Agroecological engineering interventions for food security and sustainable rural development : the case of rice farming in Kashmir The ecological consequences of industrial agriculture and the pace at which the natural resources of soil and water are being exhausted make a rethink of food systems imperative. Rice being the staple for more than half the world population and a major water consumer crop can play a vital role in this. This work builds the case for agroecological interventions in rice farming to mitigate the negative impacts of the food system on the environment to attain sustainable development in rural areas. In this regard the improvements in plant growth parameters and plant health conditions observed under SRIBI (System of Rice Intensification with Beans Intercropping) are reported. Rice iCrop based on SRIBI is presented as an alternative rice farming system due to its wide ranging socioeconomic and ecological benefits.