Majority of the farmers owning small landholdings, depend almost entirely on the monsoon for raising crops. Erratic weather patterns caused by climate change are making their risky livelihoods even more precarious. Unpredictable crop production under these changing climatic conditions is enabling farmers to shift to short duration vegetable crops, which yield multiple times in an year. For small farmers who are less resourceful, vegetable farming is a boon for several reasons. It meets food and nutrition needs while there are food shortages owing to crop losses. Enables better resource management. It is estimated that while one cubic metre of water is needed to produce 330 grams of grains, the same quantity of water is sufficient to grow 18 kg of vegetables. Ecological and economic considerations that support this transition is resulting in small farmers expanding their areas under vegetable cultivation, both on the main farm as well as in their backyards.
Sustainable agricultural practices aligning with local ecosystems combined with traditional wisdom results in building resilience in vegetable farming. Sustainable farming practices like water-smart practices to use water efficiently and sustainably; mulching to retain soil moisture; rainwater harvesting and farm ponds to store water; scheduling irrigation based on crop needs and weather; use of drought-tolerant crop varieties, have resulted in 50% improvement in water-use efficiency. (Pal and Gowda, p.6). Adoption of organic manures, cover cropping, and mulching, along with the use of farm pond irrigation, has led to improved soil fertility, greater biodiversity, and increased pollinator activity, while ensuring water conservation. Similarly, around 25 women farmers in Hubballi taluk in Karnataka, raised nutrition qardens in their backyards using locally prepared organic inputs. Each household produced vegetables worth Rs.3000-4000 in a season. (AMEF, p.24).
Unlike monocultures, crop diversification reduces the risks of crop production and provides cash income. This leads to reduced seasonal migration and improves diet and health outcomes of the community. For instance, shifting from single-crop dependency to cultivating 4-5 types of vegetables in a year, Pushpanjali from Pehelaju Takera, in the Nayagarh district of Odisha, enjoys multiple harvests, meets her household’s dietary needs, and contributes to the local market’s supply of fresh produce.(Siddarth Kumar Rout, p.22)
Farmer-led demonstrations are a powerful tool for peer learning, generating greater trust, community engagement, and sustainability compared to top-down dissemination methods. For example, East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation (EWS-KT) began to work with smallholder farmers in Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar, by setting up vegetable production demonstration plots with local farmers. These demo plots with raised beds, proper spacing, appropriate fertilization, and integrated pest management (IPM) methods led to higher and better-quality yields for farmers (p.19).
Many times, an improved practice or a simple technology is all it requires to bring about a change. A simple technique in nursery raising has made inroads in Banka district in Bihar resulting in increased vegetable cultivation in the region. Unlike conventional methods where seedlings are grown in soil beds, this technique utilizes specialized trays with cocopeat medium, resulting in healthier plants with greater disease resistance. (Pal and Gowda, p.6).
Similarly, trellis-based vegetable production is a sustainable technology which leverages sunlight better, improves air circulation and facilitates multilayer cropping. Adopting this system, more than 10000 small and marginal farmers in several states in India have improved their food, nutritional and income security. The practicing farmers have realized significant farm returns and also access to diverse and rich nutritional sources.(Yogesh G Sawant et.al., p.12)
Diverse, decentralized and ecologically sound farming systems can help build climate resilience. In addition, simple devices and digital tools that help in climate monitoring facilitate decision making for appropriate action. Adopting these, over 150 hectares in Bhuban and Kankadahad model have been brought under resilient vegetable farming. Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) and a lightening detection device provided real-time weather data guiding farmers on irrigation scheduling, disease-pest management, and crop planning, leading to upto 15% increase in yields, reduced input costs and better crop health. Crop health and pest incidence were monitored using digital tools. Crop losses due to weather anomalies have been significantly reduced (Pal and Gowda, p.6).
Backyard gardens, primarily managed by women, ensure year-round access to fresh vegetables. Women manage these gardens, using organic methods and recycling resources like kitchen waste. They are not only successful in meeting the nutrition needs of the household, but also supplement family incomes from sale of surpluses. Beyond supplemental incomes, some women have also taken this to an enterprise level, making farm based business model a success. In Inravaran village of Katoria block in Banka district. Muniya Murmu pioneered a transformative agricultural business model in 2022 when she established a tray nursery. Her enterprise strengthens local economic ecosystems. ”We created this so that village money stays within the village,” she explains, highlighting how her business integrates with local women producer groups and the other entrepreneurs. (Rajesh Parida, p.32).
Community organisations like SHGs and FPOs play a key role in strengthening the enterprise. Collective procurement of inputs and group-based marketing facilitated through SHG and FPO, reduces exploitation by middlemen, thus giving small holder farmers better bargaining power. (Pal and Gowda, p.6).
Women’s engagement through Self-Help Groups (SHGs) plays a pivotal role in scaling up adoption of kitchen gardens at the household level, strengthening nutrition, income, and collective decision-making. For example, Pushpanjali of Anantakhola Mahila SHG in Odisha, inspired 10 other women members from her SHG –– to adopt mixed vegetable farming. Beyond inspiration, she provides training and handholding support to these women, enabling them to follow her footsteps. Her SHG received ₹10,000 in seed capital from the block agriculture department, which was instrumental in accessing improved seeds, farm tools, and transport facilities.(Siddarth Kumar Rout, p.22).
While the support from external agencies is needed for promoting vegetable cultivation, we can find a number of innovative farmers who serve as inspiration to many. One such farmer from Pamaladinni in Karnataka is Sri Sannayamanappa, who is an inspiring example of how determination, innovation and traditional wisdom can transform small-scale farming into a viable, profitable and sustainable livelihood. His ability to blend vegetable cultivation with dairy, poultry and recreational components like bird rearing and farm tourism has not only improved his income but created a model worth replicating. (Channal and Desai, p.26)
