Project Summary: Describe your contribution in one sentence
Our project is dedicated to changing the mindset of farmers/consumers/researchers/policy makers through managing their emotions, reversing the green revolution's negative impact , conserving native seeds, promoting regenerative farming, and building resilience towards climate change through enabling 1000 women green changemakers, resulting in the conservation of over 1,000 unique seed varieties, the preservation of agricultural heritage, indigenous knowledge and biodiversity, and the empowerment and upliftment of 100,000 marginalized women farmers, all while nurturing their skills and livelihoods for green growth and prosperity.
What are the additional countries or territories of impact?
No
Challenge Focus: What topic does your project most directly relate to?
Website URL(s) or social media handles
https://www.linkedin.com/company/75643269/admin/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070924260104
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve?
Problem we address is deeply rooted in the challenges faced by Indian farmers due to ill effects of Green Revolution and climate change. Each year, a heartbreaking number of farmers resort to suicide, while over 20% live below the poverty line. A major factor is their reliance on hybrid seed, escalating costs and yielding low profitability. These seed struggle in adverse climatic conditions, requiring annual repurchases. Excessive water, pesticides, and fertilizers further burden farmers and compromise soil health. The resulting food lacks taste, is nutritionally deficient, and may contain chemical residues, posing health risks.
This reliance on hybrids leads to the rapid disappearance of native seeds and farm biodiversity. Diminishing biodiversity limits dietary diversity, contributing to chronic diseases, malnutrition, and obesity in rural and urban areas. Shockingly, only around 200 out of 6,000 plant species cultivated for food significantly contribute to global production, with just 9 crops accounting for 66%, according to FAO.
Furthermore, the erosion of traditional wisdom held by women, custodians of seed conservation in India, is concerning. We aim to reverse this trend by conserving native seeds and empowering women, allowing their invaluable knowledge to thrive. This creates a climate-resilient agricultural system benefiting farmers, consumers, and the environment.
Your connection and commitment: How close are you to the problem and/or the community impacted?
My strong connection to the problem& impacted community is deeply personal and rooted in my own experiences within the farming community. We operate in Bundi, Rajasthan's semi-arid region which is the hottest region & has a low climate vulnerability index(0.423) and 7th rank among states. In Bundi, Rice, Soybean, Wheat, & Mustard cover approximately 90 % of the crop area with 10-15 varieties. However, it is disheartening to witness the ecological decline driven by hybrid seeds, chemical pesticides, and the dominance of the agrochemical industry.
Consequences are evident: deteriorating soil health and declining crop productivity despite utilizing the same resources. As a farmer myself from the same region, I have faced these challenges firsthand on my own land. The soil has become hardened, demanding increased irrigation and greater reliance on chemical inputs. This personal experience fueled my determination to make a difference.
I started on a journey to conserve native seeds, doing regenerative farming on my farm. This endeavor aimed to address the ecological crisis and health concerns faced by consumers & farmers. The rampant use of hybrid grains and chemically-laden vegetables has led to a surge in chronic diseases and healthcare expenses in our region as well. I conserved over 250 varieties of native rice, wheat, and vegetables. These invaluable seed have the potential to revolutionize farming practices and restore biodiversity. I actively engage with women farmers and consumers, promoting natural farming and indigenous seeds. Through these efforts, we have inspired & empowered over 300 women farmers to do natural farming, fostering sustainability and self-reliance. By leading by example, we aim to create a transformative impact on the community we deeply care about
Your approach: How are you enabling other people to identify as green changemakers? How are you influencing them to get involved in your initiative or care about the issue you are addressing?
We identify women as changemakers, put them in the center of our intervention, create an enabling environment, and provide handholding support to them because they can convince whole the family members (in fact, at least two families- her parents and in-laws) and other women as well.
We encourage other stakeholders to become changemakers by investing in them and promoting behavior change. Specifically, we engage them in promoting natural farming practices, emphasizing indigenous seeds and regenerative techniques. We have a cadre of 12 women Green Changemakers, called Krishi Sakhis, and aim to have 1000 in the future. We empower them to practice sustainable farming on their farms. They will engage with 50-100 women farmers in each village to scale these practices.
To extend our impact, we support community cadres established by other NGOs, CSR initiatives, FPOs. This ensures native seed conservation and regenerative practices in their communities, turning them into changemakers.
We invite farmers and urban consumers to our farm to demonstrate the benefits of indigenous seeds. We develop recipes of these grains, which we share with urban consumers. By bridging the gap between consumers and farmers, we encourage their active involvement. We identify potential changemakers, like seed producers and conservators, and students, and provide support for high-quality seed production. These changemakers help spread our work and involve more farmers in sustainable practices.
