ROLE OF COMMUNITY BASED INSTITUTION IN ENHANCING FARM PRODUCTIVITY,

ENSURING FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY

International Food Security Dialogue 2014

“Enhancing Food Production, Gender Equity and Nutritional Security in a Changing World.”

Hosted By: Sponsored By:

G.VENKATESAN, S.ABUBACKER SIDDICK, E.D.I.OLIVER KING, V.BALAMURUGAN, K.MATHESH

Alleviating Poverty and Malnutrition in Agro biodiversity Hotspots Project, M.S.SWAMINATHAN RESEACH FOUNDATION, Kolli Hills, Tamil Nadu, India

Community Institution – Tradition to Contemporary

• Traditional panchayat – Community Governance

• Panchayatraj systems – 1980’s• Social capital building - SHGs movement in

Tamil Nadu – Since 1980’s • Community institution - Self Help Groups,

Farmers club, Thematic groups • Crucial role in sustaining through micro

credit and thrift/ savings • Livelihood enhancement programs of the

stateHosted By: Sponsored By:

Community Institutions building process in Kolli Hills

Hosted By: Sponsored By:

A decade old movement organized community members in to a concept based groups

Concept based community institutions to conserve traditional agriculture system, Crops for Food and nutritional security, herbal cultivation, local healers and folk arts

Promotion of organic farming and Entrepreneurship Development for sustainable livelihood

Providing training on capacity building for their livelihood

Promotion of Small Scale on farm and off farm Enterprises for the Small and Marginal Farm Families

Community Mobilization

Group formation

Technology Transfer

System Management

System Management

KHABCoFED

Land Less14%

Below 25061%

250-50020%

Above 5005%

Household Land Holding Details (in %)

Demographic & Land Holding status in APM site, Kolli Hills

Hosted By: Sponsored By:

Male Female0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

0-5

06-18

19 - 65

above 65

Demographic Details

Valappur Panchayat

Community Institutions Nurtured in APM context

Hosted By: Sponsored By:

Community Based Institution

Purpose

Farmers Research Group (FRG)

Assessment of constraints on cultivation practices, Participatory research trials and demonstrations, Vermi-compostingConservation and Management of Nutritious Underutilized crops

Farmers Club (FC) Seed bank, Pulverizer units, Farm machinery utilization and maintenance

Self Help Groups (SHG) & Women Farmers Club (WFC)

Community enterprise activities

Pond User Group (PUG) Carp fish culture in community ponds and private wells

Community Action Groups on Nutrition (CAN)

Nutrition awareness trainingBehavioral Change Communication

Community Institution in APM site in Kolli Hills 2011-2014

PSC+VKCMC SHG FC FRG NAG

16

66

114

36

8

50

88

134

114

Gender Ratio in Community Based Institutions

Male

Female

Farmers Research GroupConstraints in Farming

• Limited access to quality seeds in time•Reduced diversity of local food crops• Lack of awareness on crop management practices

Research Group as Solution •Conservation and multiplication of seeds of local food and cash crops

•Seeing is believing (Field exposures on improved cultivation practice )

•Sharing traditional knowledge with scientific knowledge and distribution of local land races and improved varietyHosted By: Sponsored By:

Marginal Farmers

Small Farmers

Medium

Big Farmers

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Farmers Participation in Agriculture Research TrialsMale Female

Number of participants

Farm

ers

Cate

gory

Bas

ed o

n la

ndho

ldin

g

Farmers Research Group Learning and Sharing Platform

•Enabling a learning and discussion platform for different class of farm families

•Encouraging farm families on cultivation of nutritious and under utilized crops

•Participatory assessment on constraints of cultivation practices

•Participation in varietal selection trials & demonstrations•Selection of best varieties and multiplication of its seeds•Introducing processing mills at locally

Hosted By: Sponsored By:

• Millet – 16 varieties observed for suitable variety selection• Paddy – 8 varieties (Kharif) & 6 varieties (Rabi)• Cassava – 11 varieties observed for selecting the best• Banana – Integrated approach on pest & disease control• Vermi-composting – 200 farm families trained and involved in vermicompost & vermi-wash production

Farmers Club - Promising PathwayConstraints of Farmers

• Lack of awareness on conservation, multiplication and seed storage

• Lack of awareness on collective action on plant protection

• Limited access to get government entitlement and subsidy schemes

Farmers Club a Forum to Discuss

•Collection and Conservation of seeds on local food and cash crops at locally

•Multiplication of quality seeds and distribution

•Promoting seeds exchange practice among farmers

•Provision of farm equipments for ease of access at limited cost

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•Farmers Clubs – 11•Total members – 154 (Female-88, Male-66)

•Total village seed banks – 20

•Pulverizing units – 3

•Power tiller operation & management group – 1 (F6, M6)

Pond User Groups•Underutilized community ponds and private farm ponds•Limited access and availability of fish•Lack of awareness on fish varieties and fish farming•Lack of awareness on cooking of fish foods among women•Limited awareness about fish based nutrition

Sponsored By:

•Understand fresh water fish farming - Underutilized community ponds brought in to optimal use on carp fish farming

•Ensuring harvest and consumption at local level•Participation in Fish dressing and Cooking demonstrations

•women in the group have a stake in decision making, feeding, managing pond and selling of fish.

