Learning the best practices in agriculture from ancestors is what French environmental engineer Charles Peyrouty and biology researcher Anais Guibert are promoting.
During their week-long visit to Puducherry recently, the International Network for Development and Peace (INDP) had invited them to visit schools and villages in Puducherry and Cuddalore to get an experience of the local practices and share their knowledge.
In an interaction with The Hindu , Charles Peyrouty said that many countries had started using tractors, pesticides for agriculture without taking into account the land, climate and environment, and the common sense with which the ancestors practised agriculture. “We are forgetting the right practices. Our mission is to incorporate new technology, practice the right design where nature takes over. We should change the world and share the practices of common sense,” he said.
Sharing knowledge
Mr. Peyrouty has been working with communities and private individuals to integrate biodiversity in the management of the natural spaces. In France, he co-founded the association ‘la Seve’ with professionals in the environment for knowledge transfer on the farm named ‘Ferme de la Cure’ designed using environment-friendly techniques.
Anais Guibert, who works with children and families promoting environmental education, said she was positively surprised by the methodology teachers used in a government school in Vanur taluk to teach environment science. “It is important to inculcate the knowledge and need to protect our environment among children in schools. We have very few books in French about the practices in India. I am going to take back the practice of preparing seed balls which I learnt from a school in Bahour to France. These seed balls are thrown around lakes,” she said.
Vasantha Zeganadin, Environmental Expert (law and engineering), Volunteer at INDP, who was instrumental in bringing the experts from France, said that they visited the Green Club and Afforestation project of INDP in T. Pudupalayam, Thirumani Kuzhi, Cuddalore District, Panchayat Union Primary School, Kadagampattu, Vanur Taluk in Vilupuram District and government school in Bahour and Pondicherry Central University.
Mr. Peyrouty added that both India and France had several practices in common and that they could learn from each other.
Augustin Brutus Jaykumar, founder and director of INDP, explained that they were discussing ways to work together with the two environmental experts.
