Rajasthan's Amlipara women show the way forward in self-reliant and ecologically protective farming

By Bharat Dogra 

Anita Damor, a farmer from Amlipara village in Kushalgarh block of Banswara district, Rajasthan, has become a striking example of ecologically protective farming and village self-reliance. When she spoke about her work at a national conference on village self-reliance, her presentation was highly appreciated.

On a recent visit to Amlipara, I met Anita along with about a dozen women farmers. While Anita has emerged as a leader, the other women too follow similar practices and work collectively. Their farming is marked by several defining features that together build resilience, ecological balance, and community solidarity.

The first is their commitment to natural farming methods. They shun chemical fertilizers, pesticides and weedicides, and instead prepare organic manure on their farms. The second is crop diversity. Despite having small plots of land—usually one or two acres, along with kitchen gardens—they grow a wide range of crops. Anita alone cultivates about 30 different varieties in a year, including cereals, millets, pulses, oilseeds, spices, and vegetables, besides some fruit trees. This ensures that her family, like others in the group, remains largely self-reliant in producing nutritious, organic food, with a small surplus for sale.

Seed preservation is another critical aspect. The women save and preserve seeds of traditional varieties for the next season. Anita takes pride in displaying her collection of seeds. This practice spares them from dependence on costly hybrid seeds marketed by companies and strengthens their autonomy. As Sarita, another member of the group, says, their experience shows that self-preserved seeds are the most reliable.

The women also avoid expensive mechanization. Bullocks are used for ploughing, threshing, carrying loads, and even for weed control. Farming is well-integrated with animal husbandry, with households typically keeping bullocks, calves, buffaloes, goats, and poultry. Crops are mostly processed within the village using simple tools, ensuring that residues return to the soil or serve as healthy animal feed.

Cooperation within the community is a defining feature. Women contribute voluntary labor on each other’s farms during peak periods and exchange seeds freely. Their collective spirit extends beyond farming. They have successfully demanded government support, such as a solar pumping set for irrigation, and mobilized for employment opportunities under NREGA.

Education is another priority. All the women in the group said their children attend school. Two women, Sharda and another Anita, proudly shared that their daughters had excelled in high school and were awarded scooters to facilitate higher education. In this way, the community blends the best of tradition with new opportunities, including renewable energy access.

What makes Amlipara’s experience especially significant is its relevance in the era of climate change. By minimizing fossil fuel-based inputs, conserving soil, and integrating tree cultivation, their farming contributes to climate change mitigation. By reducing costs, diversifying livelihoods, and enhancing self-reliance, it strengthens climate change adaptation. Their cyclical farming system, which returns organic waste to the soil, sustains fertility and food security.

A voluntary organization, Vaagdhara, has played an important role in supporting these efforts. As Sarita explained, the village was drifting away from its rich traditions, but Vaagdhara helped them rediscover and protect their roots. The women now operate as a self-help group, or saksham samooh, coordinating activities and addressing livelihood concerns collectively.

Jayesh Joshi, founder-director of Vaagdhara, emphasizes that their approach is not to “teach” villages but to engage in mutual learning, respecting the traditional wisdom of tribal communities while welcoming non-disruptive modern contributions. This balance of tradition and innovation has strengthened both ecological and social resilience.

Sadly, some policymakers and influential voices still dismiss traditional systems as backward, seeking to impose external solutions. In reality, a truly scientific spirit demands humility and openness to learn from communities like Amlipara, where invaluable wisdom thrives in the everyday practices of ordinary villagers.

The women of Amlipara remind us that true progress lies not in discarding traditions, but in revitalizing them with renewed relevance. Their farming offers a pathway of resilience, sustainability, and dignity that India—and indeed the world—urgently needs.

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The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Man over Machine, India’s Quest for Sustainable Farming and Healthy Food, Earth without Borders and Protecting Earth for Children