Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014 Septembre 2010
DARJEELING PROJECT W E S T B E N G A L , I N D I A P R O G R E S S R E P O R T, S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
2. PROJECT ACTIVITIES OCT 2013 – AUGUST 2014
3. NEXT STEPS 4. PICTURES
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1. KEY INFORMATION
PROGRESS REPORT WEST BENGAL, INDIA
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
DARJEELING AGROFORESTRY PROJECT
Context and objectives
MAIN THEMES
KEY INFORMATION SPECIFIC CONTEXT
Ensure the long-term quality and availability of Darjeeling tea by creating a biodynamic ecosystem that brings optimal agricultural conditions for tea production
Favor multi-crops and increase and diversify revenues for farmers
Empower local farmers’ organizations with trainings and field workshops
• Type: Agroforestry / regeneration
• Local partners: TPI cooperative and DLR Prerna NGO
• Participants: Fair trade and Organic tea farmers from Sanjukta Vikas Cooperative
• Status in Sept 2014: 7,500 trees planted
• Potential: 15,000 trees planted by 2015
• Products: Trees
The dense tea monoculture in Darjeeling has led to a declining tea production in the last decade as plantations have cleared hillsides of trees to maximize the acreage of tea bushes, causing the degradation of the ecosystem on which tea production depends. Small-scale tea farmers of Sanjukta Vikas Cooperative have decided to launch an agroforestry project mixing trees and tea in order to secure optimal conditions for long term culture of Darjeeling tea. They will be supported by TPI cooperative and DLR Prerna NGO.
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Climatemitigation
Self sufficiency
Culture
Communityempowerement
Economicdevelopment
Climateadaptation
Agroecology
BiodiversityDARJEELING PROJECT
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
Darjeeling hills, India
LOCATION
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Nestling in the foothills of the mighty Himalayas lies Darjeeling, the northern most district of the state of West Bengal, India.
Eastern Himalayas is among the world’s ten most critical centers for biodiversity and endemism. Darjeeling is one of the global Biodiversity-hotspots.
Today the green cover is only 41.2% due to rampant legal and illegal felling. Deforestation has led to serious problems of landslides, threatening tea plantations and agricultural yields.
Darjeeling hills
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
SPECIFIC CONTEXT
History of land use
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1864 – 1957: The area was a part of the
Harrison’s and Mineral Springs English Tea Estate, all villagers were workers. Land is a tea monoculture plantation.
60’s – 80’s: Protestation movements and destruction of the Mineral Spring tea factory. People survived selling tea to neighboring gardens, hand made tea, firewood, timber and charcoal from the garden reserve forest. The reserve forest depleting rapidly, the people started “grabbing the land” and started cultivating traditional food grains.
1996: Villagers got ownerships of the land. Creation of the small farmers cooperative MSSVS (Mineral Spring Sanjukta Vikas Sunstha) with the support of NGO DLR Prerna. Now MSSVS area is an organic and bio-dynamic agriculture
Workers in a monoculture tea plantation, Darjeeling
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
SPECIFIC CONTEXT
Key figures
The area of Mineral Spring has a population of 12500 people with 11 villages in 3 sectors:
• Dabaipani : 6 villages • Yangkhoo : 2 villages • Harsing : 3 villages
The area is 16 km from Darjeeling city. This is a remote area, people live from the culture of tea, spicy and milk sales on the local market.
The Mineral Spring experience has a great importance for Darjeeling with its unique and fragile socio-ecological system in this Eastern Himalayas, a biodiversity hotspots.
Agricultural model is monoculture farming and damage for environment increase year after year.
Mineral Springs Sanjukta Vikash want to be a social-ecological model for all Darjeeling district. Meeting about plantation with Pur Projet - Board of coop Mineral Spring,
Darjeeling Thursday, August 29th 2014
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
SPECIFIC CONTEXT
Two critical issues: Deforestation and overuse of chemicals
India exported 225.76 million kg of tea in 2013-14. India is the world's second-biggest tea producer. Among the teas grown in India, Darjeeling tea offers distinctive characteristics of quality and flavor, and also a strong reputation for more than a century.
But the dense tea monoculture in Darjeeling has led to a declining tea production in the last decade as plantations have cleared hillsides of trees to maximize the acreage of tea bushes, causing erosion and a more rapid soil degradation.
