Stories of Farming Against the Odds
In a world where climate unpredictability, rising costs, and broken market systems challenge survival, a few farmers across India are rewriting the script. This session delves into their deeply personal journeys of loss, grit, and innovation, shedding light on how they’ve defied systemic odds. From Odisha to Assam, these farmers are proof that resilience can thrive even in the harshest conditions.
We hear from Bilansini Nath, who rose from being an ASHA worker to an organic farming trainer for hundreds of women, and Krishna Chandra Nag, a once-bonded laborer who now leads a thriving farmer-producer company. Neelam Dutta’s pioneering work in seed conservation and value addition in the Northeast, and Ramesh Khangoudar’s solar-powered integrated farming model in Karnataka, reveal how grassroots knowledge and bold risk-taking can lead to systemic transformation.
Beyond their personal growth, these farmers discuss why some succeed while others don’t, what government systems help or hinder, and how markets often fail smallholders. Their stories remind us that true agricultural progress requires not just innovation but equitable ecosystems, leadership at the grassroots, and deep community support.
