health, Safety & Environment).  Having lot of experience in the field of Oil & Natural Gas mainly in the Production & Work Over Rigs Services. As an Incharge of HSE, he has successfully carried out many work-activities for promoting Environment and Conservation of Underground Water as well as Occupational Health of the Oil Field Works. After retirement he founded a NGO named “Sonmilita Arohan Gosthi” and still working as a President   of the Organization. He has encourage the farmers to add more carbon to agricultural soils by planting perennial crops, cover crops like clover, beans, peas and legumes planted after the main crop is harvested in order to help soils take in carbon year-round and can be plowed  under the ground as “green manure” that adds more carbon to the soil. This can improve soil health and food production.

2). Mr. Polash Protim Phukan, Founder and Vice President of the Organization,     

      Phukan Ali, Tarajan,

     P.O. JORHAT- 785001, Assam (India),

Roles: Monitoring and Evaluation Plan for our Sustainable Agricultural Farming Project is carried out very successfully as a Vice President of the Organization.  He coordinates the Scientists and the Field Officers of Assam Agriculture University, with our local farmers for farm productivity improvement and increasing crops yields and protection of crops from the insects attracts. 

Background:  Social Workers and Entrepreneur. 

3). Mr.  Sahajit Bora, Founder and Secretary of the Organization,

Cinnanara Sadar, P.O. Cinnanara-785008, 

 Jorhat District, Assam (India)

Roles: Capacity building, livelihood development, market linkage, farm productivity improvement and increasing farmer’s income are to be monitored very successfully as a Secretary of the Organization.  He is still working to transform our food systems to make it more resilient and sustainable while at the same time ensuring the supply of safe and nutritious food for everyone.

Background:  Social Workers and Entrepreneur. 

4). Mrs. Momi Deb Das, Founder and Executive Member of the Organization,

Ganesh Temple Road, Bash Bari,

P.O. Jorhat, Assam (india)

Roles:  Half Yearly Workshops among the farmers, and Quarterly Meetings, are to be carried out very successfully as an Executive Member of the Organization. Fruits Plants and Tree Plantations drives are to be carried by her along with flowers planting for increasing local native pollinators.

Background:  Social Workers and Entrepreneur. 

5). Mrs. Rupa Bora, Founder and Executive Member of the Organization,

     Cinnanara Sadar, P.O. Cinnanara-785008, 

     Jorhat District, Assam (India)

Roles:  Half Yearly Workshops among the farmers, and Quarterly Meetings, are to be carried out very successfully as an Executive Member of the Organization.  Fruits Plants and Tree Plantations drives are to be carried by her. She also looks out for planting of shrubs, bushes and vetiver grasses along the sites of the streams and rivers to protect the soil erosions that damage the environment.  She developed this vetiver grass as a tool for sustainable agriculture which has been regarded as a low-cost technology for soil and water conservation; on-an off- farm land and water sources stabilization and remediation of polluted soils; and enhancement of water quality for irrigation purposes.    

Background:  Social Workers and Entrepreneur. 

                         As the team of our NGO can play a very significant role in leading and promoting the sustainable agricultural farming works in order to lifting the family farmers out of poverty, tackling unemployment for youth and rural women and helping the world to achieve food security and Sustainable Development Goals of the UNO, these make us uniquely qualified to solve this problem in regard of sustainable development of agriculture living with the harmony of Natural Resources. 

Under this Project we are going to use the CRISPR / Case 9 of Genome Editing Technology in several agricultural plant species such as rice plants, wheat plants, sorghum, maize, potatoes and tomato by targeting various genes of interest for improved nutrition, enhanced disease resistance and improved tolerance against drought. 

As climate change imposes a serve threat to agricultural system, food security and human nutrition, we are innovating to carry out the crop gene editing in order to improve performance across a range of traits for translating into the agricultural production in response to the climate change.  

Our innovation for CRISPR / Case 9 of Genome Editing can solve to cure a number of diseases of plant species by changing the DNA of the organism.

Now-a-days the genome editing is very important because genome editing increases plant tolerance to heat, floods, salinity, droughts and extreme cold for a wide variety of crops.  To solve our Innovative Challenge, we are in need of  grant/ prize  from your Organization.

Our innovation is to use haploids in breeding systems of various crops such as rice, wheat, maize, wheat, barley, tomato, potato, banana, mustard and cereal etc. By this development of haploid technology we would be able to find solutions located deep in genetic coding. Double Haploids (DH) is much valuable to use them to produce homozygous breeding lines. In homozygous lines, all genes on each pair of chromosomes in every cell of the plant would be identical. These homozygous lines will be 100-percent inbred lines, which otherwise would have been produced by repeated forced self-pollination. This double haploid technology in agriculture would improve the plant growing easily in any difficult conditions as well as to increase the crop yields for which it will be increase the farmers income even for poor farmers also. Double Haploids (DH) method having many salient features such as Double Haploids which can be produced in both self-pollinated and cross-pollinated species; reduce the time needed for developing new cultivars. Our Double Haploids method will fix recombination gametes directly as fertile homozygous lines. Double Haploids is emerging as a powerful tool to enhance genetic gain per cycle, which is of more relevance in staple and horticultural crops. 

Our Innovation of Double-Haploids applied on plant breeding has some benefits includes possibility of seed propagation as an alternative to vegetative multiplication in ornamental plants and in species such as trees and fruit plants in which long life cycles and inbreeding depression preclude traditional breeding methods. The thing which DH achieves in one generation, Conventional inbreeding, and traditional procedures takes longer duration. Haploids can be applied in classical breeding programmers’ to make these more efficient through improved reliability of selection. The application of haploids in cross-pollinated crops is also based on a rapid production of DH-lines, which can be used as inbred lines for the production of hybrid varieties of crops. Dihaphloid plants are considered as an important role in breeding programs. Our staple crop is rice. Improvement in quantity and quality along with resistance to climatic and disease stress in rice required immediate attention. But development of DH Culture has proven its efficiency by instantaneously fixing homozygosity through diploidization of regenerated haploid plants than easily scaled. To overcome these problems in order to meet the growing food demand for all we are focusing on the Tissue Culture Technology for genetic source of Haploid Induction for speeds up plant breeding.