Northeast India’s Jhum agriculture grew 20 totally different meals crops on the identical piece of land
| Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR
Great emphasis is laid on the idea of biodiversity in our instances. The significance of preserving biodiversity has been accepted within the coverage frameworks of most Governments. It is due to this fact ironic that the meals eaten by the individuals of the world has turn into extraordinarily low in variety. Rice, wheat, maize, and sugar present over 50% of the whole calorie consumption of all of us.
The contemporary produce sections of our supermarkets additionally mirror this pattern and carry a monotonously restricted collection of greens.
This discount in “dietary diversity” influences the standard of our diets. Eating meals from many alternative meals teams improves diet. But the observe of monoculture – rising one crop or vegetable on massive tracts of land – solely reduces “agricultural biodiversity”. One different, to move meals teams from distant areas, raises prices and carries a heavy environmental penalty.
Wide selection
Farmers with small holdings, Shepherds on pastoral lands and tribal populations that observe agroforestry are main contributors to dietary selection in our nation. When we discuss of native varieties, we normally consult with greens and crops offered on a small scale by these individuals. The alternative, various from area to area, may be fairly extraordinary. In South India, we now have leafy greens which might be wealthy in iron and calcium, such because the Green Amaranth (Tamil, kuppi keerai; Hindi, junglee chaulayi) and Leucas (Tamil, thumbai; Sanskrit, Drona pushpi). Starchy tubers, resembling east Indian arrowroot (Tamil, kuva or ararut-kizhargu; Hindi, tikhur) whose powdered tubers (additionally referred to as Travancore starch) are nutritious and notably good for delicate stomachs.
More generally obtainable, and a vitamin C powerhouse, is the Indian gooseberry (Tamil, nelli; Hindi, amla). In Central India, we now have the madhuca or Indian butter tree (Tamil, illupai; Hindi, mahua) whose flowers are edible, and the seeds have oil. The khejri, the state tree of Rajasthan (Tamil, parambai) has pods that make the tasty sighri bhaaji, whereas additionally avoiding desertification. All of us most likely have a favorite ‘wild’ vegetable, fruit, berry, or root that’s hardly ever discovered.
Jhum cultivation
The indigenous individuals of Northeast India practiced a type of agriculture, referred to as Jhum, by which about 20 totally different meals crops can be grown on the identical piece of land. This type of cultivation is a complete antithesis of contemporary agricultural practices however provides loads of variety of their diets. Sadly, this type of cultivation is dropping floor. Researchers on the Central Agricultural University at Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh have documented that the realm underneath Jhum cultivation, within the West Garo district alone, had shrunk from 1,328 sq. km within the yr 2000 to 112 sq .km. In 2015. Areca nut, black pepper and rubber turned the popular crops on this land (Pandey et al, Food Security, 2022).
The shopper and his tastes affect the provision of all kinds of wild varieties. Adding wooden apples (velam pazham) and Jamuns (nagai) will solely improve the nutritive high quality of your weight loss plan whereas serving to small growers.
(The article was written in collaboration with Sushil Chandani, who works in molecular modelling)
