Shifting to settled cultivation: Changing practices among the Adis in Central Arunachal Pradesh, north-east India

Abstract

In the hilly tropics, although shifting cultivation is a widespread practice, government policies have attempted to replace it with other land uses. However, several factors determine whether farming communities can make the shift. We tried understanding the factors that facilitate or impede the shift to settled cultivation through interviews with the Adi tribe in north-east India. Although settled cultivation was initiated in the 60s, about 90 % of the families still practise shifting cultivation, observing 13 festivals associated with the annual agricultural calendar. Our results indicate that the economic status of a household determined whether a family undertook settled cultivation, while labour availability was important for shifting cultivation. Often, these nuances are ignored in the Government policies. We conclude that future policies should be mindful of cultural and socio-economic factors that affect the community and of the social-ecological resilience of the landscapes and not use a one-size-fits-all strategy.

Recovery of soil macronutrients following shifting cultivation and ethnopedology of the Adi community in the Eastern Himalaya

“…The New Land Use Policy envisioned providing 120 000 families in 750 villages throughout the State with alternative settled and cash crop cultivation options (Singh, ; Mandal & Raman, ). Another instance of shifting cultivation being actively discouraged is promotion of oil palm ( Elaeis guineensis ) plantations by State Governments in North‐east India in shifting cultivation landscapes (Teegalapalli & Datta, ). Without considering the range of ways in which shifting cultivation is practised; from the ‘shifted’ cultivator (Myers, ) described earlier to the traditional shifting cultivator described here and by others (Ramakrishnan, ; Kerkhoff & Sharma, ), well‐intentioned policies can cause more damage to the traditional farmer who depends on farming for subsistence.…”

“…The Adi community in the district has been practising shifting cultivation for centuries, with relatively long fallow periods. Several families often combine their efforts to cultivate relatively large patches together, which fosters cooperation during forest clearing, fencing and mitigating crop losses to birds and mammals (Teegalapalli & Datta, ).…”

“…All the 74 households in the study village farmed; therefore, we expected the farmers to have a considerable knowledge pertaining to the soil in the study area (Teegalapalli & Datta, ). Interviews were based on the snowball sampling method where the first interviewee suggested the next one familiar with the soil information that we sought.…”

“…Tripura State; Gupta, ) to longer fallow cycles in others (e.g. Siang region of Arunachal Pradesh State; Teegalapalli & Datta, ).…”

“…Here, we present results from research in a relatively remote site in North‐east India, where traditional shifting cultivation is still practised systematically by the Adi community for subsistence (Teegalapalli & Datta, ,b). Our objectives were as follows: (i) to understand soil recovery in terms of macronutrients, organic matter and soil properties following shifting cultivation, and, (ii) to document the local soil knowledge and soil management of the Adi community.…”