In the battle to cut costs, the fertility of the naturally thin soil has further been reduced by overuse of chemicals or washed away by landslides.
Deforestation for tea is destroying the habitat of iconic local species, like the jaguar, and degrade the ecosystem on which tea production depends.
Darjeeling tea plantation
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
Improving environmental and economic living conditions in Mineral Spring
OBJECTIVES
Create a biodynamic ecosystem that brings back optimal agricultural conditions for tea production: soil enrichment, erosion reduction, beneficial biodiversity (pest control), shading, retaining humidity… Hence ensuring the long-term quality and availability of Darjeeling tea;
Favor multi-crops and increase and diversify revenues for farmers, with a better distribution over time through additional short-term revenues from timber, fruit sales on the local market and development of other natural products;
Empower local farmers’ organizations with trainings and field workshops;
Improve food sovereignty and family diet with fruit plantations.
Be a socio-ecological model for other communities and tea plantation in Darjeeling district. Tea Farmer
Yangkhoo Village – Mineral Spring
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
TPI cooperative and DLR Prerna
LOCAL PARTNERS
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TEA PROMOTERS OF INDIA (TPI) Darjeeling-based family operation that manages seven organic Fair Trade tea gardens. TPI has been a pioneer in bringing environmental and
social reform to the tea industry.
TPI is supporting small tea farmers by helping them gain access to international market and a fair price for their tea.
They promote holistic and sustainable farming practices restoring soil health, with trees, plants & animals reappearing in these areas.
DARJEELING LADENLA ROAD PRERNA (DLR PRERNA) Darjeeling based NGO created in 2001 Their mission is to build sustainable human communities in
the Darjeeling hills by promoting peoples participation, gender equality and living in harmony with the environment.
The team provides technical support on agroecological practices to tea farmers and great passion to work in the Hills.
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
Small-scale tea farmers from Sanjukta Vikas Cooperative
PARTICIPANTS
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The Sanjukta Vikas Cooperative, was one of the first small farming initiatives in the plantation controlled region of Darjeeling.
The land that cooperative members live on was a tea plantation in the early part of the century but abandoned in the 1950s. The community has since depended mostly upon subsistence farming of corn, millet, potatoes and vegetables.
Today, they are a dairy cooperative of 450 family farmers who also export high quality, organic Fair Trade tea with the technical assistance and training of DLR Prerna, and the processing and marketing assistance of TPI.
They further support the environment with their commitment to farming using biodynamic, organic and permaculture farming techniques.
© Eric Garnier Tea collect day for all farmers of cooperative Mineral Spring
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014 11
1. KEY INFORMATION
PROGRESS REPORT WEST BENGAL, INDIA
2. PROJECT ACTIVITIES OCT 2013 – AUGUST 2014
3. NEXT STEPS 4. PICTURES
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
Environmental context in Mineral Spring
PROJECT IDENTIFICATION
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Climate: Continental temperate monsoon climate. The area of Mineral Spring is in a valley and temperature is between 8°in January and 25° in August. Farmers observe warming temperatures year after year. Monsoon is in July and august. Hydrology: There are 2 main rivers in Mineral Spring, Rung Dung Khola and Ghatte Khola. There are a lot of waterfalls on the hills. Soils: The area of Mineral Spring is approximately 600ha with approximately 370ha of tea farming. 370ha are polyculture farming, all grown by producers of the cooperative Mineral Spring. Tea cultivation in monoculture is on the other side of the hill but it’s not cultivated by the cooperative. Ecosystems: The region belongs to the Eastern Himalaya range. This mountainous area is located along the border of Darjeeling and Nepal. The altitude differs from 800m (Rung Dung Khola river) to 1200m (last village on the top of the hill). Biodiversity: In the fringe of Senchel wildlife sanctuary, the area of Mineral Spring is a bio diversity hotspot. A dense vegetation covers the ground and we can find leopards, bears, boars, monkeys, civets, porcupines and rabbits.
