The Purpose :
The overall aim of this project is to empower rural communities to improve their economy and standard of living. This will be integrally achieved through education and training of rural children, youth, farmers and women on various aspects of life through organic farming practices and addition of value to their produce through product development, and sequentially packaging and marketing their products to end users across the globe for making happier homes and build sustainable communities and inspire them for peaceful coexistence.
The region:
Bundelkhand region lies almost at the heart of India and spans two states – covering 6 districts of each Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Bundelkhand has had a rich history and vibrant culture. It is also rich in natural resources such as sand, premium quality granite stones and limestone etc. However, despite its historic glory of Laxmi Bai (Jhansi ki Rani) and plenty natural resources, Bundelkhand region today is one of the most economically and socially backward areas in India. Poverty is rampant in the districts of Bundelkhand due to low productivity in agriculture and industrial backwardness, together with the dying traditional household/cottage industries. Gender issues are prevalent in the society. Socially women occupy a lower status than men. Girl child is suppressed for education and forced to work and develop household skills. Agriculture in Bundelkhand is rain-fed, diverse, complex, under-invested, risky and vulnerable. In addition, extreme weather conditions, like droughts, short-term rain and flooding in fields add to the uncertainties and seasonal migrations.
Need and Priority:
The priority on local scale innovation and knowledge production is a key issue for a society making it able to embrace solutions for resilience. Several initiatives for improvements in the Bundelkhand region have been launched by Central and State governments of India but failed merely due to its top-down approach and usually limited to high level paper-works, but nothing was implemented. Therefore, direct interventions are critically important at grassroots levels e.g. by establishing local knowledge center. The major issues to primarily be addressed by are to be priorities within areas of farming, biomass burning (for cooking and heating) and the education system. Obviously these issues are not in isolation but are interlinked and coupled to other issues with both negative and positive feedback. Our belief is that the solution for present day Bundelkhand issues is one which is:
- self-sustaining
- organic
- closely linked to the local eco-system and culture
- in tune with the best agricultural practices all over the world
- vertically integrated to eliminate the middlemen and retain the profit with farmers
Solution:
For this purpose, a hub and spokes model is being developed in Bundelkhand region. The vision is to create Sustainability Innovation and Knowledge Centers (SIKC) for a cluster of villages. These centers will become hubs that provide model solutions for the various problems afflicting agriculture, sustainable development and develop a road-map for the long term sustainable rural growth and economic, social and environmental prosperity.
A significant beginning has been made in this direction with the establishment of the first SIKC – Bharat Uday Karmyogi Ashram at the village Chheri Basayak, district Hamirpur (U.P) in Bundelkhand region. The Ashram freely shares its know how with the villagers and provides them an inspiration and an example for sustainable farming and food processing and packaging idea and support farmers to market their products. In addition, the Ashram is also an enabler which helps farmers connect to the outside world. The Ashram aims to provide cold storage and processing facilities to the farmers and advise them on the right products for external markets. With the help of the Ashram, farmers in remote villages of Bundelkhand will be able to trade their produce in the wider Indian as well as international markets.
Implications:
This Model will –
- Significantly empower rural communities to improve their economy through organic farming practices and addition of value their produce through processing of produce, labeling, banding and marketing their products to end users across the globe.
- Link farmers and end users and provide exposure to rural folks to know about the rest of the world.
- Generate enough employment for rural population and thus reduce their migration to urban areas and thus reduce slums related issues in cities.
- Educate and train rural children, youth, farmers and women on various aspects of life and living to build happier homes and sustainable communities and inspire them for peaceful coexistence.
- Serve as a common platform to provide technology transfer, knowledge and innovative ideas, skill development training to rural population for their holistic and overall development.
- create a movement of sensitive grassroots volunteers to foster sustainable community development initiatives and awaken people to participate in healthier Democratic processes and adhere to moral self-rule.