Urban consumers who source seed from us serve as brand ambassadors and green changemakers by advocating for chemical-free produce and promoting native seeds, they involve others in this sustainability movement. Together, we foster a sense of shared responsibility and empower individuals as green changemakers.
Community involvement: How is your approach involving community participation, especially the historically marginalized groups?
Our approach to community participation is comprehensive, focusing on historically marginalized groups. We engage the community at every stage, from concept seeding to marketing indigenous seeds and grains. We collaborate with small &marginal women farmers, recognizing their role as custodians of indigenous seed production. Women SHG receive training, ongoing support, and access to savings, bank linkage, and government schemes. We also invite government and research institutes representatives to our program and linked their schemes with women and poor farmers. This builds trust and confidence.
we will create an enabling environment so that carbon credit goes to farmers
Within SHGs, motivated women become Krishi Sakhis, educating others to regenerative farming using indigenous seed. We involve landless women who are most vulnerable in society, helping them establish backyard gardens and adopt multilayer farming for year-round diverse, chemical-free vegetables and income generation.
To make the program more inclusive, we initiated the discussion on climate change impact and agriculture distress in Gram Sabha and helps the Gram Sabhas to prepare climate resilient Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP).
In summary, our approach prioritizes community participation, empowering women through SHGs and Krishi Sakhis, and uplifting landless women through sustainable farming practices.
Your Innovation: What is different about your initiative compared to other solutions already out there? How is your approach original and innovative? We are particularly interested in solutions that use regenerative approaches.
Our 20-20 model is an innovative initiative that has gained significant attention. It involves cultivating 20 indigenous vegetables in a 20-meter by 20-meter area using a multilayer farming system. This promotes on-farm biodiversity while maximizing returns. Farmers can generate substantial income (20 X2 K up to INR 40,000) by selling organic vegetables and indigenous seeds from a small piece of land. This groundbreaking model demonstrates the immense potential and viability of regenerative farming practices in both ecological and economic terms and it can scale across the country with some modification.
Our initiative is distinct in our region for its unique and innovative approach to conserving indigenous seeds and promoting natural/regenerative farming practices. Unlike other solutions, we take a holistic approach that encompasses the entire lifecycle of indigenous seeds, including conservation, production, storage, distribution, and market linkage. This ensures the long-term sustainability and availability of these seeds for future generations.
What sets us apart is our unwavering commitment to regenerative farming practices, an emphasis not found in other organizations in our region. We provide comprehensive support to farmers, helping them adopt techniques like intercropping, terrace gardening, and multilayer farming using natural methods and converging with ongoing schemes. This not only reduces cultivation costs but also enhances profitability and productivity.
In summary, our initiative stands out for its comprehensive focus on conserving indigenous seeds, promoting regenerative farming, and providing tangible support to farmers. By addressing critical gaps in our region's agricultural landscape, we contribute to a more sustainable and climate-resilient future.
Founding Story: Share a story about the "Aha!" moment that led the founder(s) to get started or the story of how you saw the potential for this to succeed.
I am a farmer by birth, an Engineer by Training, CSR, and Development professional by profession, an urban gardener, a native seed saver, and an organic farmer by heart. With 22 years of experience, I have promoted women groups, constructed over 1000 water harvesting structures, and designed the Soya program to enhance the productivity and profitability of 15,000 women farmers. However, this program led to the replacement of native maize varieties with Soya and hybrid maize, increasing chemical fertilizer and pesticide use in many folds. Realizing my mistake in 2016, I collected 50 grains of native wheat, multiplied it to 10 tons, and distributed it to inspire 300 women to practice natural farming. This experience solidified my belief in conserving indigenous seed and promoting regenerative farming practices.
Our organization's recognition as a native seed-saving organization in India was another significant aha moment for us. We now receive daily calls from individuals across the country seeking indigenous seeds, demonstrating the high demand for our work. However, due to limited availability, we cannot meet the demand.
These moments reaffirmed my belief in our mission and fueled my commitment to promoting the conservation of indigenous seeds and regenerative farming practices. I am dedicated to ensuring a sustainable and resilient agricultural future for generations to come.
Impact: How has your project made a difference so far? How is it contributing to a zero-carbon world- where every person thrives, and nobody gets left behind?
Since 2018, our program has aimed to create a zero-carbon world where everyone thrives. Our achievements include conserving 250+ indigenous rice, wheat, maize, millet, pulses, and vegetable varieties crucial for biodiversity preservation.
