CEiBa Newsletter greets you in the new year 2022. The biennial spread of the pandemic slowly assimilated into our life compels us to adapt to this new world. Amidst this turmoil, we strive to present you the interesting aspects of humans and their association with the nature. We earnestly hope that more researchers, observers, amateurs, and enthusiasts will join us to share their experiences, challenges, aspirations, and solutions.
On that note, the current issue begins with a firsthand account of an organic farmer and environmental activist. We are often flooded with information on organic farming, its benefits and beckoned by the bright success stories of the people at different geographies. However, the pressing challenges and heartbreaks are usually untold and lost amid the romanticism of ideology. In this article, the author narrates his personal experience as an organic farming practitioner in light of farming techniques as well as social, political, and economic milieu to continue the endeavor in quest of a sustainable livelihood. Hope this article ignites the debate on the successful implementation of organic farming and underscores the effective policies. Likewise, our second article explores the conservation dilemma on the Asiatic Lion. Emblematized as the pride of Gujarat or even for India, this story tells us how this “Pride” shrinks the survival opportunity of the lion populations. It goes on to show how political factors and war of opinions undermine the ecological and conservation facts for species survival. On top, we can sense the bitter challenges often scientists and activists meet with in the real world.
The wild food section is plant-populated with species like Spilanthes, Spondias, Stellaria and Trapa with their amazing culinary delights. There is Spilanthes, the “toothache plant”, famous for dental remedy as well as for the preparation of tasty vegetarian dishes and salads. Similarly, Spondias (a.k.a Hog plum), Stellaria (Chikweed), and Trapa (Water Chestnut) are though quite familiar the diverse dishes are not.
The glimpses of nature present fascinating short stories on how evolution helped elephants to be tuskless so that they can save themselves from the anthropogenic onslaught, farmers right and fight against multinationals, historical account on the first biotech animal, and the farming of edible insects for satiating our taste buds.
I anticipate you enjoying this joyful sojourn and joining us in the future endeavors.
Happy reading
