1. Tribal Women Permaculture
Practices
Aranya Agricultural Alternatives
Andhra Pradesh, India
www.permacultureindia.org

2. Aranya Agriculture Alternatives (Permaculture India)
• “Aranya” means forest in Sanskrit
• Aranya a self-regulating system
• Aranya also the guiding principle of agriculture
(hence the name Aranya Agricultural Alternatives)
to encapsulate the regeneration philosophy of the
age old Indian tradition and culture
• An environmental and developmental organization
working for remote tribal communities of Adilabad
and Medak districts, Andhra Pradesh in north-central
part of peninsular India
registered No.1502 of 1999) AP (Telangana area)
Public Societies Registration Act 1350 Fasli (Act 1
f1350 F)

3. Vision :
Achieving Ecological and Sustainable Agricultural Livelihoods
through Permaculture farming practices for a Green Globe
Objectives of ARANYA :
• To advocate and promote alternative and Permanent Agriculture practices
with focus on sustainable natural resource management
• To organize and strengthen the rural and farming communities to achieve food
and nutrition security
• To promote concept of biodiversity, natural resource conservation and organic
practices
• To empower rural communities women , farmers and youth on Permaculture
practices, through capacity building
• To empower women in particular to facilitate processes through which they
would gain access and control over natural resources
• To promote sustainable livelihoods by capacity building of different rural
communities regarding indigenous and native technologies

4. ARANYA-A self
regulating system
Sustainable
Livelihoods
Natural
Resource
Management
Empowering
rural
communities
Permaculture
Aranya
Agricultural
Alternatives

5. Permaculture In India
• Inception in 1985 by Bill Mollison assisted by Robin Francis and
Reny slay in Hyderabad,Andhra Pradesh
• 1st Permaculture Design Certificate Course at Central university
of Hyderabad in early 1987
• 1st Permaculture demonstration farm of 3.25 acre in
Pasthapur,Zaheerabad,AP
• 1st workshop on Permaculture; The Permaculture association of
India formally formed in Nov,1989
• National conference on Permaculture in 1990,2nd PDC
course, first Indian edition of Bill’s ‘Permaculture designer
manual “
• Spread of workshops,literature and demonstrations in to other
states,Orissa,Karnataka,Kerala,Tamilnadu and activities in
further years

6. Spreading of Permaculture
• Developing Permaculture demonstration farms, facilitating
further establishments of nuclear Permaculture farms
• Providing on hands training and support to imbibe
Permaculture activity to selected
NGO’s,individuals,Government organizations and research
institutions to incorporate sustainable agricultural activities
• Networking with nonprofit organizations ,groups working on
NRM,biodiversity and with Government watershed project
implementing agencies
• Interstate exposure visits, Extending Internship programmes
and promoting volunteerism

7. Activity spread cycle
1.Permaculture
Pioneer farm
(Pasthapur)
2.Kitchen
Gardens
(villages)
3.Farm
development in
schools(Green
school),colleges
4.Collective
agriculture
through women
groups
5.Nuclear
Permaculture
farms
development
6.NGO’s(Aranya
working upon
2,3,4,5,7,8,9)
7.Facilitating
other institutions
8.Permaculture in
Government waste
lands(arid and
semiarid areas)
Permaculture in
Community lands

8. OLD PERMACULTURE FARMS IN EARLY NINETYS
DIFFERENT PERMACULTURE FARMS
ARANYA FARM

9. Early Permaculture activities in India

10. Early Training and Capacity Building Activities

11. Permaculture Association of India-PCAI Programmes
(1998,1999,2000-Narsanna,Venkat)
Level 1 :Regeneration of agriculture of small and marginal farmers in 3
villages in Munipalli mandal ,Zaheerabad Tq,Medak district,AP for
increased food production primarily for self consumption
Training ,transfer of skills and implementation(Rain water harvesting, soil
conservation, Enchancing tree cover, biomass generation, recycling
organic wastes, composting, mulching ).
Level 2: Collaborating with NGO’s in Permaculture projects implementation
chosen by PCAI.( JDRDP, SKS, MVF,ARANYA)
Level 3 : Networking with NGO’s ; First Permaculture workshop
Secunderabad. (22 Organizations ) ; Meet at American studies Research
Centre(ASRC), Meet at Catholic Health Association of India.
Assisting The TelanganaNatural Resource Management Group (TNRMG) ;
18 organizations in 6 Dry land districts.

12. Tributes to Dr.Venkat (1923-2011)
( Permaculture Pioneer of India)

13. Permaculture
torch bearer ARANYA
Sustainable
Livelihoods
Natural
Resource
Management
Empowering
rural
communities
Permaculture
Aranya Agricultural
Alternatives

14. Empowering Communities through Permaculture for
sustainable Livelihoods
• Natural Ecological Farming in tribal hamlets
• Vegetable gardens (Gangamma Mandala)
• Tree Based Farming in tribal farmers lands
• Dry land/Rainfed agriculture
• Irrigated Agriculture Development ( Command Areas)
• Bio-Diversity
• System of Rice Intensification-SRI
• Compost making( Vermicompost and others)
• Food security
• Pisciculture
• Capacity building of farmers (
awareness, trainings, demonstrations, exposure visits and
hand holding support)

15. Natural Resource Management
• Water Resource Management
• Soil Water Conservation
• Vegetation development
• Climate change mitigation

16. Ecological farming
• Training and facilitating tribal
women in the Preparation of
“Amrutha jhal” and
“Amrutha mitti”(cow based
farming; cow
dung+urine+Jaggery+
Compost material
• Nutrition plantations for
tribal food security
(Citrus,Moringa,Pomegranate
,Curry leaf)
• Vegetable gardens
• Nursery raising

17. Capacity Building
• Training and awareness
regarding age-old
Permacultural practices
• Field demonstrations
• Exposure visits to
Permaculture farms
• Hand holding support
for implementation

18. Tree based farming
• Amla,Mango plantations
• Intercropping
• Live hedge planting
• Agro forestry
• Companion plantations

19. Food and seeds
• Traditional and
indigenous seed
varieties restoration
• Saving land races
• Seed banks
establishment
• Revenue through seed
and fruit marketing

20. Water resource
management
• Soil water conservation
works
• Water shed
development
• Participatory irrigation
management
• System of Rice
Intensification
• Irrigated agriculture
development

21. Sustainable Livelihoods
•Diversified cropping
systems
•Livestock integration
•Dairy, poultry
•Pisciculture
•Horticulture

22. Learning without frontiers

23. Aranya –Permaculture future endeavors
• Intensifying Natural resource based livelihood promotion
• Safe Food and nutrition security (focus on women and children)
• e- based project for large scale dissemination of Permaculture
concept through networking
• Permaculture advisory ,support and consultation services
(for design and implementation of Permaculture farms reaching
individuals,organisations,also focusing more on urban population and
corporates)
• Spreading Permaculture education and knowledge sharing at all
levels
• Greenery development and biodiversity conservation
programmes keeping in view climate change mitigation

24. “The only ethical decision is to take responsibility for our own
existence and that of our children Make it now” - Bill Mollison
THANK YOU