Debal and Debdulal train Koraput farmers
August 31, 2018August 31, 2018
Debal Deb and Debdulal Bhattacharya went to 4 villages in Boipariguda Block of Koraput district, Odisha on 29th and 30th August to give hands-on training in rouging techniques to maintain the genetic purity of the folk varieties distributed to them earlier this year. This year, more than 1100 farmers adopted 35 folk varieties to suit their land types.
The Guardian cites Deb’s work
June 6, 2018June 6, 2018
Deb teaches Agroecology to Bangladesh Farmers
April 25, 2018April 25, 2018
Deb questions the necessity of Golden Rice
April 3, 2018April 3, 2018
At an international conference "Stop Golden Rice", held in Quezon City, D. Deb talked with Philippino ministry and activists, and demonstrated the unnecessary public expenditure on developing Golden Rice, while several indigenous rice landraces from India and the Philippines contain vitamin A. [View
video of Deb's speech here]
Basudha Study Circle Talk by Santanu Mitra
January 27, 2018January 27, 2018
Basudha Study Circle Talk on "Why You Should Be More Concerned about Glyphosate Herbicide than Farmers", by Santanu Mitra, eminent expert on the environment and public health from Canada. February 24, 2018. 4:00-6:00 pm. 186A, Kalikapur Canal Road, Ekatre 2nd Floor, Kolkata 700099. [View
video recording here]
Deb’s new paper identifies an Endangered Tree in Bengal
December 30, 2017December 30, 2017
D. Deb has identified a hitherto unidentified rare tree, locally known as
Sitapatra as
Cordia macleodii, of which only 5 mature specimens are surviving in West Bengal. Deb also adds a few novel characters of this species to its taxonomic description. Here is the
new paper, published in Dec 2017.
Crash Course in Agroecology: Principles and Practice
November 2, 2017November 2, 2017
The Crash Course was conducted from 26 to 31 October 2017. Trainees from 4 States of India and one from Germany attended the course.
Rice conservaonists from the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia visit Basudha
October 11, 2017October 11, 2017
Agroecology activists and rice conservators from the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia visited Basudha on the 9th and 10th October. The team from MASIPAG, Philippnes exchanged seeds with Basudha.
‘Silver Rice’ paper published in ACS Journal
August 5, 2017August 5, 2017
Deb’s New Paper on Traditional Agricultural Knowledge
June 2, 2017June 2, 2017
Deb’s Talk to Punjab Farmers: Transcript
February 18, 2017February 18, 2017
Hindu Business Line Blink on Deb’s Work
February 5, 2017February 5, 2017
Laconte and Remy write on Basudha
January 1, 2017January 1, 2017
Seedling of Vitex glabrata planted in Odisha
November 25, 2016November 25, 2016
Basudha Lab regenerated a few seedlings using tissue culture method from seeds of the last specimen of Vitex glabrata, that existed in a roadside sacred grove in Chhandar village of Bankura district of West Bengal. This Critically Endangered tree was cut down in March 2016. The first seedling was successfully transplanted in Kerandiguda village, near Basudha farm, on November 18, 2016.
Deb’s new paper on Indigenous Conservation Ethos
June 7, 2016June 7, 2016
Deb's presentation at Sombath Symposium, Bangkok is now published
here. Video of the symposium can be viewed
here.
Basudha’s Work mentioned in OFAI Source Book
June 1, 2016June 1, 2016
Basudha Lab’s Report (Jan-Apr 2016) Published
April 25, 2016April 25, 2016
The First Quarterly Report of Basudha Biotechnology Laboratory for Conservation is published.
Click to downloadDeb presented agroecology before Gujarat Chief Minister
April 19, 2016April 19, 2016
Kapil Shah and D Deb were invited to gave presentation before the Chief Minister, Gujarat, to suggest (a) enlisting of agroecology experts outside of mainstream agriculture universities on faculty of the proposed Organic Agriculture University, (b) agroecological design of a demonstration plot of the university, and (c) exclusion of GMOs from the State.
Agroecology training in Chittagong, Bangladesh
April 12, 2016April 12, 2016
Deb gave agroecology training for farmers and NGOs at Chittagong, Bangladesh from 10-12 April 2016.
34 Rice Landraces Rescued from Nagaland
January 2, 2016January 2, 2016
D. Deb and Avik Saha visited the districts of Dimapur and Peren in Nagaland and rescued 34 traditional rice landraces from imminent risk of extinction from agricultural modernization.
New publication: Biochar effect on crop productivity
January 2, 2016
Recently published: "Variable effects of biochar and P solubilizing microbes on crop productivity in different soil conditions" DOI: 10.1080/21683565.2015.1118001. [
Download PDF]
Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems journal mentions Basudha’s work
December 2, 2015December 2, 2015
New Demonstration Farm in Kashipur, West Bengal
November 28, 2015November 28, 2015
Under the auspices of Mr. Avik Saha, Basudha took over in November 2015 a new agroecological demonstration farm at Kashipur, West Bengal. This farm will (i) demonstrate agroecology and ecological fishery, and (ii) conserve multiple landraces of rice, millets, legumes and tubers.
New Study Published Showing Metal Profiles of 130 Rice Varieties
September 14, 2015September 14, 2015
In a recent issue of
Current Science (10 Aug 2015), a
new study on metal contents of 130 rice varieties was published, showing over 65 varieties containing high quantities of iron, and a unique variety containing a considerable amount of silver uptake and deposition in grains
. This work was authored by D. Deb and Prof. T Pradeep, and Soujit Sengupta from IIT-Madras.
400 Indigenous Farmers Joining Force to Save Heirloom Seeds
May 19, 2015May 19, 2015
During a period of just 5 days, from the 13th June to 18th June, Basudha's campaign to save folk rice varieties persuaded over 400 farmer households to replace all modern rice varieties with heirloom varieties, on zero-external chemical input.
D. Deb and Debdulal Bhattacharya visited 8 villages of Gendabaju and Kodisuru villages of Chandrapur block, Rayagada district of Odisha to talk with them about the value of indigenous rice varieties and the means to winning freedom from seed corporations and chemicals industry. Entire communities in these 8 villages, comprising over 400 farmer households, pledged to abandon all modern rice varieties, and grow indigenous seeds instead, on their farms. They would collect seeds free of cost from Virhi in early June.
22 Rice Landraces Rescued from Malkangiri District
March 26, 2015March 26, 2015
D. Deb surveyed 4 blocks in Odisha's Malkangiri district, and rescued 22 landraces to add to Vrihi's accession.
Biotechnology Lab for Conservation Opened in Aug 2014
August 26, 2014August 26, 2014
Basudha's
Biotechnology Laboratory for Conservation opened in Kolkata on 12 August 2014, entirely funded by Mr. Avik Saha, cultural activist and lawyer, and Basudha's trustee. This laboratory is established with the explicit aim to promoting conservation of the country's biological heritage. The lab will remain engaged in studies to reveal genetic, biochemical and nutraceutical properties of folk rice varieties; and tissue culture of critically endangered plants to promote their conservation for the benefit of the local communities. This is the only lab in the country that runs on individual donations, and does not, and will not receive any institutional funding support from any governmental or corporate institutions, and is entirely aimed at biodiversity conservation.
Read report in Times of India (New Delhi/Kolkata) 13 August. [
Download pdf]