Hosted By:

Hosted By: Sponsored By:

Under-utilized water bodies and Community Governance

MARGINALSMALL

MEDIUMLARGE

LAND LESS

0

5

10

15

20

25

Land based category of - farmers participation in Pond User Group

FEMALE MALE

•Total number of Community Ponds – 4•Total private farm ponds – 29•Total number of Pond User Groups – 4•Total members in the pond user group - 92

Community Action Group on Nutrition (CAN)•Non diversified food menu•Prevalence of nutritional deficiency diseases•Lack of nutritional awareness among children and women•Lack of awareness on healthy cooking practice •Lack of awareness on anaemia among adolescents/ Mothers

Hosted By: Sponsored By:

Good Nutritional Practice (GNP)s• Nutrition garden groups and Family Nutrition Education • Establishment and Management of Home Nutrition Gardens • Cookery Demonstration and Training• Children Nutrition Clubs for awareness training on personal

hygiene among school children • Anemia awareness training for Adolescent groups, PNC/ANC

mothers• Behavioral Change Communication programs

for target groups in villages • Promotion of nutritive native food crops in home nutrition garden

Nutrition Awareness

management of Kitchen Gardens

Personal Hy-giene / anemia

control

Family Nutri-tion

School children program Cooking Demo

Field Exposure visits

Children Nutrition Club

Nursery Production

Processing of Veg/ Fruits

Adolescent girls Nutrition

Training and Awareness Program on Nutrition

Village Action Groups on Nutrition Female Male Total

Adolescent Girls group 67 0 67Child Nutrition club 47 36 83School Children Group 180 72 252

Nutrition Garden Groups 199 48 247

Below 15

15-30

30-45

45 & above

59

220

284

60

39

45

68

46

Age wise & Gendered Participation in Nutrition Awareness Programs

Female Male

Entrepreneurial Groups• Lack of local employment opportunities and

unequal access to income generating opportunities

• Increasing migration and poor access to nutritive food

• Lack of awareness on diverse income sources that build upon local resources/crops and livestock

Hosted By: Sponsored By:

Actions Key Outputs

Power tiller operating unit

Earned Net income =Rs. 15000/-Season

Country chicken rearing in cage system

Earned Net Income =Rs. 15072/- from one cycle (on going)

Country chicken rearing in Shed system

Earned Net income Rs= 28012 from one cycle, II batch taken up by the group

Stall fed Goat Rearing unit (2 groups)

Number increased (birth to colts)Expected Net income Rs.32000/ year

Community Feedback Mechanism

•Project Site Committee (PSC) -advising on implementing project activities

•Council of members from local panchayat, lead farmers and SHG representatives

•A forum to learn and share about the adoption of implementing project activities by the community

• Close monitoring and follow-up of activities with project team membersSponsored By:

Panchayat Members

Lead Farmers

Women Representa-tives

MSSRF Representatives

Project Site Committee Members

Hosted By:

Community Based Knowledge Management

• Poor access to information and communication• Lack of awareness on nutrition and food security entitlements

Sponsored By:

Panchay

at Repre-

sen-tatives

School Teachers

Lead Farmers (M+F)

MSSRF

Repre-

sen-tatives

VKC - Management Committee

• Managing the knowledge centers and supporting for its effective functioning

• Imparting scientific information and knowledge through the knowledge workers

• Computer and adult literacy to the community

• Know about Government schemes and social entitlements

Hosted By:

Farm Productivity Nutrition Training Fish - Training Enterprise

294

787

74154

337

316

11936

Gendered Participation in Major Training Program Organized Through Village Knowledge Centre and Village Resource Centre

Female Male

Linkages - Activity and Sustainability

• Sustainability of the activity • Imparting need based training to groups• Promoting locally suitable livelihood activity

• Sustainability of the institutions» Providing training on managing group» Linking with research and training institution» Linking with banks and National Development

Agencies for financial and training support» Merging with KHABCoFED a unique body of

Biodiversity Conservers Federation for sustainable run

Sponsored By:

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Thank You