#ecoculture

Ideas: - Come up with/find a recipe for low-waste, DIY hand-sanitizer to share on our local FB groups, and make up a bulk batch for my family and neighbors (the county just below us reported their first case of covid-19, so we’re next!) - Get our rainbarrel prepped to catch any rain we might get in the next week or so - Maybe even redo my existing keyhole garden to be more effective

So, I’ve been toying with the idea of making something like a handbook or resource-guide on how to live more sustainably/what you can do in your life to help “combat” climate crisis. I want this handbook to be fairly short, but highly informative; free and open to the public; both textually accurate and visually stimulating; and, most of all, contain actually helpful information.

The question is: What kinds of things would you like to see covered in such a guide? What would be beneficial to you, and/or what have you found helpful in getting other people to make sustainable changes in their own lives? Are there any special concerns you think should be included? Is this even the sort of thing that you think would be helpful, to you or those in your life?

Agroforestry is a land use management system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or among crops or pastureland. This intentional combination of agriculture and forestry has varied benefits, including increased biodiversity and reduced erosion. Agroforestry practices have been successful in sub-Saharan Africa and in parts of the United StatesIs the intentional integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to create environmental, economic, and social benefits. 

Before taking you through lush agroforests I’d like you to follow me down along Cauvery River one of the largest rivers flowing through India.

It is the third largest river – after Godavari and Krishna – in South India and the largest in Tamil Nadu which, on its course, bisects the state into North and South. The Kaveri is sacred to the people of South India and is worshipped as a goddess. The Kaveri is also one of the seven holy rivers of India.The Kaveri basin is estimated to be 81,155 square kilometers. 

Local farmers in Tamil Nadu are steeped debt and face droughts due to governmental inaction. This has left the farmers of the country in a terrible state and has subsequently effected the land. 

In the last 25 years over 300,000 farmers have died from suicide. That is around 12,000 cases of farmer suicide per year due to agrarian distress. This is not too different from the state of suicide in the Mid-west of the U.S. Farmers are among the highest rates of suicide in the U.S and face similar issues of the Indian agrarian.

The drying Cauvery river is not an isolated issue to the laborers of the land but also to those that stand on their backs. These farmers provide produce for the majority of the country and more. If nothing is done, degradation to the land and the dying community of farmers will leave the country without their main source of food.

How can they Move Forward?

“Agroforestry has the potential to achieve sustainability in agriculture while optimizing its productivity and mitigating climate change impact.” 

These are one of the known facts. Vegetation and plant life not only can yield produce but it can also enrich the soil retaining trillions of liters of water. It can take 5-8 years to see yields in some situations, however, longevity of the forest will last for generations

Currently the campaign Cauvery Calling has a goal of 2.42 billion trees 70 cents per tree donation. Right now, Cauvery Calling has had 50,918,675 donations. They plan to support farmers to plant 242 crore trees in Cauvery basin by adopting agroforestry. This is also a show of Economy with Ecological impact. This action will augment farmer income, proven to increase farmers’ incomes 300-800% in 5-7 years. 

Economy and ecology are not separate yet have been looked at as so throughout the years. The commitment to more intelligent and conscious economy and ecology leads to collective well being and growth. It has been calculate that in 12 years if the forest is well kept and grown the water 12.2 trillion liters of water will be retained in the soil. This benefits the farmers who would then have flourishing agriculture but as well will open the flow of the Cauvery as well as a boosted economy in agriculture.