Agronomy and Archbihopric: Historicising the Contributions of Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios in Indian Agriculture and Social Forestry

Abstract

This article is an attempt to enumerate the sepcific contributions of Archibishop Benedict Mar Gregorios in Indian agriculture and social forestry in the second half of the 20th century Kerala. His ecclesiastic position as a high priest was not an obstacle for him to engage in practicing and propagating agriculture and forestation. He introduced new methods of cultivation, set up miniature farms, introduced new plants in India from foreign countries, and started institutions for the help of cultivators. He was a proponent of mixed farming. He had been scientific and followed systematic cultivation of different crops. Many including the government of Kerala have been influenced by him in agricultural enterprise. He popularised social forestry and waste land cultivation. All this he had done for the material progress of the poor and the uplift of the society.