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
PROJECT IDENTIFICATION
Environmental context in Mineral Spring
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Deforestation issues Mineral Spring area Total forest area: actually approximately 150ha (250 ha
in 1960’ years) Part of land area: 30% Forest types: mainly Teak, Cedar, Pine
Current Land use in Mineral Spring villages Uncultivated forest and villages represent 40% Tea farming represent 25 - 29% Other culture (orange, different fruits, vegetables,
spicy): 30%
Tea plantation, Darjeeling hills
Mineral Spring area, Darjeeling hills
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
Activities
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Project summary: 15 000 trees will be planted on the area of
Mineral Spring 11 villages and more than 250 producers
participate to this program The first wave of planting was done in august
2014 with 7500 trees. Total reforestation area: About 250ha (250 farmers participate to the program)
Actions: Planting fruit and timber trees to increase
villagers’ revenue Improving environmental practices in the
village with the establishment of an educational program delivered in the school of Mineral Spring.
Planting medicinal trees for villagers Roll-out: Planting trees: 2 waves of plantation. 1st in august 2014, 7500 trees 2nd in 2015, 7500 trees Training of agroforestry for Mineral Spring
farmers
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
2014 Activities
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FINALIZING PROJECT STRUCTURE Recording of interested communities and beneficiary farmers Visit of tea farms to identify tea farming best-practices, possible plantation
models, soil and climate types Selection of species based on appropriate combination with tea. Selection
of fruit and timber trees (according to the producers’ interest) to increase additional revenues for families
Design of plantation models Seedlings order and production PREPARATION OF FIRST PLANTATIONS WAVE Finalizing the contract with tree nursery Continuous empowerment of project technician by Pur Projet MONITORING OF FIRST PLANTATION WAVE Plantation of the seedlings by the farmers: land preparation, holes digging,
planting according to the selected model GPS tracking verification Plantations follow-up
APRIL 2014 JUNE 2014
AUG 2014
JULY 2014
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
PLANTATIONS EXPECTED
3 sectors, 11 villages, 2 waves of plantation
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Project area
SL.NO Sector NAME OF THE HAMLET NO. OF PLANTS 1 HARSING HARSING, DARA GAON 860 2 HARSING HARSING, GAIREE GAON 320 3 YANGKHOO YANGKHOO 1835 4 YANGKHOO AEGHARA NUMBER 540 5 DABAIPANI KOTHI DHURA 660 6 HARSING SCHOOL DHURA 500 7 DABAIPANI BALBIR DHURA 720 8 DABAIPANI GODAWN DHURA 4220 9 DABAIPANI SAILA DHURA 2000 10 DABAIPANI AAP BOTAY 2020 11 DABAIPANI SUBAN DHURA/12 NUMBER 825 TOTAL 15000
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
PLANTATIONS AUGUST 2014
Planted species
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Species Local name Scientific name Typical height Growth speedJapanese Cedar Dhupi Cryptomeria
Japonica 5-10m
Crape Myrtal Jarul Lagerstroemia Speciosa 20m
Himalayan Cedar Kawlo Cedrus Deodara 5-10m
Teak 3-5m Yield after 3 years
Coffee 5m Yield after 3 years
White Cedar Melia azedarach
Pipal Tree Pipli Exbucklandia populnea 10-15m
2014
Wave of plantation 1
Number of farmers involved
240 families
Number of trees distributed
7 500
Number of sectors
3 sectors, 11 villages
The complete mapping of the planted species will be done by january 2015, at the end of the first monitoring.
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
ENVIRONMENT SENSIBILISATION
DEE program
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Development Environment Education in Mineral Spring school Environment issues are a common preoccupation for people in Darjeeling hills. In collaboration with several schools, NGO DLR Prerna with his program DEE (Development Environment Education) promotes responsibility, empathy and action on issues of development and environment. The focus of this program is on individual, family, community and institutional responsibilities towards a sustainable and equitable socio-ecological system. In the wild Mineral Spring area ecological subjects are important, solid waste management, biodiversity, deforestation, importance to keep agroforestry system model . ,Teachers of Mineral Spring school talk about these issues to farmer’s children. Pur Projet program is a new and additional way of environment awareness for small farmers. Seeing their father plant trees, children can see a real example of what they learn in school about environmental issues, about the importance to keep this fruitful biodiversity on their lands.
