Question

Tribes in India used to practise a particular form of agriculture which was banned later by the government. Identify this method of agriculture and discuss any three reasons for it being banned.

Answer 1

Tribes employed shifting cultivation, also called slash-and-burn agriculture. This approach involves clearing land by chopping and burning plants, followed by growing crops in nutrient-rich ash soil. After a few years of agriculture, the ground is left fallow to regenerate before farmers relocate to a new plot of land.
Here are three reasons why shifting cultivation was banned by the government in India:

1. Environmental Degradation: Shifting farming can cause deforestation and soil erosion. Clearing land and burning plants can degrade forests, alter ecosystems, and reduce biodiversity. This method depletes soil nutrients and reduces land fertility over time.
2. Land Use Conflict: As populations increased and land became scarcer, disputes erupted between moving cultivators and other land users, including permanent farmers, conservationists, and government officials. Shifting cultivation requires access to wooded land, which may conflict with conservation efforts or other stakeholders' interests.
3. Productivity and Food Security: Shifting cultivation has been criticised for its low productivity and inefficiency in growing food crops compared to current agricultural approaches. The government aimed to encourage sustainable and productive agriculture, improving food security and livelihoods in rural communities. The ban on shifting cultivation aimed to encourage farmers to use more reliable agricultural production methods. Shifting cultivation, a historic practice among tribal tribes in India, was banned due to concerns about environmental sustainability, land use conflicts, and the need for improved agricultural output and food security.