Empowering women farmers is a key focus. We've motivated 300 women to cultivate these indigenous crops using natural and regenerative methods. More than 350 women farmers were trained to do quick composting of their farm waste and these women stopped burning farm waste.
We've implemented the 20:20 Model with 50 women farmers, enabling them to grow 10-20 native vegetables in multiple layers, leading to 4 -5 times more profit than conventional farming. (1 Layer- Below the ground- turmeric, Ginger, 2Layer- On surface- leafy vegetables , 3layer- above surface- Okara, tomato, chilly, pea, maize, 4 layer- on trails- ridge /bottle/sponge/bitter gourd etc.) and 5 layer- Papaya.
We've sold indigenous seeds to 500 farmers, 300 urban consumers, and gardeners, promoting sustainable practices like zero tillage and mulching.
Seeking partnerships with local companies and government entities, we aim to scale our successful model, empowering more women farmers and advancing the zero-carbon goal.
Through biodiversity preservation, women's empowerment, and sustainable practices, we're making a tangible difference toward a zero-carbon future where everyone thrives.
What’s Next: What are your ideas for taking your project to the next level?
To expand our impact, we aim to conserve 1,000+ native seeds and establish a self-sustaining seed bank. We'll increase our farmer base to 10,000 women practicing regenerative farming. Collaborating with small organizations, we'll reach 90,000 more farmers and women.
Establishing a farm producer company, we'll strengthen primary and secondary processing of indigenous grains, promoting sustainability and economic empowerment. The Samriddhi Resource Centre will serve as a learning hub, collaborating with research institutes and market players. We will work with different stakeholders to mobilize carbon credit to farmers
We will establish Samriddhi Resource Centre - we will provide experimental learning to aspirants green changemakers who are working on the conservation of bio- diversity and the promotion of regenerative agriculture. We will also collaborate with research institutes, KVKs, and market players to strengthen our program
Training 1,000 green change maker women in seed conservation, farming, processing, and value addition will enable program scaling. Engaging gram panchayat representatives, we'll incorporate regenerative farming into GPDP (Gram Panchayat Development Plan) for grassroots replication.
With these plans and collaborations, we'll expand our impact, conserve biodiversity, promote regenerative agriculture, and create a sustainable and climate resilinat future.
Your team: What is the current composition of your team (types of roles, qualifications, full-time vs. part-time, board members, etc.), and how do you plan to evolve the team’s composition as the project grows?
We have 3 founder members with 12-22 years of experience, and one of them, Padam Jain (Acumen Fellow), is working full time with project. His role encompasses coordinating overall activities, including fund rising, team placement, networking, and scaling up the program.
We have a team of 5 members and 12 Krishi Sakhis. Anjani serves as the finance manager, responsible for financial management & establishing market linkages for native seeds /grains. We also have FPO Manager who oversees FPO activities, while 3 field coordinators manage day-to-day field operations,- seed conservation, seed production, promotion of natural farming, multilayer farming, & linkage with government schemes. Recently, Ravi Yadav, a SWAR Fellow, joined our team to focus on creating enterprises around native seeds.
As the program grows and expands, we plan to add more team members with specific expertise in market linkage, participatory research, participatory plant breeding, agroforestry, and carbon financing.
Operational Sustainability Plan: What is this solution’s plan to ensure operational sustainability.
To ensure long-term sustainability, our plan includes:
Funding : Develop a robust funding strategy through grants, partnerships, and donations. Implement transparent financial management for accountability. Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration: Provide training and collaborate with like-minded organizations to amplify impact and foster a collective approach to sustainability. Seed Production and Marketing: Establish mechanisms for seed production, grading, and marketing through our Farmers' Producer Organization (FPO). Low-Cost Farm Inputs: Promote low-cost farm inputs using local resources, empowering farmers and supporting sustainable practices. Processing and Value Addition: Emphasize value addition to naturally grown grains, creating market opportunities and additional revenue streams. Urban Gardening and Seed Producers Linkage: Establish linkages between seed producers and urban gardeners to expand markets and support economic sustainability. Partnerships: Seek partnerships with organizations, research institutions, and government agencies to enhance impact and resources.Revenue Generation: Explore income opportunities through product sales, training programs, and value-added services.
By implementing these strategies, we ensure operational sustainability and make a meaningful impact on farmers' livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and regenerative agriculture.
VIDEO: Please share the link to a 1-minute YouTube video that answers the following “I identify as a Green Changemaker because...”. Ensure that your video does not exceed 60 seconds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI42BA_lAZQ
Impact Model: While reviewing applications, we identified a need to better understand the impact models for the innovations that applied. How would you describe the activities you engage in and what outcomes and long-term impact do they lead to?
