In our ‘Field Diaries’ series, The Applied Ecologist is sharing stories from a range of different fieldwork experiences. In this first-person pictorial account, Apeksha Khedekar explores their time spent researching the sustainability of homestead farming among tribal populations in Goa.
About the author
I was a master’s student in environmental science with a specialisation in ecological sciences at the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Banaras Hindu University. During my dissertation work under Prof. Gopal Singh, I embarked on a solo fieldwork journey to document biodiversity and environmental sustainability among tribals in homestead farming in Goa. My research focused on determining the plant diversity and estimating sustainability of homestead farming among tribal populations in rural and urban areas of Goa.
Fieldwork in Goa
The air is heavy and humid, as it always is in Goa shortly before the monsoons arrive. However, walking off the dusty trail and into the cool, shaded embrace of the Kulaghar is like entering another world. It’s a transition from intense sunlight to shaded green, a change in temperature, sound, and even fragrance.
A Kulaghar, for those unfamiliar, is a traditional Goan agroforestry system, often centred around trees, crops, and animals, but it’s far more than just a plantation. It’s a multi-layered, biodiverse food forest, a legacy passed down through generations.
The Konkani word ‘kull’ signifies family, while ‘aagar’ means storeroom. It is a traditional, family-inherited farmhouse garden system that cultivates a variety of crops, including cash crops, spices, and locally grown vegetables. It is commonly found in rural areas of Goa, Kerala, northern parts of Karnataka and southern parts of Maharashtra with different names.
Integration of tree, crop, and animal component
The first thing I noticed was the amazing diversity of life. The main canopy consists of towering areca palms with slender trunks that reach towards the sky. Black pepper plants climb areca trunks and produce peppercorns in the shade.
Closer to the ground, there are various medicinal herbs and shrubs . This is not a monoculture; rather, it is a complex, multilayered system in which different plants occupy distinct niches and mutually support each other. This diversity is a key component of regenerative agriculture. It aims to create resilient ecosystems that are less susceptible to pests and disease.
I kneel down and bare my fingers across the soil. It’s dark and crumbly, with a strong earthy aroma. There are no signs of recent tilling. Instead, the ground is covered with a dense layer of leaf litter, which includes fallen leaves from palms, bananas, and other plants. This natural mulch reflects regeneration practices like promoting soil fertility, conserving moisture, zero tillage etc.
Depending on the season and demand, a variety of crops, like Chilli, lady finger, Betel vine, Drumstick, Bringjal, Pumpkin, Ash Gourd , Amaranthus , Raddish, Kohlrabi, Bitter gourd, Cucumber, Sweet potato are grown in the gaps between the trees.
Fruit trees like bananas, mangoes, cashews,Indian gooseberry, mango, jamun jam, papaya, pineapple, breadfruit, kokum, and jackfruit and papayas were often planted in backyards as well as front yards.
Rice is the most common cultivated cereal crop because it is a part of the staple diet and has traditional cultural significance. Pez (rice soup), Sakhar Baat (sweet rice), Shevyo, and Fov are traditional dishes made up of rice. Mostly, women work together to cultivate rice, utilising mechanised sowing and transplanting.
Rice crops are often integrated with coconut trees at the boundary to enhance food security and improve income for tribal farmers. It promotes environmental sustainability and improves resource utilization.
The tribals highlighted the importance of the natural slope and traditional tiny canals utilised during larger rains in order to direct water through the Kulaghar allowing maximum infiltration rather than runoff.
The dense canopy and mulch layer provide significant shade, reducing evaporation and making the system relatively water-efficient, especially when compared to open-field agriculture.
While I did not see animals incorporated into this particular Kulaghar, cattle dung from homesteads is occasionally used. The tribals addressed adding composted farmyard manure to improve soil fertility by using natural fertilisers instead of synthetic fertilisers. Pest management is based on the system’s natural equilibrium rather than chemical sprays.
Animals play a key role in regenerative farming. Practices like silvopasture, rotational grazing and multispecies grazing lead to healthier soil and ecosystem balance, enhancing nutrient cycling and controlling pests and disease.
Community engagement
Goa’s Gawda, Kunbi, and Velip native tribes practise these farming methods. Their ancestral knowledge has significantly balanced the economic, environmental, and social requirements of humans. They are green warriors who promote ecological responsibility and sustainable agriculture. Due to its cultural identity and economic importance, Kulaghar is an essential component of the community’s way of life.
Despite their natural resilience, kulaghars are not immune to modern problems. The key problems observed are :
- Economic issue : fluctuating market pricing and demand. Also, high-skilled labour is required, particularly at the time of harvesting.
- Labour and Knowledge Gap: There is a prominent shortage of young people willing or educated to carry out traditional farming operations. This not only results in labour scarcity, but it also raises the prospect of losing generationally passed-down indigenous knowledge.
- Land development and fragmentation – As land values rise, there is demand to convert Kulaghar for construction or other uses.
- Climate Change Impacts: Change in monsoon patterns, unseasonal rainfall, or extended dry spells disturbs the balance of these ecosystems influencing yields and the health of crops.
Challenges
Every fieldwork has pros and cons, but trust me, it can be unforgettable moments of life. Some challenges occurred like logistics, planning, and navigating remote areas. Dealing with hot, sunny summers and irregular rainfall patterns created hurdles in collecting data. It is very important to tell the people the reasons behind collecting the data for transparency.
Key message
Traditional agroecological systems such as the Kulaghar are not relics of the past but rather sophisticated living blueprints for regenerative agriculture. They incorporate modern principles of biodiversity enhancement, soil management, water conservation, and integration of components. They provide significant time-tested lessons in resilience and sustainability, teaching how to produce food in harmony with nature.
As we focus on alternatives for a more sustainable and regenerative future for food and agriculture, it is essential that we acknowledge, value, and maintain such systems while also learning from their deep ecological knowledge.
Leaving the cool shade of the Kulaghar, I have a deeper appreciation for these traditional systems and the valuable lessons they taught me about regenerative agriculture
Discover more posts from our Fieldwork Diaries blog series here.
