Experiences from Centre for Sustainable Agriculture

What is Community Managed Sustainable Agriculture ? Community Managed Sustainable Agriculture is a concept

of making agriculture economically viable and ecologically sustainable

Major Components Locally suitable production systems and local resource based

production practices which help in managing natural resources like water and soil

Improving energy efficiency Community Managed learning and Extension systems though

Community based organisations like SHGs (women or men), Cooperatives (producer and consumer) etc

Mobilising public support from large government programs like RKVY

Engaging with local markets

Policy support Media Resource

Centre

Human Resource

Development

Support to promote

sustainable models

Regulation and

restriction on

unsustainable

practices

Farmers institutions

Cooperatives: Strengthening

production

Vedika: for entitlements

ProductionFarmers’

knowledge

Local resources

and natural processes

Locally adopted cropping systems

Natural Resource

Management

Andhra Pradesh

Maharashtra

PunjabChattisgar

h

Community Managed Sustainable Agriculture

What we are doing? Working with Large Government Programs

Andhra Pradesh: Provided handholding support to SERP to promote NPM and Sustainable Agriculture to reach 18 districts, 1800 villages, 7 lakh acres, 3.5 lakh farmers

working with CADA in command areas to improve water productivity, reduce external input use, increase farmers net incomes-250 villages

Rehabilitation in flood effected areas-30 villages Chattisgarh: working with worldbank to design institutional systems for

scalingup of sustainable agriculture practices and come up with a scoping study-10 villages

Working directly with farmers Sahaja Aharam farmers Cooperatives: A Federation of farmers and one

consumer cooperatives to organise production Ecologically safe and economically viable healthy food products and a fair marketing system

Case study of

Pest management in india

Largely based on pesticides and now on pesticide incorporated GM crops

Methods largely borrowed from countries with large farms, less labor, more machines

High costs of externalities were never accounted

Technology driven rather than problem driven

Scale neutrality question

Pests, pesticides and distress Chemical pesticides are a treadmill technology-

pesticide induced pest problems are on rise Pesticides have problems in manufacturing, usage

and with residues in food, water, land and air after harvest

Acute and Chronic impacts are well documented Pesticides and poverty

Agriculture workers/small farmers who spray often suffer poisoning

The acute poisoning is compounded by malnutritionSpray person has no choice on time of spray as

advocated97 % of farmer suicides are by ingestion poisoning

Pesticides take major share in the costs of cultivation

safer and cheaper alternatives exists

Cancers in Punjab

Source of data and information National Cancer Registry Program

(ICMR) Hospital Based Registry Population Based Registry

Districts surveyed in population based registry: Bhatinda,

Faridkot, Muktsar, Patiala, Rupnagar

Genetically Modified crops More resource use

Newer pests and diseases

Animal morbidity Skin allergies Reduced soil fertility Monoculturing genes

Non Pesticidal Management

Ecological approach to pest management using knowledge and skill based practices to prevent insects from reaching damaging stages and damaging proportions by making best use of local resources, natural processes and community action

Uses a set of practices which include Monitoring methods-trap crops, pheromone traps

etc, light traps, Preventive measures-border rows, sticky plates,

resistant varieties, mixed crops etc Control measures-hommade biopesticides, mass

trapping Mostly evolved based on experiences from

working with small and marginal farmers

Habitat conversion and enhancement

Stress pest/enhance beneficials

Reactive inputs

Build healthy soils

Other practices to reduce crop stress

Growing healthy plants

Reducing pest numbers

Minimal pest damage

Non Pesticidal Management

NPM Scaling up in Andhra Pradesh

Worked with SERP in promoting Non pesticidal Management designed the system and provided handholding support for 4 years

2004-05 started with 225 acres in one dist and reached 7 lakh acres in 2007-08 in 18 dist. today the prog covers 20 lakh acres in 18 dist

National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture is now designed based on this model

World Bank says this is a good tool for poverty eradication

With 50 % development expenditure one can double the incomes of the farmers

2004

2009

2006

InstitutionalizationConsortium on

Community Managed Sustainable Agriculture

SERP State Level Secretariat

CSAState level

Executive committee

District level

Zilla Samakhya(District Federation of poor women’s SHGs)

District committee of NGOs

District Rural Development Agency(Coordination)

Mandal level

Mandal Mahila Samakya(Federation of WomenSHGs)

NGOs

Village level

Producer collectives

Village Resource Centres

Grama Sangham(Village Organisation of women SHGs)

Cluster coordinator

(for 5 villages)

Village activist

Implementation and financial management

Technical Support

Mandal NPM sub-committee

DPM-NPM

Integration of innovation by civil society through women farmers and support by Government.

