Kuttanad is a region covering the Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta Districts, in the state of Kerala, India, well known for its vast paddy fields and geographical peculiarities. The region has the lowest altitude in India, and is one of the few places in the world where farming is carried on around 1.2 to 3.0 metres below sea level. Kuttanad is historically important in the ancient history of South India and is the major rice producer in the state. Farmers of Kuttanad are famous for Biosaline Farming. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has declared the Kuttanad Farming System as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) in 2013.
Kettuvallams line up in the Kuttanad region
Public Transport Boat service in Kuttanadu
Paddy fields in Kuttanad
Kuttanad beauty
Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) leads the programme Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), which helps identify ways to mitigate threats faced by these systems and their people and enhance the benefits derived from these dynamic systems.
GIAHS: Rice Terraces in Southern Mountainous and Hilly areas, China
Image: Floating Agricultural Field
Image: 崇义客家梯田春耕图
Image: Subsistent Farming Southern China
