With natural farming spreading its roots in Andhra Pradesh, thousands of farmers in the State are witnessing a transformational change under the community managed natural farming (APCNF) programme implemented by the Department of Agriculture, Government of AP. Under the programme, chemical fertilisers and pesticides are replaced with cow dung, kitchen waste, and botanical extracts. Recently, it achieved national recognition by winning three awards. T. Vijaya Kumar, vice-chair of Rythu Sadhikara Samstha, the company set up by the AP government to run the programme, said, “It is a proud moment for AP. Many farmers... have achieved year-round food security, financial stability, freedom from debts, and good health for themselves and their families by adopting natural farming.” New Indian Express

 

 

Two decades ago, Damera Yakamma faced tragedy when her husband, a cotton farmer, took his life due to mounting debts. Left to manage their land, Yakamma opted for organic farming, supported by a non-profit in Telangana. “We benefited from lower costs, better health, and premium prices,” Yakamma said. However, they lost their organic certification in 2015 due to the widespread use of genetically modified Bt cotton. Despite the prevalence of Bt seeds, Yakamma and others continued natural cultivation, avoiding costly pesticides. However, lacking a sustainability certificate, they struggle to command premium prices, facing exploitation by traders offering lower than the government-fixed price. To support such farmers, international organisations like Better Cotton Initiative and Fairtrade establish quality standards and licensing models. These initiatives aim to advance sustainable practices, ensure ethical cotton processing, and connect producers with brands seeking greener sourcing. East Coast Daily

 

 

The Indian government's policy of compulsory rice fortification (in this case, not using GMOs, but factory-made vitamins and minerals) in its public-sector food programme lacks supporting evidence and scientific consensus. According to critics, it also has concerning implications for the health and safety of vulnerable populations. But if the policy does not help those with anaemia and malnutrition, who benefits? Lobbying for the policy was undertaken by a handful of organisations, substantively funded by the Gates Foundation and its entities. Meanwhile, the government drastically cut budgets to social schemes providing freshly cooked and local food. Instead of addressing the structural causes of hunger and food insecurity in inequalities in power, this “solution” of mandatory fortification thus took India further away from improving food diversity and climate resilience. The Wire

 

 

The health official who conspired with Anthony Fauci to downplay suggestions that the virus that causes COVID-19 leaked from a Wuhan laboratory has revealed he lies awake at night agonising about the chain of events they set in motion. The former Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the US Department of Health, Dr Robert Kadlec, has told Sky News he feels obligated to reveal confidential discussions he had with Dr Fauci, America’s top infectious diseases adviser, about diverting attention away from the lab leak theory. Dr Kadlec felt that Fauci's reason for diverting attention away from the Wuhan Institute of Virology was a worry for his reputation if it eventuated that his agency had funded the gain-of-function research that sparked the outbreak. In his first television interview, Kadlec also warned of another pandemic emerging from high-risk experiments in laboratories globally, saying the lessons from COVID-19 haven’t been learnt. Sky News

 

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