Sharmila Vaidyanathan

Bangalore

Freelance Food Writer at The Yellow Turmeric

Writer -- Food & Environmental Conservation @OxfordFoodSymp 2020 @earthjournalism #Biodiversity Grant 2022 #RukhmabaiFellow 2022, @risj_oxford OCJN '24

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Articles

Scent Memory of a City's Past

2 weeks ago | thisismold.com | Sharmila Vaidyanathan

I met multidisciplinary artist Indu Antony when we were both presenting at an ethnography symposium. My paper was about what it meant for an individual to explore the city of Bengaluru on foot. Antony, on the other hand, talked about what it meant to do the same, guided by your nose. Intrigued by her project, I approached Antony after the seminar. She was standing near a table where she laid out a range of vials and scented papers ensconced in large glass bell jars to protect their odours.
Beyond the hype, millet cultivation is a challenge

2 weeks ago | scroll.in | Sharmila Vaidyanathan

In 2024, when food researcher and writer Shivani Unakar visited Maan taluka in Satara, Maharashtra, she learned from local millet farmers that insufficient rainfall had delayed the germination of the jowar(sorghum) crop. “The farmers were very concerned. But towards the end of my trip, a heavy bout of rainfall lasted for two to three days. Although it saved the crop, the farmers later informed me that they could only get 60% of their regular harvest,” said Unakar.
Understanding coastal risks with and without mangroves

3 weeks ago | india.mongabay.com | Sharmila Vaidyanathan

A new study computes the ability of mangroves in Pichavaram and Muthupet in Tamil Nadu, to mitigate coastal exposure to environmental hazards such as storms, cyclones and floods. The researchers also conducted inundation modelling studies for three different sea level rise scenarios — low, medium and high— to calculate resulting changes in mangrove covers.
The hidden side of millet farming

1 month ago | india.mongabay.com | Sharmila Vaidyanathan

From difficulties in processing crops after harvest to changing rainfall patterns and lack of policy and institutional support, millet farmers face significant challenges. Despite being touted as a climate-resilient crop, a growing body of research points to the fact that climate change also impacts millets — increasing temperatures are resulting in lower yields of some millet varieties.
धान के खेतों में उगते साग को थाली तक लाने की कोशिश

1 month ago | hindi.mongabay.com | Sharmila Vaidyanathan

अध्ययनों से पता चला है कि जैविक धान के खेतों में खर-पतवार के रूप में उगने वाले साग की प्रचुरता है, जो लंबे समय से स्थानीय समुदायों की पोषण और औषधीय जरूरतों को पूरा करते रहे हैं। अंधाधुंध निराई, कीटनाशकों के इस्तेमाल और धान की परंपरागत किस्मों के खत्म होने से इन खेतों की स्थानीय जैव-विविधता में कमी आ रही है। सोशल मीडिया से जुड़ी पहलें खान-पान में शामिल रही इन चीजों और धान की पारंपरिक किस्मों के लुप्त होने के बारे में जागरूकता बढ़ा रही हैं। साल 2014 में तमिलनाडु के पोलाची शहर में अपने खेतों से...
The Food Waste Pickle: Why India's Food Waste Crisis is Graver Than You Think

1 month ago | thelocavore.in | Sharmila Vaidyanathan

Chennai-based Avris Environment Technologies LLP has devised an innovative solution to tackle food waste through their patented treatment system, CHUGG™. It converts food to biogas at the source while also providing manure. While the system generates energy, that isn’t the primarily goal; the priority is to address food waste. CHUGG™ is currently installed in 25 locations across India, averting 680 tonnes of food waste from reaching landfills annually.
Reviving forgotten wild edibles from paddy fields

2 months ago | india.mongabay.com | Sharmila Vaidyanathan

Studies have highlighted the abundance of wild edible greens along organic paddy fields which have long supported the nutritional and medicinal needs of indigenous communities. Indiscriminate weeding, pesticide use, and the decline of traditional heirloom paddy varieties are contributing to a reduction in the floral biodiversity of these fields.
Kōlam: The art of everyday sustainability

Dec 6, 2024 | natureinfocus.in | Sharmila Vaidyanathan |Karthik Hejamadi Rajagopal

The word cold is not something that one would associate with the city of Chennai. Yet, when the Tamil month of Margazhi rolls in on December 16th, a tender breeze envelopes the mornings, nudging it away from its usual muggy heat.
Human equations with their local invasives could be the key to better management

Oct 22, 2024 | india.mongabay.com | Sharmila Vaidyanathan

A recent study has highlighted invasive plant species’ positive and negative impacts on human wellbeing. The impacts of invasive plants on human well-being are particularly relevant for rural and marginalised communities that depend on natural resources for survival. Researchers call for tailored management approaches, keeping the localised impacts of invasion in mind.
How droughts and worsening soil health can increase carbon emissions

Jun 23, 2024 | india.mongabay.com | Sharmila Vaidyanathan

Researchers have identified a feedback loop between drought, soil desiccation and carbon dioxide emissions that can accelerate climate change effects. Due to droughts and soil surface cracking, the carbon in soil is oxidised and emitted as carbon dioxide, further increasing temperatures. This feedback loop requires further interdisciplinary research to understand the interplays between droughts and greenhouse gas emissions.