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--- site_visit_and_survey_notes [2008-05-17 10:24] – sanjeev
+++ site_visit_and_survey_notes [2008-05-18 11:41] – sanjeev
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 ===== Site visits and Surveys =====
 These notes form a part of [[sanjeev shankar]]'s research, which is summarised in his [[research_report_sanjeev-shankar|research report]]
-====Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam====
-Established in 1663, the hortus is one of the oldest botanic gardens in the world with more than 6000 plants from all over. What started out as a medicinal herb garden, the hortus grows only pure plant species, as they are found in nature. It is also the first botanic garden in the Netherlands to display the molecular systemics of plants to everyone and continues to organize various cultural, educational and botanical activities through out the year.((http://www.dehortus.nl/index.asp))
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 ====Delhi, India====
-India, which has been traditionally known for its diverse culture and strong traditional agricultural methods is today synonymous for rapid growth and transformation. Demographically, more than 66 percent of the people reside in rural areas. This dominant rural demographic will continue till 2050 and is an important difference between India and Europe, which has a reverse trend in terms of percentage of people residing in cites. New Delhi, situated within the metropolis of Delhi, is the capital of India. With a population of over 15 million the city is undergoing rapid change. A couple of decades ago the area surrounding the city was mostly agricultural. Today, the situation is different. Now the city is increasingly in the midst of a continuous urban sprawl. Delhi has over 40% of it citizens living in slum like conditions and over the past decade they are being systematically thrown out. The river banks too were till recently a site for the poor. As demand for scarce land rises, there is an ongoing change in the demographics of residential areas. After a concerted city action in early nineties over 7500 hectares of forest are now legally protected in the city, and through another law, tree cutting needs special permission. Similarly Non Governmental Organisations along with the Courts forced the conversion of public transport from diesel to CNG, a cleaner fuel. At the social and physical level, Delhi remains a historical, multi-layered fragmented city, with each fragment contributing in its own way to the city. Such multi layered city character is very common in India and creates a complex dynamic within the city.
+India has been traditionally known for its diverse culture and strong traditional agricultural methods. Demographically, more than 66 percent of the people reside in rural areas. This dominant rural demographic will continue till 2050 and is an important difference between India and Europe, which has a reverse population distribution in terms of percentage of people residing in cites. New Delhi is the capital of India. With a population of over 15 million the city is undergoing rapid change. A couple of decades ago the area surrounding the city was mostly agricultural. Today, the city is increasingly in the midst of a continuous urban sprawl. Delhi has over 40% of it citizens living in slum like conditions and over the past decade they are being systematically thrown out. The river banks too were till recently a site for the poor. As demand for scarce land rises, there is an ongoing change in the demographics of residential areas. After a concerted city action in early nineties over 7500 hectares of forest are now legally protected in the city, and through another law, tree cutting needs special permission. Similarly Non Governmental Organisations along with the courts forced the conversion of public transport from diesel to CNG, a cleaner fuel. At the social and physical level, Delhi remains a historical, multi-layered fragmented city, with each fragment contributing in its own way to the city. Such multi layered city character is very common in India and creates a complex dynamic within the city.
-In Delhi, apart from the ridge forest which is the capital's green lung, substantial green stretches are seen in schools, universities, military campuses, religious institutions and parks. Home gardens are commonly seen in New Delhi with the role of the local 'maali'(gardener) crucial in maintaining the gardens. Some of the most common plants grown in Delhi include green chilis, tomatoes, beans, papaya, grapes, jamun(or jamblang), cucumber, bananas, guavas, money plants, marigold(used for offering prayers) and mangoes. A lot of these edibles are consumed within the household or within the local communities. There is hardly any attempt to process, package or value add the produce as one sees them being sold at reasonable prices on the streets. It is not uncommon to see vendors selling seasonal produce from nearby villages too. Organic gardens are not common within the city realms. With the emphasis on rural agriculture in India, the positive contribution that production within the cities can make, has hardly been acknowledged. For more details on this please see the [[analysis of peri-urban agriculture in India.]]
+In Delhi, apart from the ridge forest which is the capital's green lung, substantial green stretches are seen in schools, universities, military campuses, religious institutions and parks. Home gardens are common with the role of the 'maali'(gardener) crucial in maintaining the gardens. Commonly grown plants include green chilis, tomatoes, beans, papaya, grapes, jamun(or jamblang), cucumber, bananas, guavas, money plants, marigold and mangoes. A lot of these edibles are consumed within the household or within the local community. There is hardly any attempt to process, package or value add the produce. They are often sold on the streets. It is not uncommon to see vendors selling seasonal produce from nearby villages too. Organic gardens are not common within the city realms. With the emphasis on rural agriculture in India, the positive contribution that production within the cities can make, has hardly been acknowledged. For more details on this please see the [[analysis of peri-urban agriculture in India.]]
