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Our Work

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Mountain Agriculture

Mountain agriculture is bio-diverse and dominated by women farmers. The fields are terraced and crops grown are determined by micro site-specific characteristics of altitude, aspect, and soil. Fields of individual owners are generally small and fragmented. Agriculture is largely rain-fed with some irrigation in valleys through guhls or small canals using gravity to bring in water from rivers and streams.

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Current Challenges in Mountain Agriculture:

  • Migration from villages and agriculture is increasing and interest in agriculture is reducing in many villages.

  • Agriculture is getting impacted by the ingress of wild animals onto agriculture fields and the destruction of crops.

  • Uncertain weather conditions due to climate change impact traditional agricultural practices.

  • Generation of farmers find agriculture less attractive and perceive it as unable to fulfill their aspirations.
     

INHERE’s initiatives:

  • Efforts to conserve the agricultural biodiversity characteristic of mountain agriculture through conservation and multiplication of seeds, adding value to traditional produce, and promoting markets for mountain produce to increase incomes.

  • Promoting organic farming through on-farm organic inputs and agriculture practices promotes productivity while maintaining soil health.

  • Supporting young farmers in agriculture through interactions and programs which help them become better farmers and agri-entrepreneurs.

  • Reducing drudgery in agriculture by promoting new machines, improved equipment & tools and practices.

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Environment

Environment conservation, augmentation and education for environment friendly development is the foundation of all of INHERE initiatives and activities. This stems from its presence and commitment to the Himalayan mountain region and the interface with nature of the communities inhabiting this region. INHERE works to conserve this legacy going forward.
 

Current Challenges of Conservation of Environment:

  • Decreasing biodiversity and increasing mono species.

  • Decrease in first order carni cum herbivorous animals and increase in herbivores

  • Decrease in food species plants in wild areas

  • Increase in man-animal conflict

  • Increase in forest fires and ingress into habited areas

  • Decrease in waterbodies 

    INHERE’s initiatives.

  • Conserving the plant biodiversity of the village areas – both natural and agricultural.

  • Conserving traditional legacy seeds of farmers.

  • Supporting initiatives to combat pollution in villages.

  • Promoting Watershed and springshed development work.

  • Promoting plantation with traditional broad leaved species with multiuse.

  • Supporting catchment protection efforts.

  • Promoting medicinal, fruit and spice cultivation in villages

Wildfires
Wildfires

Climate Change

Climate change is more apparent in the mountain regions. It is complex and manifests in melting glaciers, more frequent cloud bursts, floods, temperature changes, late rainfall, heavy or less rainfall and crop failure. These are non-linear and the summation of all these together cannot simply derive the solution. They are inter-looped and hence the greater effect is inclined towards agriculture,

which is the main source of livelihood for mountain people.

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INHERE has been working to address the issues of climate change :

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  • Identification of innovations addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation.

  • Observation and replication of practices enabling adaptation to climate change and its mitigation.

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Water and Sanitation

Mountain areas are considered the water towers of the world as they, directly and indirectly, influence water availability over a large area. However, most of the mountain areas are water deficient as water quickly drains off due to the steep gradients. The central Himalayas especially face shortages of water. In summer months water scarcity becomes acute. Agriculture remains majorly dependent on rain.
 

INHERE’s initiatives:

  • Rainwater harvesting and storage for domestic uses.

  • Rainwater storage tanks and ponds and water percolation tanks in agri-fields for minor irrigation and moisture retention.

  • Bunding and contour trenching in fields to conserve soil moisture from rain.

  • Creating percolation pits and staggered trenches to conserve soil moisture in village agri-fields and pastures.

  • Introducing micro water systems like drip irrigation and sprinklers to conserve water in irrigation.

  • Demo of recycling of grey water treatment for other uses.

  • Dry toilets using minimal water.

  • Twin pit latrines.

  • Vertical Silos for composting bio-degradable waste in rural areas.

  • Soak-Pits.

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Rural Livelihoods

Livelihoods in rural areas which dominate the mountains are a challenge. This forces people to migrate to urban areas. INHERE helps communities to identify natural resource based advantages and opportunities  and to realize them.
 

INHERE’s initiatives:

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  • Assessment  and identification of surplus produce in the village and surroundings.

  • Identification of value addition opportunities and their selection in consultation with the community.

  • Assistance  in establishment of individual and community enterprises utilizing resources available in the village and vicinity.

  • Assistance to  enterprises with quality control protocols in production and value addition  for  world class products.

  • Support in   packaging, labeling and related requirements

  • Assistance   in account keeping, legal formalities and tax requirements.

  • Support for linking products with markets-local and outside as feasible.

  • INHERE also promotes agriculture and subsidiary activities like poultry, goatery, fishery, beekeeping, vegetable farming, spice cultivation, fruit cultivation  to create additional incomes for farmers and increase raw material for the enterprises.

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Empowerment

Livelihoods in rural areas which dominate the mountains are a challenge. This forces people to migrate to urban areas. INHERE helps communities to identify natural resource based advantages and opportunities  and to realize them.

INHERE believes that empowerment of human resources through knowledge and capacity building is the key to sustaining any development process. Strengthening the competence of people is the key to empowerment.

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a) Farmer’s Seed Bank

In order to support, protect and promote local biodiversity, a seed bank has been established to conserve traditional mountain seeds. The seed varieties are collected, graded, tested and further made available to local farmers of the region. At present 29 variety of traditional mountain seeds ranging from vegetables, pulses, cereals and millets collected, processed and recycled in the region.

b) Farmers’ Poultry Promotion Enterprise

A model Poultry unit has been developed comprising of 5 indigeneous varieties at Chinoni campus in order to demonstrate alternate agro-based livelihood opportunities in the mountain regions. Moreover, the unit also supports entrepreneurs by providing vaccinated chicks to further strengthen poultry rearing at local level.  

c) Young Progressive Farmers Leadership

A platform has been created for Young Progressive Farmers of the region in order to promote leadership amongst agro-based entrepreneurs, progressive farmers and interested individuals alike so that they can take up and solve their problem themselves together. Identification of farmer leaders, group formation and motivation trainings are main issues of work.

d) Value Addition and Promotion of Pahari Products

Trainings on processing, value addition and marketing is  given to local entrepreneurs in order to promote and increase value of locally available products in the region. A website is being developed to bring entrepreneurs and their products under a larger umbrella brand of Pahari products

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Building Competencies

  • Supported By

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    This initiative focuses on strengthening the role of women in agriculture by providing training, access to resources, and support networks. By promoting sustainable practices and economic independence, the project uplifts women farmers as leaders in their communities and stewards of the land.

    Execution:

    This initiative focuses on strengthening the role of women in agriculture by providing training, access to resources, and support networks. By promoting sustainable practices and economic independence, the project uplifts women farmers as leaders in their communities and stewards of the land.

    Impact:

    Through training and support, this project has enabled over 500 women in Himalayan villages to adopt sustainable farming, improve incomes, and lead community-based initiatives—strengthening both livelihoods and local food systems.

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Building Competencies

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