Cracking the Farming Code | Prem Singh | TEDxGurugram

At what point of time do we realize that India's agriculture problems are actually everyone's problems? Even the most oblivious are not unfamiliar with the basics of this plot in India: an impoverished farmer, a weak harvest, mounting debts and the burden of many hungry stomachs. The ubiquity of this trope on screen and in real life should have ensured a uniform and universal application of a solution a long time ago, yet most Indian farmers still live within this cyclic narrative. Disillusioned yet determined, agriculturalist Prem Singh set out to crack the farming code, and talks about how, in doing so, he managed to turn his struggling farm into a lush green source of income, chasing transformation while preserving the ecological balance of the soil. His work sets an example for the nation and beyond.

​As a progressive organic farmer from Bundelkhand, Prem Singh transformed his land in a drought stricken region into a lush farmland. Now, his farm has water bodies, follows crop rotation and organic farming, and is equipped with food processing units and is also used for animal husbandry. The farm also boasts of a few distinctive things in the region such as a rural museum, the Human Agrarian Centre and a Farmer Training Center. Prem believes that if his formula of sustainable farming is implemented across the country, it can ensure restoration of ecological balance and prosperity of farmers’ families. Born in 1964 in a farming family, Prem studied philosophy in Allahabad University but soon turned to his ancestral vocation. He has also co-authored a book, “What Farmers Really Need”, with Belgium environmentalist Johan D’hulster in which he explains how his farm follows the concept of ‘Aavartansheel Kheti’ which, loosely translated, means ‘periodic proportionate farming’.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

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