We promote the cultivation & conservation of indigenous seed, multilayer vegetable. We do capacity-building and training to enhance the knowledge and skills of women, consumers, school students etc. and raise awareness about the importance of indigenous seeds on its nutritional benefits, cultural significance etc. We connect women with fair trade, local markets, and potential buyers. We do participatory R & D to improve seed through collaborative experiments, knowledge sharing, and innovation.
our stakeholders are women farmers, land less women, consumers, seed savers and producers, organic farmers, school children, market players, research institutes, Government, urban gardeners, carbon financing companies NGO/FPO/CSR/SHgs etc.
The short to medium-term outcomes of these activities include-Increased cultivation and conservation of indigenous seeds, Improved livelihoods of women farmers, reduced cost of cultivation, improved soil health, ecosystem to build more green change makers, enhanced knowledge, skills & stake of women on decision making etc.
Impact of program will be visible on individual level and at macro level. At personal level, increased income, food security, self-sustainability, 1000 women as green changemakers & 100,000 women farmers will experience improved livelihoods , get carbon credit and reduced vulnerability. At macro level - cultivation and conservation of 1000 indigenous seed will contribute to the preservation of biodiversity, cultural heritage, and traditional knowledge. This will protect and sustain agriculture for future generations. Adopting regenerative practices and cultivating native seed will contribute to building climate-resilient farming systems that are better adapted to local environmental conditions across the nation.
Audience: Who are you most directly impacting through your work? Who is the target beneficiary? Please specify if the population you are reaching is underserved due to any of the following characteristics?
If you chose the "Other" option, please specify
How are you activating green changemakers?
If you chose the "Other" option, please specify
Demonstrating by own to create an example that others may follow. For example, I have initiated natural farming and conserved seed on my farm, gradually others farmers/women initiated/replicated the same.
Organization Type: Which organization type best describes how your work or initiative has been organized or registered?
Nonprofit/NGO
Tell us briefly about how you have and/ or would like to engage partners or other changemakers to enhance your approach:
Partnering with research institutions can strengthen the foundation's capacity for participatory research and development. This collaboration can involve joint experiments, knowledge sharing, and scientific expertise to improve seed and farming.
Collaborating with other NGOs and community-based organizations working in related areas can amplify the impact of our work. These partnerships can involve sharing resources, exchanging best practices, and jointly advocating for the causes.
Partnering with socially responsible companies and corporate entities can provide market access, funding, expertise, supply chain integration and value-addition initiatives etc.
Collaborating with government agencies can help in scaling up the foundation's activities and accessing additional resources. This partnership can involve advocating for policies that support sustainable farming practices and the conservation of indigenous crops.
We will also be collaborating with other changemakers like Seed Savers, Organic Farmers, Green Entrepreneurs, Various Fellows, and Tech-based organizations to build networking and strengthen the program.
By engaging partners and other changemakers, Prem Samriddhi can leverage their collective expertise, resources, and networks to create a more significant impact, promote knowledge sharing, and foster a sustainable ecosystem for small and marginalized women farmers
Annual budget: Hint: What is the cost for your current operations every year (or most recent year)? This is expenditure for your project or organization. The reference currency is the U.S. dollar.
$10k - $50k
Winning Impact Potential: How would winning the Green Changemakers Challenge impact and leverage your work?
Winning the Green Changemakers Challenge would have a significant impact on Prem Samriddhi Foundation's work in several ways
The financial support from winning the challenge would provide additional resources to the foundation. This would enable us to expand their activities, reach more women farmers, and further invest in capacity-building, training programs, market linkage and infrastructure development for women farmers.
Winning the Green Changemakers Challenge would provide recognition and credibility to Prem Samriddhi Foundation's work. This recognition could attract further funding opportunities, partnerships, and collaborations with other organizations and stakeholders. It would help the foundation expand its reach and scale up its impact, benefiting more marginalized women farmers in the long run.
The challenge may also provide opportunities for the foundation to connect with other changemakers, experts, and organizations working in the field of regenerative agriculture and conservation. This would facilitate knowledge exchange, learning from best practices, and creating a network of like-minded individuals and organizations, leading to synergistic collaborations and shared resources
Overall, it would position the foundation as a recognized leader in regenerative agriculture and conservation, opening doors to further collaborations and opportunities in the future
Skills Matching: If you win, you may have the opportunity to be matched with HSBC employees for skill-based mentorship. If matched, which of the following skills would you be most interested in receiving?
Planning & Strategy