Banyan Roots Organics Pvt. Ltd.

Udaipur, India

An Overview Of Our Solution

By default organic farmers in India are not getting market for their produce and forced to live their sustainable and ecological practices. Since centuries these people are preserving knowledge of farming, Seeds, animal husbandry and food system. But current financial unsustainability is hurdle to pass this knowledge to next generation. We are creating monitoring system for organic through PGS and giving recognition to those farmers, establishing Rural collection cum Solar energy base processing center and providing market by own retail brand and membership model. We have trained 148 Farmers, 36 woman entrepreneurs and one PGS group with 90 tons procurement of 21 varieties of crops from 4 villages. We are creating Biodiversity by increasing tribal farmers Income with Empowered Woman and improving health of Farmers and Consumer.

Who is this solution impacting?

Community Type

Urban

Rural

Organization type

Corporación/Sector Privado

Ecosystem (select all that apply)

Deserts

Forests

Urban/Built Environment

Population impacted

12000 people

Size of agricultural area

3,000 ha

Production quantity

9,00,000 kilos

People employed

7 people

Describe your solution

We are creating groups of default organic farmers and giving them recognition by implementing monitoring system of PGS. We are developing rural collection center where these farmers can process and sell their produce. We are using solar energy in remote area and training woman entrepreneurs to use their traditional recipes for food processing in rural collection center. Our rural collection centers are generate livelihood in village so farmers are not forced to live ecological organic farming and also help to preserve indigenous knowledge and promote organic farming through sharing. We are creating short food supply chain which includes food processing at farm level and selling their produce to direct end consumers. Following innovation makes are solution viable in our area: 1.) Our product innovation like cookies, energy bars, herbal tea and herbal coffee from traditional and wild crops. 2.) Remote solar processing units like baking, drying, and nachos making. 3.) Efficient supply chain from seed to table. These innovations are helping farmers to get financial freedom and stopping migration. Woman farmers are getting recognition through entrepreneurship and it is helping to achieve woman empowerment in villages. Finally we are able to save our traditional knowledge and seeds.

Describe your implementation

We are building Indigenous farming support and collection center in a village in a cluster which will collect by default organic produce from that cluster. Cluster team will take care of quality of produce which will be supervised by Zonal team: This consist of: - Collection center It gives shares to farmers according their produce given to collection center. When farmers get shares so he get profit from collection center’s profit. Collection center get profit after processing and selling those produce. So share system is for distribution of profit among the farmers. - Processing center To give employment in village there is Center for cleaning, sorting and value addition. The need for this is common and will be utilized by default organic farmers. The installation of processing unit will help improve effectiveness of dehulling. This center use solar energy and process cereals, vegetable and fruits. - Farm learning center - Chopal (Sharing Centre) - Seed bank and granary - Soil caring unit PGS: The main objective of this project is to give recognition to default organic products in Market. All these farmers are small farmers, they can’t afford third party certificate so we will be helping them to get PGS certificate to those farmers. Support for marketing awareness: initiatives aiming to increase the market visibility for default organic products and to provide the organic farmers with a higher income share for their produce will be taken. Sells through online and offline stores: Our aim is connect consumers to by default organic farmers so we will sell our produce to end consumers in India through online store and sell local consumers by Offline and online both stores. Where we will share all the information of producers. We will provide full traceability information to consumers.

External connections

1.) Organic Farming association of India: As management committee member we get benefit of network of scientist and expert farmers of India. 2.) Slow Food Udaipur: as coordinator of slow food Udaipur we spread our Idea. 3) INOFO (Intercontinental network of farmers organization): We connect through international farming community.

What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?

Market don’t recognize default organic farmers produce and migration is increasing due to improper supply chain. By default organic farmers in India are not getting market for their produce and forced to live their sustainable and ecological practices. Since centuries these people are preserving knowledge of farming, Seeds, animal husbandry and food system. But current financial unsustainability is hurdle to pass this knowledge to next generation. High density as well as high growth of human resource remains underutilized throughout the year due to erratic rainfall and limited irrigation facilities.

Describe the context in which you are operating

Rajasthan with the geographical area 342 thousand hector is the largest State of India with 75% of 56.4 million populations living in rural areas and about 70% dependent on agriculture as source of livelihood. In that 68% farming in Rajasthan is rainfall dependent.
Two third of the total geographical area is under desert where animal husbandry dominates Agriculture as main rural activity. Rajasthan has livestock population of 54.35 million. This large cattle population is a source of organic manure being provided in form of cattle dung. Some of remaining area is hilly tribal terrain. There still tribes are doing by default organic farming. They are getting natural minerals in their farm by hills.
In this geographical condition there are many by default Organic farmers. They are doing organic farming traditionally. Their livelihood is dependent on rainfed natural farming, livestock and uncultivated forest food.

How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?

Reviving traditional practices of farming and local seeds among tribal farmers by train them. Developing local sustainable village model by setting up small food processing unit. Local sustainable village model which give employment to tribal people Providing direct market assure farmers for regular financial gain. Our project is creating impact on Biodiversity, Farmers Income and Health of Farmers and Consumer. Outcome Present :- 25% Increase in Farmers Income. 70% Input Cost reduced 14 Forgotten crops diversity and 6 crops in a Farm Outcome Projected:- 50% Increase in Farmers Income and 90% input cost deduction. 30+ Forgotten crops diversity and 14 crops in a Farm

Language(s)

Mewari, Rajasthani, Gujarati, Hindi, English

Water

Traditional crops like millets are astonishingly low water consuming crops. As we are working in rain-fed area so pressure on irrigation is less. Organic farming also help in increasing water level.

Food Security/Nutrition

We are reviving traditional seeds and millets which are high in nutrition and require less water so impro

Economic/Sustainable Development

Near about 20 million farmers are dependent on rainfed agriculture in Rajasthan. We are targeting by default organic farmers in that rainfed farming. Where most of rainfed farming is by default organic. We will generate their income by providing market and food processing solution.

Climate

Eco System is also our direct beneficiary because ecological organic practices is saving seeds and increasing bio diversity.

Sustainability

Project is sustainable by market revenue model. Project is not depend on grant. Grant only requires to scale fast by training farmers for mobilizing in a group.

Return on investment

Funds will use :- Rural collection Center: 20,000 $ Processing center: 10,000 $ Centralize Warehouse: 20,000 $ Training : 10,000 $ Program Design: 3,000 $ Awareness: 15,000 $ Team building: 12,000 $ Monitoring: 5,000 $ Other Expenses: 5,000 $ Total 1,00,000 $ After this investment we can fulfill customers requirement and also reduce processing cost. so our Projected Sales in 2018: 3,06,628$ Net profit in 2018: 8.32% Procurement in 2018: 9,00,000 kilos

Entrant Image

How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?

We have implemented this model in Udaipur successfully with 1000 customers and 148 farmers. We can replicate this model by investing $ 1,00,000 /- in other cities and area.

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Overview