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-Certain religious institutions in India, like ISKCON(International society for Krishna conciousness) lay special emphasis on organic farming and have a very successful model to train people in bio-dynamic farming in their national centre in Mysore, near Bangalore. This is part of the Bio-Dynamic association of India(BDAI).((http://www.basilacademy.in/html/aboutBasil.htm))
 Some pointers related to organic farming in Delhi:
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   * http://www.iccoa.org/
-====Chandni Chowk, Delhi====
+Certain religious institutions in India, like ISKCON(International society for Krishna conciousness) lay special emphasis on organic farming and have a successful model to train people in bio-dynamic farming in their national centre in Karnataka. This is part of the Bio-Dynamic association of India(BDAI).((http://www.basilacademy.in/html/aboutBasil.htm))
-Also known as the 'moonlight junction', Chandni Chowk is a dense urban setting, designed in the 15th century by the mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The place has been a thriving epicentre of largescale trade in north India for 600 years. In his search for 'green' spots in this place, the researcher witnessed how religion plays a crucial role in creating a narrative which brings much needed spiritual and ethical base in wake of growing pressure from real estate groups. During his visit to a 15th century traditional haveli Sanjeev saw a huge 'peepal' tree. 'Peepal' is a local Indian tree which is worshipped by Hindus. The tree has remained there for over 300 years with changes in built form happening all around it. As the researcher walked through the labyrinthine streets to see more informal courtyards and smaller, personal touches of green: marigold flowers in front of the temple, the small 'jamun' tree in the court yard, 'tulsi', 'kadi patta' and money plants, he sees how even in an extremely dense settlement like this, people find ways to establish their links with nature. Marigold flowers are offered during daily prayers in hindu temples while the 'tulsi' plant is a herb and has been traditionally worshipped in every hindu household. A visit to one of the oldest jain temples further gives an insight into how most religions have had a sustainable approach. A priest informed the researcher that 'Jain monks are like grazing cattle;they never take too much from one place or person. They take small amounts and then move onto the next spot.'
+===Chandni Chowk, Delhi===
+Chandni Chowk is a dense urban settlement, designed in the 15th century by the mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The place has been a thriving epicentre of largescale trade in north India for 600 years. In his search for 'green' spots in this place, the researcher witnessed how religion plays a crucial role in creating a narrative, which brings much needed spiritual and ethical base in wake of growing pressure from real estate groups. During a visit to a 15th century traditional //haveli// Sanjeev saw a huge 'peepal' tree. ('Peepal' is a local Indian tree which is worshipped by Hindus) The tree has remained there for over 300 years with changes in built form happening all around it. Further inquiry results in more informal courtyards and smaller, personal touches of green: marigold flowers in front of the temple, the small 'jamun' tree in the court yard, 'tulsi', 'kadi patta' and money plants. Marigold flowers are offered during daily prayers in hindu temples while the 'tulsi' plant (holy basil) is a herb and has been traditionally worshipped in hindu households. A visit to one of the oldest jain temples further gives an insight into how most religions have had an approach based on self-regulation. A priest informed the researcher that 'Jain monks are like grazing cattle;they never take too much from one place or person. They take small amounts and then move onto the next spot.'
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-The term "organic" is best thought of as referring not to the type of inputs used, but to the concept of the farm as an organism, a system in which all the components - the soil minerals, organic matter, microorganisms, insects, plants, animal and humans - interact to create coherent, self-regulating and stable whole. Reliance on external inputs, whether chemical or organic, is reduced asfar as possible. Organic farming is thus a holistic production system. The main principles of organic farming are:
+For more details on this topic click on [[organic farming in India]].
-  * To work as much as possible within a closed system, and draw upon local resources.
-  * To maintain the long-term fertility of soils.
-  * To avoid all forms of pollution that may result from agricultural techniques.
-  * To produce foodstuffs of high nutritional quality and sufficient quantity.
-  * To reduce the use of fossil energy in agricultural practice to a minimum.
-  * To give livestock conditions of life that confirm to their physiological need.
-  * To make it possible for agricultural producers to earn a living through their work and develop their potentialities as human being.
-The four pillars of organic farming are: Organic standards, Certification/Regulatory mechanism, technology packages and market network. Indian Agriculture is traditionally organic and farmers were following organic cultivation till the middle of the last century (1950). The Green
-Revolution, ushered in India during the 1960's is often seen as the cornerstone of India's agricultural achievement,transforming the country from the stage of food deficiency to self-sufficiency. During the period, the production of food grains has increased four fold, from 50.82 mt in 1950-51 to 212.05 mt on 2003-04. But indiscriminate and excessive use of chemicals during this period has put forth a question mark on sustainability of
-agriculture in the long run calling attention for sustainable production which will address soil health, human health and environmental health and eco-friendly agriculture. Organic farming appears to be one of the options for sustainability. Starting of organic agriculture in India in 1900 by Sir Albert Howard, a British agronomist in North India, Development of Indore Method of aerobic compost (Howard, 1929), Bangalore method of
-anaerobic compost (Archarya, 1934), NADEP Compost (ND Pandari Panda,Yeotmal, 1980)initiated organic agriculture in India.
