EVENT : National Permaculture Convergence - 5th to 7th February, 2016

Aranya Agricultural Alternatives will host the first ever National Permaculture Convergence (NPC) on 5th-7th February 2016 at the University Auditorium of Prof. Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University in Hyderabad, India.  

The Convergence will provide a forum for farmers (rural and urban), those interested in ecological farming, and others who are passionate about sustainability initiatives, to meet and share their ideas and techniques. Also, academicians, students, NGOs and other institutions, along with government functionaries and decision makers in the field of natural resource management are invited to attend. Open to the public, the event will feature talks, presentations, discussions, exhibition stalls for eco-friendly groups and products and demonstrations of sustainable agricultural practices.  

For more information about registration, fees and venue, visit www.npcindia2016.org

One of the goals of the Convergence is to help integrate the various strands of ecological agricultural movements in India.  Expert sessions will cover methodologies on regeneration of living soils, water harvesting & management and its importance in this crucial time, climate change mitigation and sustainable living practices for a better living for all beings. 

Permaculture (the word is a contraction of “permanent” and “agriculture) is an innovative international movement that enables people to design and establish productive systems to provide for their food, energy, shelter and other material and nonmaterial needs, in harmony with natural systems.

Featured among the 22 speakers and presenters are: 

 

• Dr. Vandana Shiva, world-renowned seed activist, will deliver the keynote address on “Permaculture and Indian Agriculture.”  Dr. Vithal Rajan, a renowned international development professional, will also share his inspirations at the Inaugural Session. 
• Dr. C. Suvarna of the Indian Forest Service and Member Secretary – Biodiversity Board and  Dr. Purushottam Reddy, one of India’s preeminent environmentalists and member of the faculty at Osmania University, will speak on “Forests, Biodiversity & Climate Change.”
• Dr. Sultan Ismail, soil biologist and ecologist, and Director of the Ecoscience Research Foundation in Chennai will speak on “Living Soil” and how we can regenerate our soils with ecological practices. 
• Mr. Claude Alvarez, environmental activist from Goa and OFAI (Organic Farmers Association of India) will speak on “Farming as if nature mattered – Practical examples”. 
• Dr. G.V. Ramanjaneyulu is Executive Director of the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture and K.S. Gopal, Director of Centre for Environment Concerns, will speak on “Policy Framework for Dryland Farming.” 
• Dr. Praveen Rao – Hon. Dean of PJTSAU and Dr. Yella Reddy of WALAMTARI will speak on “Water Management in Irrigated Lands”,  while Mr. M.V. Rama Chandrudu of WASSAN and P.Narendra of BAIF, will speak on the how and why “Water Harvesting.” 
• Mr. Umendra Dutt founder of Kheti Virasat Mission (KVM) in Punjab will speak on “Changing Trends In Indian Agriculture” 
• Uzramma  founder of non-profit research centre Dastkar Andhra, has been associated with the cotton textile industry of India since 1989. She will be sharing with us the story of cotton, the changes in the industry and its impact. 
• Laxmi Nadendla and Sangeeta Khanna will be taking us through connections of Soil and food nutrition. 
• Deepika Kundaji – an expert seed saver will speak on “Seed Conservation”
• Kavitha Kuruganthi, one of the founders of Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch (MAKAAM) will speak on “Women and Indian Agriculture”
• Narsanna Koppula, Rico Zook, Ardhendu Chatterjee, Clea Chandmal and others, will conduct various Permaculture Sessions, which will cover basics of permaculture ethics, design principles and basics of good land management practices.  
• Sessions on Urban Permaculture including kitchen gardening, composting, lake regeneration and the like will be conducted by experts in these subjects.
• Farmers successfully practicing ecological ecologically sound agricultural methodologies will be presenting their case studies and share their expertise. 

For detailed event schedule please check : www.npcindia2016.org/pdf/NPCSchedule.pdf

The host, Aranya Agricultural Alternatives (“Aranya”) is an NGO based in Hyderabad and founded in 1999 by Narsanna and Padma Koppula to bring good natural resource management and sustainable agriculture to farming communities across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Aranya operates based on “permaculture” principles.  Permaculture is particularly relevant to India given the nation’s declining water resources, soil health, biodiversity, and wildlife habitats, as well as associated social issues including increasing farmer debt, the loss of traditional agricultural practices and the erosion of localized self sustained village economies. 

Aranya is also organizing the “XIII International Permaculture Convergence’, in November 2017 in Hyderabad, Telangana. IPC 2017 is an international meet of permaculture practitioners from across the globe. 

Contact for additional Information on National Permaculture Convergence 2016.

Email:   npcindia@gmail.com

Phone:  8500281058 

For registrations please check www.npcindia2016.org