TDS water test conducted at the perennial spring at the landscape of the Mumbai Collective by our Ecological Design Team.

The word ‘agnostic’ is immediately linked to being a ‘non-believer’. However, the actual definition of an ‘agnostic’ is a bit different than its general perception. It refers to someone who believes that certain aspects of existence (especially the existence of God or the divine) are unknown and possibly unknowable. It does not mean they don’t believe in something but are rather open to the possibilities of the unknown. 

When we say we are agnostic about land type, we believe in the land’s potential beyond what is already studied, known or explored. For us, as long as there is soil, there is scope for life. When we first discovered the landscape of Poomaale 1.0 Collective, it was an abandoned coffee estate that had no sign of human activity for decades. But we believed in the process of regeneration and ecological succession. A few years of rewilding efforts gave us the treasure of the forest-friendly Bewild speciality coffee. Similarly, at the Hyderabad Collective, which locals deemed unfit for cultivation, we are well into growing hardy grains, pulses and fruits that grow well even in the arid climate. A sensitive study of the landscape, water management efforts, wisdom of permaculture farming and passion for bringing change was all we needed.

Now, as we take the initial steps of building the Mumbai Collective, we decode why we favour landscape agnosticism over the conventional approach to farming & restoration.

If Ecology Wins, We Win

Being agnostic to land type gives us the gift of learning, especially unexplored facets. It enables us to identify and study diverse ecosystems and put them together in a novel web and see if the matrix works or not without having any preconceptions. It makes our process more inclusive of a wide array of plant & animal species, including humans. By making ecological health our focus, our mission of building self-sufficient landscapes becomes a journey rather than a destination. 

Community is King

No two perspectives are the same. With many people, we have many perspectives, and when the people are like-minded, putting the best of the perspectives together helps elevate our vision of creating ecosystems that are in sync with nature. We believe in the strength of community and can only imagine the way it can help the collectives grow, that is, until we see it, glimpses of which we have already seen at our Collectives in Coorg and Hyderabad. 

To know more about what a Beforest community entails and its role in shaping the Collectives, read our blog – Stakeholders of a Landscape: Shaping Healthier Ecosystems Together.

Bringing ‘Development’ in Landscape Development Practices

An agnostic stance encourages innovative and adaptive land use practices. While we do recognise and adopt the merits of traditional practices, innovation drives our engine, or, more aptly, waters our tree. The core of our farming practices is exploring new approaches to agriculture, forestry, and urban planning through permaculture farming, organic gardening, food forests, polyculture planting and more, which are explored sufficiently, yet have a huge room for innovation with attentive research. This adaptability also allows for integrating eco-friendly technologies and strategies, optimising resource use and minimising environmental impact.

Standing Strong Amidst Change

Being landscape agnostic helps us acknowledge the dynamic nature of landscapes, which in turn nudges us to plan systems that can hold their structure during uncertainties. By embracing flexibility and diversifying solutions, the landscape and its being can better withstand and adapt to the risks associated with a changing climate.

Any undertaking in life has risks and surprises, shocks even. Being agnostic to land type has given us a fair share of all, but it has also opened our horizon to the possibilities of meeting more surprises and the heart to embrace the downers.