Traditional/Indigenous Knowledge and Technologies for Sustainable Agriculture in the Himalayas

The burgeoning global human population and its insatiable appetite for food, water, energy and raw materials is placing ever-greater demands upon our environment and natural resource base. Moreover, global climate change, largely a consequence of the myriad of human activities connected with virtually every aspect of our lives (food and energy production, transport, manufacturing, settlements, communication, and so on) is catapulting human societies towards an existential crisis. The land, air and water bodies in many parts of the world have borne the brunt of humanity’s extractive, polluting and destructive actions, in particular, since the onset of the Industrial Revolution during the late 1700s to early 1800s. And although the Green Revolution, which began during the post-World War II period of modernization, ushered in the promise of large-scale excess food production to eliminate hunger worldwide, it became evident within a few decades that this was not a panacea and could not be sustained indefinitely into the future. By the end of the twentieth Century, scientists and farmers in different parts of the world were reverting to a more holistic and integrated approach to agriculture, rangeland management and forest conservation resembling past traditional practices. Ecologists and conservationists have realized that sustainable use and management of natural resources must necessarily incorporate the indigenous knowledge and wisdom of local resource users who are also the primary stakeholders. This is especially true for land management and agriculture in developing countries of the world. This chapter explores and documents some of the key farming techniques and practices that offer potential sustainable approaches to food production along with climate change adaptation and mitigation in the Central Himalayan region of South Asia.