-The year 2000 was a very important year for India from organic point of view. The major happenings during this year were:
-  * The Planning Commission constituted (2000) a steering group on agriculture who identified organic farming as National challenge and suggested it should be taken in the form of a project as major thrust area for 10th-plan. The group recommended organic farming in North Eastern Region, rain fed areas and in the areas where the consumption of agro chemicals is low or negligible.
-  * The National Agricultural Policy(2000) recommended promotion of traditional knowledge of agriculture relating to organic farming and its scientific upgradation.
-  * The Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC), Ministry of Agriculture constituted (2000) a Taskforce on organic farming.
-  * The Ministry of Commerce launched the National Organic Programme in April 2000 and Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is implementing the National Programme for Organic Production(NPOP).
-Vast stretches of India and its farmers continue to be organic by default. Organic fertilizer and natural pest control are the only tools available to most of these farmers, who have always lacked the financial resources to explore chemical solutions. Further, a significant number of them have chosen to farm organically, as their forefathers have done for thousands of years. This has been a concious decision after seeing the impact of the use of chemicals in agriculture. Recently, even though chmicals have been used extensively through out India, eastern and north eastern parts of India still continue to use older traditional methods.((http://www.ecoworld.com/home/articles2.cfm?tid=349))
-Global statistics do not reflect this fact about India! As per the study (2004) of the Foundation Ecology and Agriculture (known as SOEL),
-the global organic area is 24 million ha. The major part of this area is located in Australia (about 10 million hectares), Argentina
-(almost 3million hectares. Australia /Oceania holds 42% of the world's organic land, followed by Latin America (24.2%) and Europe (23%). In Africa, more than 3,20,000 hectares and 71,000 farms are managed organically, representing about 0.04% of agricultural land. The total organic agricultural area in Asia is now about 8,80,000 hectares, corresponding to 0.07% ofthe agricultural area. The number of organic farm is more
-than 61,000. In 2004, India's share was only 0.001 per cent of the global organic market of $31 billion. Certification is the weakest link here. Currently the export of organic products is allowed only if "the produce is packed under a valid organic certification issued by a certifying agency accredited by a designated agency." in October 2003, the Indian Central Government set up a //National Institute of Organic Farming// in Ghaziabad. The purpose of this institute is to formulate rules, regulations and certification of organic farm products in conformity with international standards. The major organic products sold in the global markets include dried fruits and nuts, cocoa, spices, herbs, oil crops, and derived products. Non-food items include cotton, cut flowers, livestock and potted plants.
-The fees for registering a farm as 'organic' and getting international certification is extremely high for small farmers. Further the process is time consuming. Under the government policy in 2005, it took four years for a farm to be certified as organic. The cost of preparing the report was a flat fee of Rs. 5000, and the certificate itself costs another Rs. 5000. While these costs are bearable for the new industrial organic greenhouses, they are equal to or more than an entire year's income for the average small farmer, if the costs of travel and inspection are included. For those farmers who want to make a switch to organic farming, the intermittent 3 year transition period, during which the crops may be less plentiful than with conventional fertilizers and pesticides, and yet the higher price for organic products won't yet be possible because the certification will take time. This is also a deterrent. Further, almost all bank loans are for pure crop farmers, that is, monoculturalists. While many of these big-business farmers use harmful chemicals and processes, small farmers fertilizing their soil with recycled organic wastes are usually ineligible for insurance, much less state subsidies.
-For detailed and comparative analysis please click on the document below:
-  * {{:current_status_of_organic_farming.pdf|}}
-For details about Bhaskar Save's natural farming methods, please click on the document below:
-  * {{:save_s_natural_farming_ways.pdf|}} (Save has been an organic farmer in India for 40 years)
-  * {{:letter_from_indian_farmer.pdf|}}
 ====TERI_Tata Energy Research Institute, Forestry department, New Delhi and FRLHT (Foundation of Revitalisation of local health traditions),Bangalore====
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+====Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam====
+Established in 1663, the hortus is one of the oldest botanic gardens in the world with more than 6000 plants from all over. What started out as a medicinal herb garden, the hortus grows only pure plant species, as they are found in nature. It is also the first botanic garden in the Netherlands to display the molecular systemics of plants to everyone and continues to organize various cultural, educational and botanical activities through out the year.((http://www.dehortus.nl/index.asp))
+{{:perma68.jpg|}}
 ====Gilbert's Eco-Garden, Moucron, Belgium====