Organic Bounty in Tibetan Settlements
New York 24 November: As the sowing season approached this year, a small number of farmers in the Tibetan settlements of South India turned their backs on chemical fertilizers and hybrid seeds in favour of organic farming and indigenous seeds.
The pioneering farmers were following the advice of the Central Tibetan Administration, who for the past three years has been advocating “non-violent agricultural practices”.
The farmers were not overtly optimistic about the prospect of increase in harvest. They did however believe that there would be an increase in profit margin, resulting from the discontinuation of investment on chemical fertilizers, pesticides and hybrid seeds.
But as old wisdom says, if Mother Nature is rich, she gives. And, when she gives, she does so with all her heart.
The farmers who switched over to organic farming reported an average increase in yield of 35 percent as compared to those who continued to use chemical fertilizers. They also saw gladdening signs of the return of micro-organisms in soil, which they knew portended well for the future.
The propagation of the organic farming in Tibetan settlements is part of the CTA’s policy to implement “projects aimed at providing non-violent, eco-friendly, and high-yield-low-labour means of livelihood”.
Addressing the Tibetan people on assuming the highest political office of the Tibetan exile administration in September 2001, the newly elected executive head, Professor Samdhong Rinpoche, said his administration’s socio-economic policy would draw inspirations from the Charter of the Tibetans in Exile, as well as from the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, Masanobu Fukuoka, and Schumacher.
“We will consider making efforts to protect the environment of Tibetan settlements by starting forestation projects with emphasis on medicinal plants that are suitable to the geographical conditions of respective settlements.”
“In addition, we will consider promoting traditional animal husbandry practices, which will pave the way for the use of organic manure, organic pest control, and bio-gas”, he said.
In line with this, soil tests were commissioned in the settlements.
The test found that there was no vestige of micro-organism left; nearly four decades of chemical-oriented farming had killed everything in the soil, said Kunchok Tsundru, chief planning officer of the CTA, who was visiting New York two weeks ago.
Immediately, volunteers were enlisted to receive training in organic farming.
The CTA also formulated a comprehensive plan to rejuvenate the economic life of the Tibetan settlements, which it believes will be achieved by switching over to agricultural and industrial practices that will rejuvenate the Great Giver, Mother Nature.
The CTA’s plan includes projects for solar and wind energy, soil and water conservation, rain water harvesting, organic composting, creation of a model eco-friendly settlement, and many other related projects, all of which are estimated to cost $3 million.
If funding becomes available, these projects will be completed in three years, Tsundru said, reasoning that “We have the skill, human resource, and motivation for this noble endeavour”.