Corporate Led Rural Wellbeing in India

Many corporates dream of leading change to bring prosperity to rural people. One such organisation is working with rural stakeholders to bring that change. Change is towards better outcomes for society, economy and the environment.

Growing trees for timber or pulp are not uncommon worldwide. However, such a project taken up on marginal farmland with the help of local farming communities, backed up by endless work of forestry scientists and social marketing team with the support a conglomerate has brought positive changes to the barren landscapes in Bhadrachalam and surrounding districts in Andhra Pradesh, India. This project has spread across many neighbouring states and marginal and resource poor farmers are reaping the benefit due to the growing demand of sustainably grown paper.

How does it works? Resource poor farmers often leave their farmland barren as they cannot either afford to grow food crops or the land is unfertile. Trees can grow anywhere with minimum intervention is the mantra which is spread by the pulp mill. Farmers grow trees which are after years of breeding and cloning grow straight as log of wood – most desired for pulp making. Trees are either closely planted in forestry model or in agroforestry model where they grow alongwith food crops, in hundreds and thousands of hectares. Food crops can be harvested by farmers to sustain their day-to-day livelihoods and trees act as fixed deposit. After 3-4 years farmers harvest and supply it to the pulp mill. Surely for them money is growing on trees!

Apart from economic freedom, social cohesion, community development work, education, health etc are also being promoted in those forestry villages. A revolution is going on in the hinterlands of Bhadrachalam.

Comments

Campaign for the Support of Farmers in India

INDIAN GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO LISTEN TO FARMERS IN REFORMING AGRICULTURE IN INDIA 1. Three new farm acts in India are proving to be the last straw for about 90 million small-holders and their families. This has grave implications for about 800 million rural dwellers who are directly or indirectly dependent on farming for their livelihood. In addition, food security of the entire nation with 1.35 billion population is at risk. 2. Indian government maintains that these farm laws will usher a new economic revolution in the ailing farm sector. 3. Whereas farmers are opposing as they fear losing their land – only source of their livelihood – to corporate backed agri-enterprises. 4. The protest and persistence by farmers have opened up an opportunity for a dialogue between farmers and the government and for a new beginning. This has potential to reform small-holder agriculture but in close consultation with the farmers. 5. However, the rights of these farmers and many associat...

Local Food Systems for Sustainability

Local, traditional, and indigenous food systems were successful in supplying year-round requirements for food and within the environmental constraints. How were they able to do it? What were the practices and principles of local food systems that helped them thrive and maintain growing population in many parts of the world? These food systems have been embedded in the society. Many traditional societies evolved around such unique food systems. Such food systems have been maintaining agricultural biodiversity and are important source of knowledge and culture as documented by the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation. For example, rice-fish-duck system in China, traditional agriculture of Koraput, India , Noto’s Satoyama and Satoumi in Japan , Andean agriculture, Peru , Maasai Pastoralist Heritage Area in Tanzania , etc. These have been well doc...

Future of Small Farms: A Bridge Between Society and the Environment

Small farmers can feed the world, help protect the environment and also provide livelihoods to millions of families who manage them. In addition, they produce valuable farm commodities for market and add value local and global economy. Future of agriculture is in protecting, supporting and improving small farms and the families who manage them. There are about 500 million small farms that provide direct and indirect employment to about 2 billion people. Small farms also generate valuable social capital by creating numerous opportunities for local community. They provide fresh produce to local shops, butchers, abattoirs, and support many cafes and restaurants that offer local cuisine, which is not possible without local and fresh produce. Local community depends on the viability of small farm and farming community, which are also source of employment for local population. They act as a fabric spread over the landscape and enhance both social and natural capi...

Ecosystems and Well-being

Search This Blog