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
MONITORING
GPS Mapping of 3 parcels
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Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
MONITORING
GPS Mapping of Navin TAMANG’s parcel
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Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
MONITORING
GPS Mapping of Dan KUMAR’s parcel
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Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
EXPECTED RESULTS
Socio-economic benefits over time
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• Carbon sequestration in trees
• Impact on climate change at
global and local level
• Increase and diversification of revenues
- Yield and quality increase
- Timber sales at maturity
• Less dependence on crop production
• Social cohesion
• Pride, Cultural value
• Food sovereignty
SOCIAL & ECONOMIC
BIODIVERSITY • Ecosystems preservation and regeneration
• Cycle of organic matter, pollination
Protection of threatened and endemic
species
WATER • Preservation of water resources
• Increase of water stocking capacity
• Regulation of rainfalls / avoiding droughts
• Filtering and limitation of water runoff
SOILS • Regeneration of unproductive
soils
• Erosion avoided
• Nitrate sequestration
CLIMATE
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014 23
1. KEY INFORMATION
2. PROJECT ACTIVITIES OCT 2013 – AUGUST 2014
3. NEXT STEPS 4. PICTURES
PROGRESS REPORT WEST BENGAL, INDIA
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
Continuation of activities after the first planting wave
NEXT STEPS
FIRST MONITORING OF PLANTATIONS Community trainings on plantations and maintenance techniques. First monitoring parcels registration, geomapping, entry in control system. First monitoring of plantations: control of mortality, maintenance, field
trainings. SECOND MONITORING OF PLANTATIONS Second monitoring of plantations: mortality, growth, maintenance. Update of control system.
PROJECT MATURITY Annual monitoring: monitoring of tree growth, assessment of environmental
and economic benefits. Annual progress and monitoring report.
SEPT 2014 DEC 2014
2016 AND AFTER
2015
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014 25
1. KEY INFORMATION
PROGRESS REPORT WEST BENGAL, INDIA
2. PROJECT ACTIVITIES OCT 2013 – AUGUST 2014
3. NEXT STEPS 4. PICTURES
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
D a r j e e l i n g c i t y Capital of Darjeeling District, State of West Bengal, India
Darjeeling project, India – April 2014 27
M o n o c u l t u r e t e a p l a n t a t i o n Darjeeling hills
Darjeeling project, India – April 2014 28
W o r k e r s i n a m o n o c u l t u r e t e a p l a n t a t i o n Darjeeling hills
Darjeeling project, India – April 2014 29
M i n e r a l S p r i n g h i l l s 17 km from Darjeeling city – The area of Mineral Spring tea cooperative
Darjeeling project, India – April 2014 30
A g r o f o r e s t r y t e a m o d e l Yangkhoo village, Mineral Spring (tea, cardamom, orange, turmeric, beans, ginger)
Darjeeling project, India – April 2014 31
M i n e r a l S p r i n g C o o p e r a t i v e Day of tea collect
Darjeeling project, India – April 2014 32
T e a p r o d u c t i o n India is the second world’s largest producer of tea
Darjeeling project, India – April 2014 33
P u r a n T A M A N G TPI Cooperative president
Darjeeling project, India – April 2014 34
D u r a j R A I Tea producer – School Dhura village
Darjeeling project, India – April 2014 35
A a p B o t a y v i l l a g e , M i n e r a l S p r i n g a r e a Navin Tamang House (tea farmer)
Darjeeling project, India – April 2014 36
A a p B o t a y v i l l a g e Tea farmer’s daughter
Darjeeling project, India – April 2014 37
T e a p r o d u c e r ’ s f a m i l y Aap Botay village
Darjeeling project, India – April 2014 38
V i c k e y R A I & P r e m r a j R A I Tea producers – Yangkhoo village
Darjeeling project, India – April 2014 39
M i n e r a l S p r i n g s c h o o l T e a c h e r w i t h h e r c l a s s , Y a n g k h o o v i l l a g e
Darjeeling project, India – April 2014 40
Darjeeling project, India – April 2014 41
S a i l e s h S h a r m a NGO DLR Prerna, Mineral Spring area
Darjeeling project, India – April 2014 42
M r s T a m a n g , Daragaon village, Mineral Spring area
Darjeeling project, India – April 2014 43
S a n j u k t a V i k a s S u n s t a h c o o p e r a t i v e 456 family members
Darjeeling project, India – Sept 2014
PUR PROJET
20 passage de la bonne graine 75011 Paris France
Tel: +33 9 81 30 91 43 [email protected]
www.purprojet.com
THANK YOU!