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Agriculture, with its allied sectors, is the largest source of livelihoods in India. 70 percent of its rural households still depend primarily on agriculture for their livelihood, with 82 percent of farmers being small and marginal and as the Indian economy has diversified and grown, agriculture's contribution to GDP has steadily declined.
India still accounts for a quarter of the world’s hungry people and home to over 190 million undernourished people. Incidence of poverty is now pegged at nearly 30 percent and rising.
2) N A N B A N:
We are a group of individuals together as ‘N A N B A N’ from diverse backgrounds, who have come together, to achieve a common goal – healthy agricultural practices and eradication of poverty amongst poor rural farmers in villages.
N A N B A N is about supporting individual farmers and bring about good agricultural produce and sustenance to their families. To also work with us and understand the long-term benefits of organic farming and convert to it as they are reluctant due to various reasons which also include funding.
3) Vision & Focus:
Our vision is to bring about economic development to the poor farmer by introducing him to different tools he can use for optimum production of quality products, thereby becoming a self-sustaining individual to build his business. To make him aware of the importance of his work to mankind in bring out natural produces that benefits one’s health.
Our focus is on 10 very strong inputs, step by step we must achieve to bring about the desired Rural Transformation , bringing rural farmers out of poverty, and build a flourishing agricultural and rural economy that you can benefit from – Good quality produce directly from the farmer. They are:
1. Improve productivity and efficiency
2. Water management
3. Moving away from Pesticide poisoning
4.Think system level and price inputs correctly
3. Get out of the Dept trap
4.Focus on quality and value, instead of quantity
5. Go organic
6. Protect farmers from rampant exploitation
7.Health & Wellness
8.Skilling Rural Youth
9.Women empowerment & Dignity
10.Rural Community Development
4) Our Current Area of Work:
We have begun our two pilot projects to work with 20 farmers. 10 in North India, working in Chapra District, Bihar and in the South another 10 farmers in Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu.
5)The Issue at Hand:
Around 37% of farm households own land parcels smaller than 0.4 ha and 30% had holdings which fall between 0.41 and 1.0 ha. Small farming in India needs a big shift from basic traditional farming to more efficient, sustainable and productive farming. Technological and institutional innovation is needed for the small farmers for the increase in agricultural productivity and increase in income through diversification and high-value agriculture.
5) The Problem:
1.High yielding varieties of seeds, chemical fertilisers, assured irrigation and pesticides were key components of this high-input technology. However, the rise in food production has come at a price in the form of groundwater depletion, land degradation, yield stagnation, loss of agri-biodiversity and the long-term impact on farmers’ and consumers’ health.
2.Poor Small Holding Farmers are facing problems due to non-availability of quality inputs, lack of access to credit facilities, public resources, technology, limited quantity production, etc., lack of assured market and income safety which resulted in an increase in dependency of farmers on the intermediaries and local money lenders.
6) Non-Pesticide Management:
The call now is to move away from extractive and input-intensive practices towards a low external input and sustainable system of agriculture. There are different forms of this ranging from organic to natural to pesticide-free farming.
The overarching intention is to bring a more holistic approach to farming thereby reducing the use of chemicals in farming without affecting the yields.
The transition to natural farming and organic farming however, is a lengthy process. Years of depletion of natural nutrients and soil degradation make a complete withdrawal of synthetic chemical fertilisers a difficult proposition as it would bring down yields and affect the incomes of the small and marginal farmers.
Pesticides, on the other hand, are relatively easy to be replaced. Non-Pesticide Management (NPM) agriculture encourages farmers to engage in synthetic pesticide-free agriculture and create a unique identity for this produce in the consumer market.
7) Eventually Organic Farming – It’s Benefits
A. Economic
Low conventional commodity prices and an increasing cost of production have put farmers in a difficult position that relies primarily on cost-cutting and unsustainable scaling to generate profit. Organic commodities can fetch two to three times the price of their conventional counterparts, and sales of organic products have grown steadily over the past decade. The price premium for organic products allows farmers to make a greater return on their investment, be more self-sufficient, and rely on a stabilizing market and buyer relationships rather than competition with imports and outsized corporate producers.
B. Environmental
By definition, organic crop production does not rely on chemical inputs for soil fertility or pest and disease control. Instead, organic farmers use cover crops, compost, animal inputs, and crop rotation to build the soil and produce strong, resilient farms. Healthy soil is key to managing extreme weather events like drought and flooding.
C. Practical
Organic agriculture allows farmers to reduce their dependence on companies that aim only to sell them products and don’t necessarily have their best interests in mind. Organic production works because it’s based on the natural cycling of nutrients and cash crops rather than the continued purchase and application of chemical products and genetically engineered seeds.
D. Land Value
Getting farmland certified organic can increase the value of the land and give farmers a valuable asset for future generations.
E. Consumer Confidence
Organic certification of your farm products tells consumers that you meet rigorous standards and that they can buy with confidence.
8) What We Do:
N A N B A N identifies poor rural farmers to work our magic with. Each farmer will have our full assistance for a period of 3 years, by which time they are set free to build their agriculture lives with decency, economic development for the individual farmer and his family, dignity of life and to be a social contributor to his rural village. Over a period of time building such rural communities throughout the country as islands of agricultural prosperity for others to follow as a practical example of success.
Today the value chain makes money and benefits for others rather than the farmer or you! Here is an example of where you can see how coffee price get so high for the customer and really nothing for the farmer.
N A N B A N is looking at ways to get from Farmer to Rural Community to Customer directly. This way the farmer gets his right price, the Rural Community will put the product and packaging together and ship it off to the customer direct.
To begin with our area of concentration is on medicinal plants to produce food supplements to the public directly as there is a special market for this and growing.
9) What is the Fund For:
The 1st Phase brings 20 farmers. They will grow Ashwagandha, which lasts a 6 month cycle at harvesting. We estimate that each farmer will need Rs.10,000/- per month to manage and maintain the Ashwagandha plants. This amount goes for manure, labour costs to tendering the field, removing weeds etc for the proper growth of the plant and other expenditures that come up daily. Rs.60.000/- for 6 months of which N A N B A N will contribute Rs.35,000/- per farmer and the balance of Rs.25,000/- to be bridged by crowdfunding.
For crowdfunding we seek for Phase 1 from the public Rs.5,00,000/-
N A N B A N provides support to poor small holding farmers to :
1.Create a new revenue stream for poor rural farmers helping them grow and end poverty. Providing such tools, with technology, practical knowledge with training to fulfil the vision and focus at hand.
2.Sustainably increase agricultural productivity and incomes
3.This involves supplying of good quality seeds and working with the farmers to grow the agricultural produce, provide natural manure and other such support to ensure a good crop rotation.
4.Provide an insurance cover
5.Reduce and remove ‘Dept’ at very high interest rates that are strangling poor farmers to survive
6.Diversify farmers’ livelihood and add more nutrients to their diets
7. Train and set up towards ‘Sustainable Development Goals’
Join US and support N A N B A N in its working and support to the poor farmers of our country. In doing so, you are also supporting yourself to have the opportunity to get good quality agricultural produce.
If you wish to contact us directly, feel free to mail us at ‘nanbanvanakkam@gmail.com’
Thank you for your support.
Nandri.
