Soupçon III In Memoriam Series IV.ix International Year of the Woman Farmer
This would be our last post on this theme. Monday onwards, let us begin the discussion of a new topic in the "In Memoriam" series of our 'Soupçon.'
As we today sum up the brief yet intense discussion of this topic (begun on August 3), let us understand the contribution of three remarkable women related to this 'field'. Two of them are doers, while one is more of a theoretician-activist.
As doers matter more, let us begin with tributes to "Seed Mother" and Pappamal. "Seed Mother" is from Village Kombhalne, District Ahilya Nagar, that is, the erstwhile Ahmednagar. In her sixties, Rahibai Soma Popere, alias "Beej Mata", is a farmer cum conservationist. She has developed a community seed bank, which given the organic farming methods she likes, is highly sustainable, and protects native variants of crops. To self help groups of women farmers, she provides highly profitable hyacinth beans.
Pappammal, a Padmashri awardee like the Marathi Rahibai, was from Tamilnadu. Before she died on September 27, 2024, this 105 years old grandma credited her long life to her staple diet of simple millet n veggies. Born in 1914, this Coimbtore "ammama", who worked in her one hectare farm, followed a punishing regime which consisted of waking up at five a.m. Politically active as a DMK member, she championed organic farming.
Yes, there are a few more such sterling examples of women farmers which prove how women do it differently! Now let us look at a scholar-activist committed to environmental issues, food sovereignty advocacy, and ecofeminism. Given such a profile, Vandana Shiva opposes genetic modification of crops (therefore her insistence on the protection of native biodiversity) and corporate control of the agri field.
Given, moreover, the pioneering efforts by journals such as "Down to Earth", there is some powerful proof that the agri- environmental field flourishes, when the gender gap closes!
Pratima Agnihotri
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