After reading theoretical ecologist Robert Ulanowicz and distilling his message to relate it to the agrarian crisis in India, young author Yaashree Himatsinghka believes a change in how we look at ecosystems and transitioning to more sustainable policies is the way to solve farmer worries.
In her book "Unlocking Ecosystems - Understanding Nature's Hidden Networks", the Mumbai high school student argues that the ecosystem is undergoing "irreversible long-term damage" through the "use of large amounts of pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers to maximize the output in modern industrial agriculture".
She suggests that policy-makers need to give equal importance to "short-term issues and long-term sustainability".
"If we can make ourselves aware of how natural systems operate, we'll be able to make small changes within our own domains to enable agricultural sustainability. Indian policymaking, in my opinion, prioritises short-term issues over long-term sustainability, when both should be equally considered," Himatsinghka told PTI.
This approach, she explained, largely stems from a lack of ecological awareness and the conventional perception of agricultural ecosystems as 'food factories' rather than as living, growing entities that naturally contain networks and mechanisms to ensure the cyclic flow of nutrients, maintain biodiversity and ensure sustainability.
A change in the way ecosystems are seen will help the transition from environmentally detrimental policies to more sustainable ones, she added.
The Class 12 student at Mumbai's Cathedral and John Connon School said she was "provoked" into thinking about the agrarian crisis in the country after attending a presentation on the crisis unfolding in drought-stricken Marathwada.
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"I remember seeing a picture of a mother and two young children sitting around a banyan tree. It was the same tree from which their father, an indebted farmer, had hanged himself the previous night. I remember feeling numb, shocked at my own ignorance," she said.
From reading news to watching documentaries, taking online courses and reading books like "Feed or Feedback" by Duncan Brown and "A Third Window" by Robert Ulanowicz, Himatsinghka now plans to get "actively involved in policymaking" to be able to tackle the agrarian crisis.
"According to a study by professor G L Parvathamma of Bangalore University, over 290,000 farmers have committed suicide in India from 1995 to 2013. Vidarbha, in my state, Maharashtra, has the highest farmer-suicide rate, 4,000 annually, 10 plus every day," she said.
This issue, Himatsinghka said, has complex causes, including (but not limited to) land fragmentation, unsustainable cropping techniques, declining biodiversity, the intensive use of agrochemicals, soil degradation and a cycle of indebtedness.
"I hope to be able to do my part in figuring out the best way to tackle each one of these," the 18-year old author said.
What is the solution to the issues at hand?