In October 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Mission LiFE initiative in Ahmedabad. Since then, he has emphasised the importance of this mission at various forums. It has sought to make combating the climate crisis a people’s movement by following sustainable practices. Today, we are in a critical phase where the climate crisis poses a threat to humanity. Countries are focusing on various adaptation and mitigation strategies to address this challenge.
Some of the interventions around sustainability at the individual level might be novel for many around the world, but India has a long history of people co-existing with nature. One such important project that reflects this sustainability is the Krishna Valley Indian Cultural Centre and Eco Farm in Hungary. Started in 1993, it is one of the largest and oldest eco-villages in Europe. Every aspect of the functioning of the Krishna Valley carries the symbol of a sustainable lifestyle and embodies the principle of living in agreement with nature. A village with less than 300 families, the valley lives by Vedic practices in the Hungarian countryside. The Krishna Valley community has not only made the area its home but has also received wide acceptance from the national government in Hungary.
One of the impressive practices at this place is the process of growing food and the management of livestock. A government official in Hungary had casually remarked that on certain farms in Hungary, the dairy yield increased merely with the employment of more Indian-origin workers. One might wonder whether Indians come with some different skill set. The answer was in how the livestock was treated. The official said that the Indian workers treated the animals with more compassion and respect than the other staff. This practice came naturally to them and as a result, the animals too reacted differently to such compassion. This was also visible in how the eco-village treated its cattle.
Another significant feature of the livestock is that the valley only keeps as much livestock as it can manage. For instance, the cattle do not graze on pastures beyond the land under the valley boundaries. After the milking period of the cow’s life, the cattle are treated with dignity and remain on the farm for the rest of their lives. There is also a dedicated funeral for them on the outskirts of the valley. All these practices have also received appropriate certifications from the local government as well. These endorsements from the local government emphasise that one can live a high-quality life in a rural economy by staying close to nature. On the food production front, the valley cultivates its produce in the available land. The village harvests about 30 to 40 tonnes of grains annually, all produced sustainably. The vegetables and fruits are stored in a brick-walled cellar that acts as a natural environment to keep the produce cool. The farm has its own seed bank. Seed banks are important in promoting organic farming. The high chemical usage for high yield also involves more input cost and depletes the soil of its nutrients whereas sustainable farming with organic inputs helps maintain the indigenous varieties. Some of these practices are common on a small scale in various parts of India: For example, in Balasore, Odisha, a couple has set up one of the largest private seed banks with over 1,000 varieties of seeds. The water required for agriculture practices comes from rivers and waterways that also serve as a reservoir for firefighting in summer. The water consumption of a typical household in the eco-village is about 50 litres per day which is half of the average usage by an average resident in Hungary. The ecological footprint of the inhabitants of the organic farm is 40% lower than the Hungarian average.
Another significant part of living a sustainable lifestyle is that people must be acquainted with various activities essential for day-to-day living. Children are taught about 30 different occupations subject to their interests. These could range from sewing and cleaning to learning technical subjects. The gurukul in the valley follows the syllabus mandated by the Hungarian government and uses the remaining time for cultural and vocational education.
These traditions show us that the solutions to some of the pressing environmental challenges have been around us for a long time. The world is slowly moving back to some of these practices. Krishna Valley will serve as a guiding light towards this.
Harivansh is deputy chairperson, Rajya Sabha. The views expressed are personal
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