Food Forest Future

How did our human ancestors in this ancient ‘cradle of civilization’ of India meet their food needs before the dawn of agriculture over 10,000 years ago? Or in the 9,950 years that followed until the so-called ‘Green Revolution,’ barely five to six decades ago? What agroecological conditions enabled India’s richly evolved heritage of food and biocultural diversity to flourish?

Much of our land in this Indian subcontinent was blessed by Nature with fertile soils teeming with life, abundant sunshine and water, thick forests, and wondrous biodiversity. India, at its roots, is an aranya (forest) civilization. Agriculture is barely 10,000 years old. It too was nourished by our rich forests that replenished farm fertility, recharged groundwater, and fed streams, rivers, and lakes. Our enormous crop diversity originated in the diversity of uncultivated wilderness, before evolving over many generations of selection and farm-tending in diverse agroecological conditions.

Forests provide vital ecosystem services, efficiently harvesting and storing the sun’s energy, sequestering carbon, producing biomass, creating fertile topsoil and guarding against its erosion. They moderate the climate, mitigate global warming, provide oxygen, bring rain, recharge groundwater, replenish and cleanse our rivers and water bodies, buffer against floods, and provide habitats for rich biodiversity. They also provide forest-dwelling (tribal) people a huge variety of useful produce — all free gifts of Mother Nature.

With steadily depleting reserves of fossil fuels, as we transition from an age of fossil wealth to an age of biological wealth, we need to remember that it was biological wealth in the first place that created fossil fuel wealth. Photosynthesis is by far the most efficient way of harvesting renewable, solar energy for decentralized, equitable use with multiple benefits, including soil regeneration, carbon sequestration, groundwater recharge, and provision of diverse valuable products.

Leading in efficient harvesting and storage of solar energy are our dense natural forests. Biodiverse ‘food forests’ and horticultural gardens of perennials grown by humans come second, followed by organically cultivated poly-cultures of annual and seasonal field crops with minimal or zero external inputs and full recycling of all non-edible biomass. Amelioration of and adaptation to climate change are also best achieved by following this low-cost decentralized path, which sequesters far more carbon for every Rupee or Dollar spent, compared to ‘high-tech’ ‘solutions.’

“The earth’s soil is the mother of all life forms, including vanaspati srishti, jeev srishti and prani srishti,” reminds Save, translated from Sanskrit loosely as the creation of fruit-bearing trees, creation of living beings, and creation of animals. “In the entire vast cosmos that one gazes upon at night, it is only on earth that such a mind-boggling diversity of life can be found.”

Save removing coconut saplings.

A hefty volume, ‘The Useful Plants of India’ (Publications and Information Directorate), provides capsulated information on 5,000 traditionally useful plant species, distilled from the older and far more detailed 12-volume encyclopedic compilation, ‘The Wealth of India’. But tragically, this real wealth, contained in our fabulously rich biodiversity — evolved over millions of years — is now sorely neglected and indeed, destroyed.

The Principles of Farming in Harmony with Nature

“The fundamental principles of natural farming are quite simple,” declares Bhaskar Save. “The first is, ‘all living creatures have an equal right to live.’ To respect such right, farming must be non-violent.

“The second principle recognizes that ‘everything in Nature is useful and serves a purpose in the web of life.’

“The third principle: farming is dharma, a sacred path of serving Nature and fellow creatures; it must not degenerate into a pure dhandha or money-oriented business. Short-sighted greed to earn more — ignoring Nature’s laws — is at the root of the ever-mounting problems we face.

“Fourth is the principle of perennial fertility regeneration. It observes that we humans have a right to only the edible fruits and seeds of the crops we grow. These constitute 5% to 15% of plants’ biomass yield. The balance, i.e., 85% to 95% of the biomass (the crop residue), must go back to the soil to renew its fertility, either directly as mulch, or as the manure of farm animals. If this is religiously followed, nothing is needed from outside; the fertility of the land will not decline.”

Bhaskar Save adds: “Non-violence, the essential mark of cultural and spiritual evolution, is only possible through natural farming.”

“Children,” reminds Save, “have a birth-right to suckle the sweet, wholesome milk from their mother’s bosom! But tragically, our modern, rapacious way of farming, rampant industrialism and consumerist culture draw on Mother Earth’s life-blood and flesh. How then can we hope to receive her continuing nourishment?”

I end my tribute with this thought.

Conspicuously missing in the national awards declared on 26th January, 2022, India’s Republic Day in the birth centenary of Bhaskar Save, was the highest award, Bharat Ratna, usually bestowed posthumously on those who have performed rare, outstanding service to the nation. I can think of none who is more deserving of it than Bhaskar Save. In his Centenary Year, which was also the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, the government should have honored the farmers who have toiled to feed the nation.

It is not too late to honor Bhaskar Save, the Jewel of India — Gift to Earth, now.