Status of the Project:
In year 2007, one of the present directors of SEED foundation (Dr. Ravi Kant Pathak) initiated this project, when was working as a research scientist in the area of Air Pollution and Climate Change at Carnegie Mellon University, USA. With a vibrant spirit to contribute back to the society, he almost took a U turn leaving his bright professional career and he returned back to India to begin the grassroots works with idealistic goals of holistic and sustainable rural development in the village Chheri Basayak situated in the ravines of betawa river in Hamirpur (UP) district of Bundekhand region. Practically, the project began with no money in hand and only a piece of 30 acres of land donated by his parent for charitable works. The land was barren, semi-arid, uneven and infertile (see in pictures below). Dr. Pathak began to turn the wheel of change with his personal savings in a very hostile and unfavorable environment (where Govt. system is hostile, corrupt and society is fragmented by castes and religion and inhumane practices such as dowry, gender biases and untouchability). This was indeed a time of test for his own love for the country, patience and endurance. The project was kicked off with aspiration of rejuvenating the infertile dead land through organic farming and fruit orchard development and establishment of herbal gardens and eventually making it a lush green oasis. As the first step, the uneven ravine land was flattened and leveled and made fertile through use of cow dung and plant based green manures and other innovative ideas such as Jeevamrit (liquid organic fertilizer from cow urine and dung and other ingredients) sprays etc. and tubes were established and check dams were built close by to provide adequate water supply and raise ground water level. A beginning was then done by planting Mausambi or sweet lime, lemons, Amla, Guava, Teak, Cranberries, pomegranates etc. With the tireless efforts from 2007 onward, this previously semi-arid land now appears lush green, with multiple varieties of fruits and vegetables (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hta692EPktE).
It took five years of hard work to revive the barren piece of land into a lush green campus. A remarkable change can be seen at the google earth. In year 2012, The Ashram began to market it organic produce and products through brand name. ORGANIC ASHRAM. The aspiration is to economically sustain the different types of agricultural produce. These include mausambi, papaya, guava, pomegranates, amla etc. The Ashram also works with villagers and markets their high quality produces. All of the products are sold under the brand name “ORGANIC ASHRAM“.
Additional details about ORGANIC ASHRAM can be obtained from their Facebook page and http://organicashram.com
The organic produce is now regularly sold in more than half dozen metro cities of India including Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai. Mumbai, Bangalore, Vijayawada etc under the brand name ORGANIC ASHRAM. Our partners include http://isayorganic.com, http://dhanyam.in, http://restore.org.in. The annual turnover for Organic Ashram in FY 2015 was about 2 Million INR. Currently the organic business benefits more than two dozens of farmers and more than 25 farm workers. The organic food supply unit has significantly contributed to
What Next:
For the Sustainable Bundelkhand project we want to set up a food processing unit to add value to farmers produce and push their products in market to empower them economically. Our model is very realistic, innovative and scale-able that will economically empower farmers and farm-workers in outstanding. In our model, we aim to support greener and cleaner energy initiatives, organic farming, bio-diversified agricultural practices. Value addition to the farmers produce through food processing units at our Ashram (SIKC) facilities and marketing their products locally, nationally and internationally through e-commerce tools are most logical and practical approach to empower farmers. Our SEED team will be deeply involved in R &D activities pertinent to food processing technologies. Farm workers will be trained for skill development in areas of food and beverage business. farmers and farm-workers will be encouraged and promoted to collect naturally growing herbs in their farms and neighboring forests and grasslands for additional incomes. Specially women will be empowered through their participation in development of hand crafted food products and handling, processing and packing of the products. Future plans for the Ashram include:
- increasing the extent of vertical integration in the farm to fork supply chain
- increasing the area under organic cultivation in Bundelkhand
- expanding the market for “ORGANIC ASHRAM” through e-retail
- Motivating and educating the farmers to shift to organic farming
SEED Foundation is working hand in hand with the Ashram in this project for attainment of these goals.