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Contribution short abstract:

In the countries in South Asia with just under half the population employed in agriculture, the recovery of the agricultural sector should be a top priority. Moving away from food systems typical of the Anthropocene, which focus solely on increasing food production, should become a key objective.

Contribution long abstract:

The current spate of droughts and floods in South Asia are not just a grave concern because they have destroyed the livelihoods of the affected communities, they also indicate that it might not be possible to eradicate hunger by 2050. The rising in the adversity imposed by persistent malnutrition could wipe of the successes of reducing poverty by half that was achieved in 2015, at the end of period of the Millennium Development Goals.

The need of the hour is to ensure that there is a move away from monocultures that demand increasing use of pesticides and fertilizers and a move to millets and other 'forgotten' crops that were overlooked for the favoured ‘large-grain’ crops of rice, wheat and maize that characterise the Green Revolution. This paper will examine participatory programmes in South Asia where community engagement for promoting these alternative crops has emphasised the stewardship of local communities.

This importance of these crops, that can withstand higher temperatures and use less water is particularly important for those communities that have had their lives completely disrupted by the natural disasters. By moving away from conventional agricultural methods that have characterised the Anthropocene, to agro-ecologically sensitive cultivation and sale of these alternative crops provides an opportunity for the fashioning of new value chains. Prioritising these agricultural commodities through the global value chain while also gaining the ability to access local and national markets to sell their produce at a fair price would also empower local communities.