R.T. Doshi, with Sunil Doshi and Vandana Shah

In: UA Magazine 10 - Appropriate (Micro) Technologies for Urban Agriculture

After working on his farm at Kamshet, near Pune, the author discovered the immeasurable problems faced by farmers. He discovered that if farmers include the cost of their labour in the calculation of farm profit and loss, all farms would be unprofitable. This led him to think very seriously about reducing the costs of farming and labour. Dr. Doshi has experimented with a number of farming practices that enables city dwellers to grow their own food on every available square inch of urban space, including terraces and balconies. None of the innovations recommended involve high costs, nor does the farming require long hours of work. The farm can provide the family with ample nutrition from plant sources, eliminating the need to purchase one's vegetables and fruits from the market, where inflation makes a mockery of housewives' budgets.