Cultivating Change

21 May, 2024

On this Biological Diversity Day, under the theme "Be Part of the Plan" we honour Kausalya Devi and all women whose deep-rooted respect for mother earth is key to biodiversity conservation.

Kausalya Devi begins her day with a sacred routine, offering prayer and water to her Tulsi plant and fodder to her cow. 60-year-old Kausalya came to Chinnapuliyur village in Erode, Tamil Nadu 30 years ago after marriage. With seven acres of land in the household, out of which 1.75 acres under her name, and an additional 3 acres on lease, she cultivates turmeric, coconut, sugarcane, groundnut, banana, and sesame seeds. Severe droughts in the late 1990s and again in 2007 damaged even her drought-resistant groundnut and turmeric crops, forcing Kausalya to look for alternatives.

Kausalya started inter-cropping pairing turmeric with coconut trees. This strategy provided shade for the turmeric plants and optimised water usage - creating a mutually supportive environment. In 2019 she installed a borewell that stabilised water supply.

With COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for healthy, pesticide-free and organic turmeric increased. Kausalya saw an opportunity and motivation to shift towards more sustainable farming practices. When the develoPPP project ‘Enhancement of Smallholder Spice Farmers’ Capacities in Sustainable Farming started in Erode district with turmeric farmers, Kausalya enrolled herself and attended the sensitisation workshop on sustainable spices production. She attended further trainings to learn about the negative effects of agrochemicals and the important role of biodiversity in agroecosystem. She began adopting sustainable farming practices in her turmeric farm. The cross-learning activities like Farmers Exchange visit to Cumin farms in Jaisalmer, a drought-prone desert area, further inspired Kausalya for water management and biodiversity conservation. Kausalya adopted several integrated pest management practices. She began using castor plants as border crops and marigolds as trap crops to naturally control pests, reducing her reliance on harmful chemical pesticides. She also integrated nitrogen-fixing moth bean (Vigna aconitifolia) as vegetative mulch to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and enrich the soil with nitrogen.

Kausalya fondly reflects on her journey saying "The DPP project implemented best agricultural practices on my farm as a demonstration plot. Since then, I've witnessed a significant improvement in the growth and health of our turmeric crop. Earlier, I used garlic and ginger to create biopesticides for pest control. However, with the training I've received, I now understand the precise compositions needed for various biological formulations to combat pests and improve soil health.”

Within two years, Kausalya and other nearby farmers got awarded with Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) certification for their turmeric crop, with 94% farmers achieving silver level and 6% gold level. This certification evaluates farms on environmental, economic, and social sustainability criteria indicating high standards of sustainable practices.

She got the opportunity to participate in organic fair expo during BioFach, New Delhi where Kausalya gained insights into value addition, branding, and market trends. Inspired by this, she harvested trap, border and mulch crop seeds and sold them to fellow farmers. Additionally, Kausalya extracts oil from coconut, groundnut, and sesame seeds, using the leftovers for livestock feed and bio pesticide preparation.

Kausalya Devi invested in her own oil extraction and turmeric grinding machines three-years ago, ensuring her products remain pesticide-free and uncontaminated by other conventionally grown farm produce | Photo credit: GIZ India/Pradnya Thombare

As a master trainer, Kausalya’s influence extends beyond her farm. She educates women farmers on integrated pest and nutrient management, supporting soil health and crop quality across the region. Thenmoli, a trainee in sustainable farming, adds “Under Kausalya’s guidance, we find hope in cultivating chemical-free fields.”

Despite significant contributions, women like Kausalya often face societal barriers and are underrepresented in environmental policymaking, where decisions impacting their livelihoods and local ecology are made. Addressing these challenges, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), also known as 'the Biodiversity Plan' sets ambitious targets for 2030, recognising the important role women play in conservation. In Target 23 it stresses the importance of women's active participation and representation in biodiversity conservation. The 2022-2030 Gender Plan of Action supports these targets, advocating for National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), a plan each party to the CBD should prepare, to incorporate a gender-responsive approach. This inclusion would ensure that conservation efforts are robust and benefit from women’s insight into equal environmental governance.

Kausalya Devi implements turmeric cultivation alongside beekeeping, utilising bee hives to enhance biodiversity in the agroecosystem | Photo credit: Pradnya Thombare/GIZ India

As we look towards the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cali, Colombia the integration of gender-responsive strategies offers a promising model for how local actions can resonate on a global scale in tackling the triple planetary crisis—climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Kausalya Devi’s story is an inspiration, reminding us of the possibility of inclusive and collective action to preserve our planet’s biodiversity.