We received a payout of €59.47

The project 'System of Rice Intensification with Beans Intercropping' is running since 2017 in the Himalayan valley of Kashmir. The project consisted of farmer-participative experiments involving agroecological innovations in rice cultivation. The project results as of 2020 showed rice yield up by 20%, straw yield up by 60% and farmers' net income up by 60%, with no use of agrochemicals. This difference in income means a lot in a place where agriculture is the main economic activity and the main source of food.

This method of rice cultivation based on the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) reported up to 40% less water use. This is important given that agriculture consumes 70% of all freshwater withdrawals worldwide and rice farming accounts for 50% of this share. Under this new system, weed infestation decreased by up to 70%, without any use of herbicides. The lower environmental footprint of rice cultivation under this system is important for a ecologically-fragile region of Kashmir.

The current fundraising aims at reaching out to more farmers with the innovation to create a movement out of this successful innovation. You can learn more about this new method of growing rice in the YouTube video:  Rice iCrop - Intercropping Rice and Legumes: