Rethinking Jhum: Naga researcher highlights its role in biodiversity and food security

“If a good climate condition is defined by good forests and environment, it is ultimately determined by biodiversity—and shifting cultivation promotes biodiversity,” says Athong Makury, a Naga researcher at the Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern, Switzerland.

Makury, an advocate for indigenous rights and a researcher with the Resource Rights for Indigenous Peoples (RRtIP), has spent years exploring the cultural and ecological significance of Jhum cultivation—a practice often misunderstood as environmentally harmful.

Rethinking Jhum
Jhum, or shifting cultivation, is a traditional farming method practiced by Naga communities. It involves clearing a plot of land, cultivating it temporarily, and allowing it to regenerate naturally over several years. For centuries, this system has been central to Naga livelihoods and culture, fostering a harmonious relationship between people and their environment.

However, according to Makury, misconceptions about Jhum have persisted for decades. A 1957 FAO report, for instance, labeled Jhum as a “driver” of deforestation and environmental degradation, a narrative that continues to influence policy decisions today. These misconceptions, according to Makury, have led to the undermining of indigenous land rights, leaving communities vulnerable to corporate exploitation and industrialization.

Makury challenges this prevailing narrative, asserting, “In a time when corporate entities want to take over our land for industrialization… this is when Jhum comes into play because it is very special for indigenous people. We have been practicing this method of agriculture for so many years, and we did not experience any environmental degradation.”

Recent research from the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) at the University of Bern supports Makury’s claims. Studies show that Jhum cultivation is rotational, not destructive. This practice allows ecosystems to regenerate, promoting biodiversity. Research conducted in Naga-inhabited regions of Myanmar has highlighted Jhum’s resilience in maintaining food security and nutrition.

“There are crops cultivated through Jhum that provide resilience—not just economically, but also in terms of nutrition and food security,” notes a study conducted by the Centre.

Jhum’s Role in Naga Environmental Sustainability
Makury’s research, titled “Land and Forest Governance in the Naga Village Republic,” delves into the sustainability of traditional agricultural and forest management practices in Naga villages in the Naga Self-Administered Zone (SAZ) in north-west Myanmar. The study demonstrates how Jhum cultivation contributes to ecological balance while maintaining high agricultural productivity.

In the first year of Jhum cultivation, farmers plant a diverse range of crops, including rice, maize, beans, squash, potatoes, and oilseeds. In subsequent years, livestock such as mithun, buffalo, and cattle graze on the fallow land.

This grazing practice helps thin vegetation around tree saplings, promoting forest regeneration. The study also highlighted how Jhum fields, when grazed, see healthier tree growth and fewer invasive species, such as bamboo and woody vines.

Women in Dengkleyway village emphasized the importance of Jhum cultivation for growing a wide variety of vegetables, even though terraces are used for rice cultivation. Grazing livestock on fallow Jhum land, a common practice across Naga villages, also promotes biodiversity and forest regeneration.

The fallow period, a crucial aspect of Jhum cultivation, varies by village. Dengkleyway follows a ten-year cycle, while Koki village uses five-year cycles for lower elevation plots and ten-year cycles for higher altitude plots. Farmers in some areas have experimented with faster-growing rice varieties, shortening the fallow period from ten to five years, which has improved yields and dispelled myths that shorter fallow periods are solely due to population pressures.

Contrary to popular belief, shifting cultivation has minimal impact on soil fertility. A review of peer-reviewed studies from the last 30 years shows that 90% of research supports the idea that Jhum does not degrade soil quality. Naga farmers have adapted by managing fallows, using livestock to fertilize the fields, and planting nitrogen-fixing trees like Alnus nepalensis (alder).

The study also highlighted the role of Naga communities in managing forests. Villagers in Somra, Koki, and Dengkleyway maintained community forests to protect watersheds and preserve biodiversity. Customary authorities, including village councils and clan leaders, oversee forest governance, ensuring that land is not cleared without permission. Timber extraction is regulated, with fines imposed for unauthorized deforestation. In Koki, for example, violators can be fined with a pig to be used in a community event.

Sacred forests are another significant element of Naga culture and environmental conservation. These forests, protected by customary laws and spiritual beliefs, play a key role in preserving biodiversity. Mount Saramati, a sacred site for the Makury tribe, is an example, where the Makury Naga Youth Federation ensures its protection.

Makury’s study also revealed that Jhum cultivation, once believed to be a driver of deforestation, has helped maintain more tree cover than other agricultural methods. Satellite data and village maps confirm that community-managed forests in Somra, Koki, and Dengkleyway have been protected from deforestation.

Call to recognize indigenous contributions to sustainability
As Makury points out, “According to the Global Biodiversity Framework, 90% of the world’s biodiversity hotspots are found in indigenous-inhabited areas. Jhum is a critical component of this ecological richness.” The Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), an international agreement adopted in December 2022 under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), is designed to halt biodiversity loss and promote the conservation, sustainable use, and restoration of biodiversity by 2030.

Makury is concerned about the growing trend to ‘dehumanize shifting cultivation’. He expressed concern that undermining Jhum could lead to the displacement of communities and the erosion of their cultural identities.
To share the Naga people’s deep connection to nature and challenge these misconceptions, Makury curated an Environmental Art Exhibition at the University of Bern earlier this month. The exhibition showcased the daily lives of Nagas, their agricultural practices, and their symbiotic relationship with biodiversity.

“Our relationship with nature—such as the birds, animals, and trees—needs to be shown to the world,” Makury told MT. “We have an intra-relationship with nature, and that has sustained our environment. In Naga territory, we still have forests.”

With the accelerating impacts of climate change, Makury believes the Naga story of sustainable living must reach a global audience. “Nagas are part of the international community. We need support and care for sustainable development,” he asserted. He also expressed hope that the exhibition could expand beyond Bern and be held at institutions like Zurich University in the future, further spreading the message of sustainable, indigenous practices.

MT