…aiming to reach 100 lakh acres across crops in all districts of AP in by 2014

Farmers and area covered under CMSA

pilot

CSA handholding support

NGOs technical support at field level

SHG groups ind. handling

RKVY funds Rs. 167 Cr.

for 5 yr

Area under different crops (2007-08)

NPM vs conventional pest management

Strategy Genotype No. of chemical sprays

Cost of cultivation (Rs/acre)

Yield (kg/acre)

Gross returns (Rs/acre)

Net returns (Rs/acre)

NPM Non Bt 0 6524 889 18036 11512

NPM Bt 0 6222 888 17469 11247

Control Non Bt 5.0 6555 835 16500 9945

Control Bt 3.8 7235 897 17786 10551

Comparative economics in cotton

Source: Study by CRIDA in WWF project on Sustainable Cotton production, Warangal, 2007

Economics of NPM v/s conventional Paddy in Kurnool dist (2005-06)

Sl. No

Village Farmers Area (ha) Costs of plant protection (Rs/ha)

Yield (q/ha)

NPM Con NPM Con NPM Con NPM Con

1 Arlagadda 16 15 8.4 12 400.00 2525.00 56.83 56.132 Durvesi 5 15 5.2 59.4 490.40 3116.80 61.87 65.53 Bhupanapadu 4 5 1.6 2 440.00 2000.00 56.25 58.874 Alamuru 17 23 7.6 10 480.00 3240.00 55.45 53.85 Konidedu 6 9 2.4 3.8 520.00 2280.00 64.05 50.126 Panyam 5 9 2 3.6 724.80 2680.00 64.5 48.13

Total

Source: Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Yagantipalli, 2005-06

Distinguished visitors

Dr. V L Chopra, Member Planning Commission

Jairam Ramesh, Honble Minister for Commerce

T. NandakumarSecretary AgricultureGOI

Healthy Food.Ecology.Livelihoods

Sahaja Aharam, 12-13-445, Street no-1, Tarnaka, Secunderabad-500 017info@sahajaaharam.in www.sahajaaharam.in, 040-6526 8303

Sustaining Farming and livelihoods Research and scaling up of Sustainable Agriculture

practices NPM practiced in more than 14 lakh acres Entire village becoming pesticide free and Organic Successfully demonstrated in Punjab and Maharashtra Designing and hand holding support to SERP on Community Managed

Sustainable Agriculture Reports show sustainable agriculture as a potential for poverty

eradication

Organising farmers to access markets Farmer to Consumer Marketing: through Farmers cooperatives and

consumer cooperatives Sahaja Aharam Cooperative Federation to increase market access

USP: Efficient Organic production system (reduced costs and better yields) Healthy foods, Speciality foods (pound rice, colored rice, millet mix etc) Affordable prices (5-10 % over regular market prices) Helping farmers and environment (60 % of consumer price to

producers) Robust Quality Management System

What is Sahaja Aharam?

An F2C initiative to create a meeting ground for nature-friendly consumers and farmers blend the values of traditional bazaars with ecological

concerns to build a new supply chain on Farmer to Consumer (F2C)

model which helps Increasing farmers’ income

by realising better prices for their produce, locally grown by adopting ecological farming practices

More employment opportunities by value addition and selling processed produce .

consumers in getting access to healthy and diverse food

By establishing a Participatory Food Quality Assurance System and a Fair Trade Model

By direct retailing to consumers (bulk/individual consumers) partnerships

Producers’ Cooperatives (7)

Other project villages (130)

Consumer Cooperative (1)

Sahaja Aharam Cooperatives

Sahaja Aharam Mutually Aided Marketing Cooperative Federation

District Name of the Cooperative Village, Mandal

Facilitating Organisation

Producer Cooperatives

1 Warangal

Yenabavi Organic Farmers’ Mutually Aided Cooperative Society Ltd

Yenabavi, Lingalaganapur

CROPS, Jangoan

2 Swayamkrushi Organic Farmers’ Mutually Aided Cooperative Society Ltd

Parvathagiri MARI,Warangal

2 Nalgonda

Bommalaramaram Organic Farmers Mutually Aided Cooperative Society Ltd

Chowdaripalli, Bommalaramaram

PEACE, Nalgonda

3 Ananthpur

Kadiri Swasakthi Organic Farmers and Forest Producers Mutually Aided Cooperative Society Ltd

Kadiri REDS, Kadiri

4 Guntur Abyudaya Sustainable Agriculture Farmers Mutually Aided Cooperative Trift and Marketing Society Limited

Koyavaripalem, Pattipadu

Rakshana, Chirala

5 Khammam

Punukula Organic Farmers Mutually Aided Cooperative Society Ltd

Punukula, Palvoncha

SECURE, Palvoncha

6 Mahaboobnagar

Nallamalla Agriculture Products Marketing Mutually Aided Cooperative Society Limited

