The Indian Subcontinent supports a predominantly agricultural way of life where 70 percent of the work force is employed in farming. Most farmers are peasant cultivators of small plots of land. The land is often farmed using traditional methods. Farmers rely upon local knowledge of soils and environmental conditions as soils may vary enormously from village to village.

In Rajasthan, about 80 percent of the population lives in rural areas and is dependent on farming. Rainfall in Rajasthan is sparse and unreliable and less than 20 percent of the cultivated land is irrigated. The Indira Gandhi canal provides irrigation to the arid western districts of Bikaner and Jaisalmer. Recent years of drought have exacerbated problems of desertification in Rajasthan and additional projects are underway or planned to bring more irrigation to the farmers. The main crops range from wheat and millet in the drier areas to sorghum, cotton, maize, oilseeds, sugar cane, tobacco, rice and potatoes.

We visited four farming families during our time in Rajasthan; two in the village of Dundlod and two Bishnoi families in a village near Jodhpur.

Learn more about the families we visited:
Dundlod: Two lower income families
Jodhpur: Two Bishnoi families