June 27, 2025

Barren Land Reclamation

Hemp To Restore Uttarakhand’s Sustainable Ecosystem

Most of our hemp grows in the state of Uttarakhand in India. It lies in the western part of the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR).

What These Terms Mean

Culturable wasteland means land that is available for cultivation but may never have been utilized. If ever utilized, it hasn’t been cultivated for more than five years.

Current fallow land means cultivable land that has not ben used for up to one year.

Other fallow land means cultivable land left unused for anything between one to five years.

Barren Land Reclamatuion

Cultivable Barren Land In Uttarakhand

The latest available Uttarakhand state government data highlights that the terrain of the state is such that only 14% of the total land area is available for agriculture. A different state government report presents the following details:

  • Current fallow land: 57,276 hectares
  • Additional fallow land: 86,334 hectares
  • Culturable wasteland: 316,984 hectares

The reason behind such underutilization and non-utilization of farmland is the high rate of seasonal and permanent out-migration within and from the state. Rural to urban intrastate migration and migrating out of the state – both are common features.

The Impact of Farmland Abandonment

Farmland abandonment in mountain areas leads to a number of adverse effects. These effects transcend the local impact level and feed into the global challenge of environmental degradation and climate change.

Some of the adverse effects are:

  • Onset of soil loss processes
  • Plant succession endangered
  • Adverse impact on the carbon sequestration patterns in the area
  • Biodiversity loss
  • Changes in conventional community systems leading to the loss of traditional wisdom on area-specific eco-conservation

Why Hemp Matters

Our decision to promote hemp cultivation in Uttarakhand is a well-considered one. Several reasons have prompted us to make this informed choice.

  • Hemp is a natural vegetation of the area. Promoting hemp cultivation contributes to the restoration of the area’s natural ecosystem.
  • The soil and the climate of Uttarakhand is conducive to hemp. That makes it possible to grow healthy plants.
  • Hemp grows easily on infertile soil. The soil degradation that has happened due to farmland abandonment will have less impact on hemp than most other crops.
  • Hemp rejuvenates the soil. That is why farmers had traditionally used hemp as a rotation crop until hemp farming was made illegal. Cultivating hemp in the land left barren will help in restoring the soil quality and make it suitable for other crops also.
  • Hemp is a fast-growing plant with multifarious uses. There is enough scope to develop hemp-based agro-industries. Growing hemp, thus, allows a comprehensive radicalization of the economy in Uttarakhand.
  • his transformation of the rural economy in Uttarakhand has the long-term aim of reversing out-migration trends. That would, in turn, lead to the elimination of the farmland abandonment phenomenon.

In The Final Analysis

Our long-term strategy of promoting hemp cultivation to reclaim barren land in Uttarakhand has one final aim. We seek to restore the natural ecosystem of the area. Reversing the ill-effects of farmland abandonment is one big step forward towards that.

Vishal Vivek is the Founder and CEO of Ukhi, a pioneering bio-materials company dedicated to ending plastic pollution by converting agricultural waste into high-performance compostable polymers. With a background in sustainable entrepreneurship and over a decade of technology experience, he leads Ukhi’s vision to create scalable, planet-positive material solutions. Previously, Vishal founded the Hemp Foundation, where he empowered more than 1,000 farmers and advanced sustainable livelihood initiatives. His work has been recognized through awards such as the HDFC Parivartan Grant and featured in leading publications like Forbes and Entrepreneur. Times Group recognized him as a legendary entrepreneur and published his biography in “I Did IT- Vol 2” alongside social pioneers like Bindeshwar Pathak (Sulabh International) and Anshu Gupta (Goonj). Vishal has authored more than 200 articles on sustainability and hemp, reflecting his deep expertise and advocacy for regenerative solutions. His commitment to grassroots impact led him to live in the remote mountains of Uttarakhand, where he immersed himself in the lives of marginal farmers, understanding their challenges and co-creating economic opportunities through hemp-based initiatives. A deeply passionate innovator, Vishal often draws inspiration from seemingly impossible achievements: “If Elon Musk can make rockets reusable, or Dashrath Manjhi can carve a path through a mountain with rudimentary tools, why can’t we eliminate the demon of single-use plastic while uplifting struggling farmers? We will make it happen—whatever it takes.” Ukhi is proud to be supported by premier institutions including IIT Guwahati, NSRCEL-IIM Bangalore, Indian School of Business (Hyderabad), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR Pusa), and the Indian Institute of Packaging. Vishal is committed to demonstrating that business can be a powerful catalyst for global environmental and social good. Connect with Vishal Vivek