Venkatagiri, Balmoor

CONARE, Achampet

Consumer Cooperative

7 Hyderabad Sahaja Aharam Consumers Cooperative Society

Tarnaka, Hyderabad

CSA, AID india Hyderabad

Producer Co-op-1Farmer Group B

Consumer Co-op

•Healthy food•Affordable Price•Max share to farmers Organic Store

Mobile Store

Direct to Home

Producer Co-op-2

Other farmers and farmers groups

Farmer Group A

Farmer Group C

Sahaja Aharam Cooperative Federation•Capacity building•Institutional building•Investment support•Brand building•Qualtiy Management•Fair Trade

Market placeDirect to resellers

Whole sale to traders

Bulk buyers

Organic Store

Processing unitsSeed market

Yet to estiblish

Sahaja Aharam Cooperative Federation•Organising Cooperatives, Capacity building, Strategy planning•Production, Marketing and investment support•MIS of seasonal availability of products, Product and Market Research•Organising Food Quality Management system and Fair Trade system (based on PGS)•Creates a market space for farmers and Producer cooperatives to sell their products in bulk to traders and retailers

Producer Cooperatives•Support member farmers to have sustainable production

• Seasonal plans to ensure diversity, staggered production

•Provide Marketing Support to member Farmers

• Develops business plans • Quality Management through PGS

•Establishing and managing processing units•Warehouse support•Increasing bargaining power with buyers•Aggregating the produce for market•Organizing retail marketing

Consumer Cooperatives

•For directly reaching out to consumers•To create a consumer base who can support sustainable production and adapt sustainable consumption model•Contribute capital• Membership fee Rs. 100• Share capital Rs. 5000• Deposits @ low interest (about 4 %) • Monthly purchase of atleast Rs. 500•Direct to Home marketing

Farmers cooperatives Currently two cooperatives are into functional business (50

farmers each) Bommalaram Coorative, Chowdaripalli, Nalgonda dist Enabavi Cooperative, Enabavi, Warangal dist

Running two shops Bhongir Jangoan Abyudaya Cooperative, Guntur is selling Chillies for last two years to

buyers from Mumbai

Status Currently only doing collective planning for production Elections are due in two cooperatives Business plans are underway

Strengths: all cooperatives have large production of NPM (pesticide free) and Organically grown food products

Cotton processing unit (ginning, micro spinning, dyeing, weaving) at Punukula

Primary processed foods Grains: Rice, Millets like korra, sajja, jonna, ragi Dal: Split dal of redgram, greengram, whole and split of blackgram

etc Groundnut beans Fruits Vegetables

Secondary processed (processed to cook) Atta and Suji from cereals and millets Cold Pressed Oil Jaggery

Tertiary processing (processed and preserved-Ready to eat) Pickles Pappads/fryams Fruit juices Purees of tomato, tamarind Onion/garlic paste Masala powders

Main Products

Guntur: Rice and Chillies (pesticide free dry chillies and powder)

Warangal: Pulses, chillies, oilseeds, Rice (Pound rice, colored rices) Nalgonda: Vegetables, rice, millets (millet mix) Mahaboobnagar: pulses, honey (cold processed) Ananthpur: millets, groundnut (cold pressed oil) Khammam: rice, chillies, pulses, cotton (seed to cloth)

Existing processing units Chilli processing unit: Guntur Dal processing unit: Mahaboobnagar Millet processing unit: Nalgonda Cotton processing unit: Khammam

• Chillies’ in 1200 acres in SERP’s NPM prog

• Savings on pest management more than 15,000/acre

• M/s Laxmi Exporters Mumbai purchased at Rs. 1500/q premium over the existing market price of Rs. 4500/-

• Hon’ble Minister for Commerce Dr. Jairam Ramesh and spices board officials visited

• From the Guntur coop 300 q/yr pesticide free chillies are sold every year in the last three years

• There is demand for specific varieties for dye extraction, oleoresin extraction etc which can be tapped

• Similar experience with Turmeric but not yet had a large marketing exp

• Lot of scope of value addition

Chillies in Guntur

Sahaja Aharam Participatory Food Quality Assurance System  To ensure the quality of the produce ‘Sahaja

Aharam’ has attempted to establish a reliable Food Quality and Fair Trade Assurance System with participation of producers and consumers which is simple, efficient, affordable and cheaper.

