Cultivating Sustainability: Indigenous Farming Practices, Biodiversity, and Food Security in Indian Knowledge Systems

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-615-4_2How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Indigenous Agriculture; Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS); Agrobiodiversity; Food Security; Traditional Farming Practices; Sustainable Agriculture; Climate Resilience; Native Seed Systems; Ecological Sustainability

Abstract

Indigenous farming practices in the Indian subcontinent have been an age-old form of knowledge that synthesizes knowledge about nature with traditional farming practices. These practices are grounded in the Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) and aim at co-existing with nature in an eco-friendly manner by means of several agricultural practices such as the cultivation of several crops together, the conservation of native seeds, and the conservation of the soil in a natural manner. This research seeks to understand the impact of conventional agricultural methods on the conservation of various species and provision of nutrition for human beings despite current issues like changes in climatic conditions, soil degradation, and food shortage. The strategy employed in this research includes indigenous practices such as crop mixing and rotation, Agro-forest crops, protected forests, and native seed conservation to demonstrate the significance of indigenous agricultural practices in supporting the growth of a variety of plants, enhancing the quality of the soil, and ensuring agricultural sustainability during environmental challenges. The paper will also address the social and cultural dimensions within the context of agricultural practices such as the support for several foods and native crops. Through integrating traditional farming practices and modern sustainability initiatives in their research work, the importance of IKS for achieving global goals such as “eradicating poverty, ending hunger, take action on climate change, and protect life on land” is discussed. The need for policies for such practices and recognition within academic circles and research initiatives that focus on multiple disciplines for incorporating traditional farming practices for a “resilient and prosperous future and a secure and safe food supply” is emphasized.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Chintalapati Neelima Rani
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/15
TI  - Cultivating Sustainability: Indigenous Farming Practices, Biodiversity, and Food Security in Indian Knowledge Systems
BT  - Proceedings of the Anubhuti 4.0: Discourses in Indian Knowledge Systems – Pathways of Culture, Inclusion, and Sustainability (ICIKS 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 4
EP  - 13
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-615-4_2
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-615-4_2
ID  - Rani2026
ER  -