What We Do?
We have formed two Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), one for sustainable Agriculture and other for Conservation and Plantation of Medicinal Plants in Dediapada Taluka of aspirational District, Narmada – covering about 1,000 farmers –majority of them are women farmers. We train them for soil and water conservation, making organic manure and bio-pesticides, doing nutritional garden or horticulture farming, following good agricultural practices etc.
Why We Do?
We want to bring positive socio-economical changes in the lives of Tribal people in a sustainable way. We realised that if we want to re-vitalize rural economy, we need to focus on basic livelihood activity – farming. Small and Marginal Farmers are most vulnerable due to Climate Change because of Global Worming and other environmental issues. We need to protect them and give support to progress also. Our efforts are to save forest/agriculture based ecology, economy and civilization.
Theory of Change:
Collectivization of small and marginal farmers, into producer organisations can most effective address the many challenges of agriculture by improving access to investments in inputs, inculcation of good agricultural practices, value addition of the products through post-harvest technologies and markets linkages. FPO is the most appropriate institutional form to mobilize farmers and build their capacity to collectively leverage their production and marketing strength.
‘Direct to Consumer’ or retail marketing will enable farmers to sell their products directly to the consumers thereby eliminating self-serving intermediaries. Jeevantirth believes that this can be integrated through model of organizing farmers in proper structure such as farmers Producer Company or cooperative.
NABARD-Bharuch and NABARD-Ahmedabad had seen the result of our work in Dediapada taluka related to medicinal plants and BMC network. They were regularly taking part in BMC meeting such as Bhaji Competition and various Biodiversity workshops. As a result of our networking NABARD sanctioned two Farmers Producers Organisations (FPOs), one for sustainable Agriculture and other for Conservation and Plantation of Medicinal Plants in March 2016.
Jeevantirth staff members attended many programs organized by NABARD in Bharuch and Rajpipla. The programs were on strengthening the FPOs and increasing the income of farmers. As a part of FPO we initiated some business and got an order for Rs. 10 lacs for Khaati bhindi sherbet for the year 2017.
Jeevantirth is constantly in touch with Tata Consultancy Services for mKrishi Software. The software is focusing on all the basic level information of the farmers associated with FPOs. In long run this software will be very helpful for strengthening the business of the FPO.