 The Food Quality Management involves various levels and various players. Sahaja Aharam is establishing quality standards and processes to ensure safety and ecological sustainability in production,

processing, transporting and storing and selling. based on honesty and mutual trust between producers and

consumers of food, provides scope for understanding farming realities and village

economy at grass root level, social relations and maintaining the dignity of the farming family and

affordable both at farmer and consumer level.

Individual farmers maintains PGS recordsAll operations and costs involved maintained plotwise

Farmers’ group at the village level for learning, decision making and monitoring Meet every Week/ten days

PGS committee at Village levelMonthly reviews

Producer Cooperative

Producer Cooperative

Consumer Cooperative

Consumer Cooperative

Producer Cooperative

Consumer Cooperative

Facilitating Organizatio

n

PGS Quality Assurance TeamInitially after sowing

Visits during the seasonReviews after the season

Farrm level data available for any product for consumer

CSA

Name of the Cooperative No of farmers adapting PGS

Enabavi cooperative society 50

Abhyudaya Co.Society 287

Bommalaramaram Co.Society 35

Kadri Co.Society 50

Nallama Co. Society 30

Total 452

What is Guaranteed ?•Ecofriendly in production (NPM/Organic)•Healthier for consumption (no residues, better processing)•Fair price and Fair share for farmers’ in consumer’s price

Food Quality and Fair Trade Assurance System Production level: ‘Sahaja Aharam Farm Certificate’ to

farmers adopting NPM (Non Pesticidal Management-grown without using chemical pesticides and GM crops) or Organic (grown without use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and GM crops). The quality is ensured based on the Farm records maintained by the farmers reviewed by Farmers groups

monthly. Random cross verification during the season by the PGS committee Random testing for residues in the food products Maintaining source identity (details of production and farmer’s group)

 Processing level: using only natural colorants, preservatives and flavors and low processing. The appraisal/monitoring and certification processes are followed for the Sahaja Aharam Certified Food Processing Units.

 Marketing: During storage utmost care would be taken that the food is preserved safely.

No chemical fumigation, spraying would be taken up during the storage. Maintaining product identity preservation (produce is separately handled at all

levels from harvesting, processing, packing, distribution and sale to avoid mixing up)

Market strategy

Direct to consumers Organic Store (currently one organised at Ground floor of CSA,

House no 12-13-445, Street No.1, Tarnaka) Mobile Store which will operate bi-monthly in 15 locations in

Hyderabad. Pick up points where consumers can pickup their orders delivered

on a weekly basis. Consumers can place their orders through a telephone 040-6526 8303 or email: orders@sahajaaharam.in or through the website http://www.sahajaaharam.in

Direct to home: door delivery for single orders of more than Rs. 1000 (delivery charges applicable) and single orders of more than Rs. 2000 free delivery.

Bulk consumers: Canteens, hostels etc

Direct to resellers: (by 2012) Perishables, processed foods, grains Market place where small resellers can buy wholesale

Direct to Traders: (by 2010) Taking orders from traders and placing them with Producer

cooperatives

Direct Marketing outletsSahaja Aharam outlets have been established across the three Cooperatives

Name of the NGO

No of Outlets

Date of establishment

Business Turnover

Membership fee Share capital

No of members

Amount in Rs.

No of members

Amount in Rs.

PEACE 2 04/11/2008 185000.00 55 550.00 55 5500.00

02/03/2009 35000.00

CONARE 1 05/02/2009 20000.00 70 560.00 56 5600.00

CROPS 1 26/03/2009 15000.00 100 1000.00 100 10000.00

Sahaja Aharam Organic Store

1 23/07/2009 211462.00 22 2200.00 18 82500.00

Mobile store 2 15/12/09

4,66 462.00 247 4310.00 229 1,03600.00

Key learning:1.Advantages of having Coop by members are yet to be realized2.Co.op need to improve their marketing functions3.Range of products and availability over time is required4.Ownership of cooperative haven’t felt by members.

Punukula, the first pesticides-free village

Yenabavi -Organic Village

• Entire village (55 farmers’ 228 acres) organic for last five years

• Most of the inputs internalised into farming• Land Productivity increased, crop yields maintained• In SRI paddy 44 bags were also recorded • Recently awarded Krishi Gaurav Award by Baba Ramdev’s

Patanjali Trust for their role in promoting organic farming• More than 30 thousand farmers visited the village in last

three years

Contacts

Organisational Website

http://www.csa-india.org

Learning Portal http://www.takingroots.in

GM Crops http://www.indiagminfo.org

Agrarian crisis http://www.agrariancrisis.in

Marketing Portal http://www.sahajaaharam.in

Email csa@csa-india.org

Phone 040-27017735, 040-27014392